From: laudw@warwick.ac.uk (Chris Lowe)
Subject: Re: Germany to commemorate launch of first Nazi rocket despite protests
Organization: Computing Services, Warwick University, UK
Distribution: soc.culture.german
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 19:27:14 GMT

In article <1992Oct1.173309.7252@cs.tu-berlin.de> net@cs.tu-berlin.de (Oliver Laumann) writes:
>alti@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Thorsten Altenkirch) writes:
>> The use of the V2 against was a crime as well, however it was much
>> less effective (about 2.000 civilians got killed by it).
>
>2.000 British civilians.  In addition, according to a few articles I
>have read, 20.000 prisoners from nearby concentration camps died in
>the process of building the rockets.

Excellent point Oliver.you have highlighted the nature of the nazi
regime perfectly.In contrast I think people should remember the
fact that the British regime of the time in fact helped
liberate not only Europe,but also Germany from the yoke of Nazism.I
would suggest that Bomber harris`s command was in fact part
of this liberation and that this should not be forgotten.Whilst
Dresden must be rememberd for the awful carnage,I suggest that other
atrocities must be remembered.I live in the English city of Coventry
where similar bombings occurred.I put it to this newsgroup that the
british people have no shame in celebrating our air force command
because although they might have commited the terrible carnage in
Dresden,that they in fact also brought about the end of the most
terrible regime ever in government,it was`nt the british government
that made civillians a target.I shall point out that I deplore
xenophobia in all its forms and i am by no mean anti-german,and from
the replys to my original posting I am sure that many of you remember
history very well;but I can`t stand by and see the English struggle
in ww2 demeaned or vilified in an attempt for some of the German people
to try to and forget the horrors of their own past.I find it completely
ludicrous of anyone to put Harris in the same league as criminals such
as Hitler,Goebells and Goerring.The british RAF was responsible many
other brave and courageous acts in face of great odds.The defeat of
the Nazi regime is something that will live in the English memory
for a long time and for good reason.(as one of the better moral
judgements of a british government as opposed to our darker colonial
days.)

I won`t even attempt to justify Dresden,merely to say
that compared to the horrors of the holocaust,that even to think of
celebrating the v2 rocket is a diplomatic travesty,particulary in
context with the rise in right-wing violence and I think any
one with an inkling of intelligence would realise the same.We have
reason to celebrate (although insensitively to put it into the form
of the man responsible for Dresden),Germany has no reason to celebrate
the years 1933-45;please never forget this in the future,I personally
find it frightning that any German citizen could ever forget what
happened.

Just something to make you think,and to give you the British
point of view on the argument.I know this is emotive argument,but
I don`t mean to antagonise,just inform.

Personal replys welcomed.

D.Holden
University of Law.
Warwick university
Coventry
England.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.iranian