Unable to leave history in the past...

Originally Posted by keithd

Calm down Donal! Its a debate, and nobody is saying anything other than how awful the situation is over there.

Fair point.

Guess I'm just a bit fired up about it!

But I do get riled about such things...(and don't wish to belittle anyone's family's experiences either)

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by keithd

Calm down Donal! Its a debate, and nobody is saying anything other than how awful the situation is over there.

I think you will find thats the other thread

Originally Posted by SoulKiss

So how about our Government supporting flights of Spitfires up the Thames?

Or the guys that privately fund the preservation of various other warplanes?

I think that's fine, from a historical perspective and remembering the bravery of the people that fought. I also think it's good to remember how our troops taken prisoner were systematically, brutally tortured, starved and killed.

(I would also question the taste of someone who had pictures of the Fire Bombing of Dresden on their wall).

Originally Posted by SoulKiss

So how about our Government supporting flights of Spitfires up the Thames?

Or the guys that privately fund the preservation of various other warplanes?

<Sarcky mode on>

But we won the war so we're allowed to be proud and jingoistic

</SM>

Originally Posted by Quedos

Yeah and come to glasgow during marching season and see the hassles with it. I wish that they could be forgotten but hey there will always be blinkers no matter what generation because people think that its okay to continue it.

We should consider ourselves luck in a sense that we don't have major natural disasters otherwise we may find ourselves without much help at all.

whole new can of worms there love and one to be avoided on here, especially with me "in" this thread too

[timwilky]

Originally Posted by The Idle Biker

I think that's fine, from a historical perspective and remembering the bravery of the people that fought. I also think it's good to remember how our troops taken prisoner were systematically, brutally tortured, starved and killed.

(I would also question the taste of someone who had pictures of the Fire Bombing of Dresden on their wall).

Heah, but if you could afford it and had the space would you not have Picasso's guernica hanging on your wall. It only takes a slip in the brain for a memorial work of art to become a celebration

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by The Idle Biker

I think that's fine, from a historical perspective and remembering the bravery of the people that fought. I also think it's good to remember how our troops taken prisoner were systematically, brutally tortured, starved and killed.

(I would also question the taste of someone who had pictures of the Fire Bombing of Dresden on their wall).

I have to say that for some reason I read the description as Kawasaki Zero's rather than Kamakazi.

However that doesnt change much - those pilots were brave men, who gave their lives for their country.

The fact that they were sent into the war as an invasionary force (not at all like our guys in Iraq/Afganistan of course) doesn't mean that everything that every Japanese soldier/pilot/sailor was wrong.

I have spent a very short time in Japan, literally a couple of days in Osaka, but I realised from that time that they see the world VERY differently than we do in the west, and that there may even be an ingrained xenophobia (rather than racism) but there is also a great national pride.

What there also is, is a HUGE amount of flexibility, Osaka Castle was all but flattened in the 40's. The Japanese just rebuilt it, just like the original BUT they also made some interesting modernising decisions due to its role as a museum. They built lifts into the central column and put escalators in.

As said, end of the day people are dead, people have lost family members, and from my experiences in Osaka, I know that they can be extremely kind, courteous and friendly people, even when there is no means of communication, I ended up staying in an area where English was not understood, and my Japanese was even worse.

Originally Posted by davepreston

whole new can of worms there love and one to be avoided on here, especially with me "in" this thread too

i'm sure your not that bad besides I'm not that fussed on the whole thing but we'll keep th e love going that this thread is showing!!

I have spoken to my grandparents about the war alot growing up, what happened then I think is beyond most words...not matter what side you were on.

I have been working flat out, working on the road so today is really the first news reports I have seen I wouldn't wish what has happened in Japan on anyone, it is not pay back either if you think that well says alot about you as a person.

We should never forget what has happened so the same mistakes never happen again. But people should be judged on their actions in the present we all need to move foward to work togther.

I wondered how many on here would boycott McD's and other americans then for their part in friendly fire and torture of prisoners. which have resulted in deaths of british soliders - or is that part of war these days.

I don't get the whole ethos - why we should boycott anyone for things have been done in the past in a time of war. I don't say forget but stop dragging it on make sure we remember but we remember in context on why it was being fought.
It may be playing nasty comparable to now but back them it was different.

now the exception is the older generation who were involved in it I can see them never forgiving - the same as I can see people in Iraq not forgiving sections becuase of their actions. the stories need to live but the hatred and narrowmindness needs to stop at the next generation who were not directly involved. ( if you get my drift)