The Danger of Ethnocentrism

[Laurasia]

I really have to say that I agree with you on this, McCoy. Judging what we did or thought based on today's standards does nothing but perpetuate guilt. (Not that we were angels by any means, but there are factors to be considered when analyzing our past-life-selves.)

And I also agree that no one person was/is responsible for the Holocaust. It very much was/is a collective event with many, many souls intertwined for many different reasons in many different ways.

Sincerely,
Laurasia

[kapitanprien]

This I would agree with as well. I had a rather long discussion with a member of uboat.net where it concerns the Holocaust and Nazism. What prompted me to start it was the fact that in a vintage living forum, I was being bashed really bad (being called a 'criminal in uniform', an 'fanatical Nazi' - which would be William Shirer's words, etc.).

What many people seem to forget is that the Holocaust was a state secret. Last time I checked, I was dead before much of it even began (so I don't know how I could be held accountable for things that happened AFTER I died)...as well as the fact that none of our periscopes could see all the way to Berlin and inside the Chancellery.

I have a section in my U-Boat Site on this and people are welcome to read it:

priens-u-boat-site.webs.com/thenazilabel.htm

[kapitanprien]

That would make for an interesting challenge...

I don't study the war from that aspect obviously, but in one of my U-Boat books, as late as 1944 the allies were still in crisis with regards to the U-Boat threat.

[kapitanprien]

That reminds me McCoy - I was on my way to a WWII event a few years ago with a friend. My friend's family has a friend who served on the Liberty Ships during the war and he was of the same mind. My friend told him that I do a U-Boat commander's portrayal (on board) at WWII events and his reply was, "They had it so hard." So he had nothing but respect and even sympathy/empathy for us U-Boat crewmen.