@freemo Reparations, Reflection and serious imposed changes like that on post Nazi Germany would be a start.
@freemo @TheGnuMaster That, and Nuremberg took place IMMEDIATELY after the war.
@freemo I suppose I can agree with you to an extent. But also remember that the toll that this took on society to reflect and never forget which will ensures that people can never repeat the same mistake with the same excuses of ignorance that those who tried to escape Nazi prosecution did.
@freemo Also, I will add that regardless of your personal politics or that of Germans of the third reich era. One of the important questions was, why did you let it happen? why did you not overthrow the government?
In todays context we may think that the US government is impossible to overthrow, were it necessary to establish justice. But it only takes the power of one person to change all that.
The impossible empires have always crashed and burned because they thought they were invulnerable.
@TheGnuMaster I agree they should have overthrown their government. Regardless of 911 I'd say its about time we overthrow the american government too.
But I'm not sure its that simple. I identified the corruption of america, my solution was to move away and remove my tax dollars from funding it. But those with less money than me really dont have that option. I know I didnt pick up a gun and start charing the white house.
It just isnt so simple sadly.
@freemo Yes, I Agree.
The time for American's to pick up guns to over throw the government died almost a century ago, if not much earlier.
I also agree, that not everyone can afford to move.
For most people though,(*acknowledging I am not a psychic) it is a large percentage of indoctrinated and willful ignorance and/or not wanting to participate in politics in any way.
This is also a lesson that Germans had to learn and why watching the government is not only a right but a civic duty.
The mainstream media has a lot to be blaimed for, but they are not soley to blaim for this.
@freemo I think that if we look at the effect that the drastic consequences Germany faced after the National Socialist down fall, we can't deny how effective the punishement was in acheiving a result of a Free, Just and Human Rights respecting Democracy. (atleast for the most part)
@freemo I do understand we do not want the poor and vulnerable to have to pay for the crimes of big wigs. That said, all Germans had to pay. Collective punishment, whilst in almost all areas can never be justified, may be the only way an EMPIRE can learn from its mistake.
@TheGnuMaster Not really sure how I feel about that. Forcing people to pay for mistakes made by people who arent even alive anymore is not something I can support, especially when you consider the reparations forced on them in WWI is the main reason why they were able to rally the people to support them in WWII in the first place.