Prediction Thread: When Will Ukraine Conquer Russia

[PLATO]

I respect beyond words that you shared that story with me.
You know we only know what hollywood tells us, and that is a very different story.

I bow my head and have nothing to say to what you told me


I only ask for a bit lenience because I will say this:
you were the same country. We were invaded by a foreign country

But I do hear what you say

Never shared that with Poly before. I have to say that being raised in the South in the 1960s had a very...let's say tainted...point of view. People sharing detailed knowledge here on Poly brought a lot of clarity and change to many things I grew up being told were fact but actually were distortions. It made me realize that we cannot take all "facts" at face value. We must look deeper into things for ourselves. Tragedy happens and horrors are part of the human condition. It is how we face the future while armed with the knowledge of the past that makes us advance as a people. I will never forgive what was done to my family, but I will look to the future. I will judge people on how they are now...not how their parents or grandparents...or great great grandparents were. I will look for truth and not believe the masses. I will seek what is and what motivations are. I will stand for a brighter future in a world where aggressors are confronted and realize that people can change.

I like you BE. You seem to be an honest person who stands by their beliefs. That is a rarity in this world.

[Bereta_Eder]

Haha that's great

My contact with americans was with a guy from delaware - we wanted the same italian girl - he won - he wanted her more

with a guy we played pool from texas

and the most sweet grils from pensylvania out on a trip of europe

[Proteus_MST]

fine line....

all the germans were nazis

You call Sophie Scholl and her brother a Nazi?

[PLATO]

And we did have our own civil war here as well

actually the history of the US and Greece has many MANY common aspects

many of the most fervent philellines, friends of Greece were americans in the 1800s

I have nothing but great respect and fondness for Greeks. Amazing people and an amazing country. I had the opportunity many years ago to work for a second generation Greek family owned business. They were some of the kindest people and best business persons I have ever worked for. The Church they attended (Greek Orthodox of course!) had a festival every year where there was some incredible food. They always brought some to the office so that all could share in it. I am pretty "American" in my food taste, but the food was wonderful beyond compare! They went back to Greece every other year and always came back with pictures and stories. Fantastic people and representatives of Greece.

[Bereta_Eder]

And we did have our own civil war here as well

actually the history of the US and Greece has many MANY common aspects

many of the most fervent philellines, friends of Greece were americans in the 1800s

[Bereta_Eder]

I respect beyond words that you shared that story with me.
You know we only know what hollywood tells us, and that is a very different story.

I bow my head and have nothing to say to what you told me


I only ask for a bit lenience because I will say this:
you were the same country. We were invaded by a foreign country

But I do hear what you say

[PLATO]

During the American Civil War the Union army burned my Great-Great Grandfather's house, murdered him in front of his wife, raped her and his daughter, beat my teenage Great Grandfather, and stole everything of value they had. (For the record...they were NOT slaveholders...just Farmers. They had no involvement in the war) Do I look at everyone from the Northern U.S. in a vile light? Of course not. Was it a horror that should never be repeated? Of course it shouldn't. My family has never forgotten, but we are all part of the same country. I do not hold it against people what their ancestors did. I judge the person before me for who they are. That is moving on. Maybe it is just to early...maybe that horror was to close in time. I know my Grandfather never said "Yankee" without putting the word "Da mn" in front of it. History teaches us harsh lessons, but it is up to us what we do with them. I can say this...I truly do sympathize with the loss your family experienced. The challenge for the following generations is to ensure it does not happen again. To ultimately make sure of that we must find common ground. That doesn't mean to forget or forgive...it just means looking for a better future for all.

[Bereta_Eder]

My great grand uncle blew up a bridge PLATO

it killed a hundred germans and a full load of armor and weapons

the nazis/germasns got him and tortured him to death

but before he died they released him and got him back to his mother to watch him die

My name is not the same as his, but my grandma always was saying that I am as tall and as proud as my great uncle that the gestapo tortuted to death becasue he was defending his family

I will hold on to my views

[PLATO]

Historical memory helps avoid tragedies

it is not a burden

Oh yes...we should never forget, Those lessons were to hard and should never be forgotten. I believe that is the attitude of Germany's government and people as well. Holding a grudge and judging people by a past they have rejected is both unfair and counterproductive. I did not say "forgive and forget". I said reconciliation and finding common ground based in shared values is the key.

But we do agree that those times and their horror should never be forgotten.

[Bereta_Eder]

Historical memory helps avoid tragedies

it is not a burden

[PLATO]

Yeah...
I give you the frteedom of being far away and judge things from that distance

and grand me the same courtesy to KNOW what has happened

not only me

go far and away all over europe and ask....

no.

your american percective is of no consequence to me

And thus the cycle continues and the plight of man in the balance. Sigh...

[Bereta_Eder]

Yeah...
I give you the frteedom of being far away and judge things from that distance

and grand me the same courtesy to KNOW what has happened

not only me

go far and away all over europe and ask....

no.

your american percective is of no consequence to me

[Ming]

fine line....

all the germans were nazis

But they aren't now... Feel free to hate the Nazis like most people do.
And by the way, ALL Germans were not nazis back then.

[PLATO]

PLATO we are very different but I undersand and respect you

so I am not being ironical

but wear a badge as a "better person"

the far away american in the edge of the world

and leave us in the here and now to know better

much better

We may be far apart, but we all breath the same air. Holding racial grudges is only the path to further bloodshed. We must look for areas where we are the same and can co-operate. We must never accept aggression and must work hard every day to change the mindset of those who think aggression is the answer. Yes, even in our own countries and with our own people. This last applies a lot to my country. When you have the military that we do then every problem seems to have a military solution. That is obviously not the case, but we must have that strength to ensure that aggression does not overcome freedom. That balance isn't always clear but achieving that balance is the goal. The same is true in how we must think about past regimes that harbored aggression. It wise to be vigilant, but the only solution in the end is to try to achieve that in the spirit of reconciliation. The error of not doing that after WW I is one of the root causes of WW II. Let's all not make those mistakes again.

[Bereta_Eder]

Nazis...yes. Hold them accountable. Germans...No.

fine line....

all the germans were nazis