From: poser@vxdsyc.desy.de (Till Poser  -  ZEUS OFFLINE)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.german
Subject: Re: Neugermanischer Tribalismus, was Re: A-4/V-2 Jahrestag
Date: 11 Oct 92 23:28:31 GMT
Reply-To: Poser@vxdsyc.desy.de
Organization: Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron, Experiment ZEUS bei HERA

In article <1992Oct10.234416.6504@rz.uni-karlsruhe.de>, 
lbs@tkmhp4.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de (Lech Borkowski) writes:
|>In article <1992Oct9.223656.15049@dscomsf.desy.de> Poser@vxdsyc.desy.de 
|>writes:
|>>
|>> [part of an itemisation which contained a motivation for strategic 
|>>  bombing operations of the allies in Germany]
|>
|> Correction: Luftwaffe attacked civilian targets from the very first
|>days of the war, in September 1939, during the attack on Poland.
|>Example: Warsaw and numerous attacks on other cities and refugees
|>on the roads.

Sometimes I amaze myself by speeding off on wild tangents. My latest posting 
is one example of same. I won't cancel it, since I contend that my position 
has some merit. However, lest this degrade into an accusation-vindication 
match for which I have no eyes at all, let me just note the following:

1) This thread emerged in response to an utterly imbecilic act on behalf
   of the German Aerospace Industry, namely to commemorate  the inception 
   of a killing device (for whatever reason, I just surmise native talent
   or terminal paralysis). Some people took exception to people taking 
   exception to such an idiocy, citing the example of Air Marshal Harris
   as yet another questionable incidence of celebration and sought to
   exculpate the heinous celebration.

2) The 3rd Reich started the 2nd World War, and in its course, it doesn't 
   matter at all when or where and how, started wholesale bombing of 
   civillian areas of little or none intrinsic military worth. Those hit,
   i.e. the British, responded in kind.

3) Air Marshal Harris was in charge of Bomber Command since somewhere in 
   early '42 and built up and enlarged the strategic bombing force in such
   a way that it became an "effective bludgeon" and later an "accurate 
   rapier" to visit destruction on those target that were considered 
   meritous. In this he proved an able leader, an effective organiser and
   a man of no mean tactical ability. 

4) According to doctrine _and_ policy of those times, operations on civillian 
   population centers were deemed worthy of attention, and those attacks were
   designed to "weaken the morale and resolution and will to fight" of the 
   German citizen and so they were inficted on him in an ever increasing 
   "Crescendo of Bombing". In its course somewhere between 1 and 2 million 
   German civillians died. 

5) In hindsight, and during the later stages of the war, this operational 
   policy proved fallacious. Part of the operational strategy was changed
   but still bombing of population centers continued on insistence of 
   Harris. He was born out and given reign by his superiors, who must have
   been thinking that he did something right.

6) I question his judgement, his acumen and his morality for the later
   developments, as did a lot of his peers and superiors after the war.
   This is born out by the treatment he received, in comparison with
   other allied commanders after the war. There is, however, very little
   doubt about his accomplishments prior to that. There is also no doubt
   at all that the civillian losses in Germany are not to be blamed on
   Harris, but on those who started the war and carried it on.

   I found the affair about the statue to Harris to be a little macabre and 
   out of place, and it seems that I wasn't alone in this, neither on the
   continent, nor in Britain. However, there is a vast difference between
   honoring a distinguished but obstinate soldier for defending his country
   in a marginally acceptable way and glorifying a killing device, which 
   was developed under the aegis of a criminal regime for the express 
   purpose of mass destruction, and cost the lives of thousands of human 
   beings in the process of creating and building it, under the ludicrous 
   guise of a benefaction to humanity. This is hypocrisy of the worst, the 
   most abonimable kind. The vindicators either suffer from moral myopia or
   use this as a way to salve some wounded spots on their egos. Either way,
   they are tainted by the same hypocrisy.

|> Lech Borkowski
|>lbs@neptune.phys.ufl.edu

Now, I've bent over backwards here to be evenhanded and unequivocal. Please 
take it to email, if You still have objections. 

       Till Poser         Internet: poser@vxdsyc.desy.de
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