Tuesday, March 1, 2022

'What no one did for us'

     To view history as a factual rendition of what previously occurred is perhaps naive. There is too much of it, and one must always pay attention to who is telling the story, and why. The devil is in the details.  
     The assumption—so often mistaken—is that others are striving to achieve historical accuracy. When that isn't their goal at all. Rather, the point of history, to them, is to salve their own inflamed and aching sense of self. To make their boo-boo better. In this common condition, all bets are off. Grandiosity is as human a condition as bilateral symmetry,  and almost as common. Though it leads to all sorts of ludicrous situation, where people simultaneously portray themselves as heroes and victims—boldly striving across the world stage while at the same time continually betrayed by their inferiors.      
     I noticed the following on a Facebook friend's feed Sunday:


     Typically, I try to avoid Facebook disputes. But I couldn't in good conscious hurry past this one. So I flopped by fingers on the keyboard, and pointed out that the Nazis invaded Poland on Sept. 1, 1939, and France and Great Britain declared war on Germany two days later. Not neglect in the usual sense of the word. The "no one did for us"concept is both wrong, and an indictment of the "support so much" claim. Nobody seems to be declaring war on Russia.
      Not yet anyway.
     I went back to the friend's page the next day, and noticed the she had simply deleted the post, leaving an undisturbed chain of cute cats and lovely birds. Which is the fate of history that doesn't sit back and applaud our own precious selves. It simply vanishes.

4 comments:

  1. While it is true that France and the UK declared war on Germany very little military support arrived in Poland before Germany and the Soviet Union completely controlled Poland.

    The part of the post I don't understand is what sort of support is Poland lending to Ukraine? Moral?

    I imagine though I cannot find specific information, some portion of the material that is being sent to Ukraine comes from Poland.

    As far as I know much like Poland in 1939. No country is actually coming to the aid of Ukraine militarily.

    They're on their own.

    While the Allies eventually fought the Germans on Polish soil as we all know when the war was over the Soviets controlled Poland for decades as they likely will Ukraine.

    Failure and refusal to act militarily against Russia has likely doomed Ukraine.

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  2. "What is history but a fable agreed upon?" Napolean.

    The British and French would no doubt have liked to come to Poland's aid in 1939 but for two formidable organizations standing in the way: The Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe.

    Tom

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    Replies
    1. Whats keeping the US and its allies from coming to Ukraines aid now?

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  3. Britain and France declared war on Germany in 1939, but the eight months following Britain’s declaration of war are referred to as the ‘phoney war’ because Britain saw no military action, thus allowing Hitler to invade Denmark and Norway in the spring of 1940, and to safeguard supply routes of Swedish ore and establish a Norwegian base from which to break the British naval blockade on Germany.

    Soon after, Hitler launched his blitzkrieg (lightning war) against Holland and Belgium, and then occupied France. A mobilizing UK was never invaded by the Wehrmacht (nor was pro-German Edward VIII restored to the throne), but they were pounded for months by the Luftwaffe.

    Perhaps if England and France had deployed their forces a lot sooner, Germany might not have done so well quickly, and so early in the game. But the truth is, the British weren't yet ready to take on Hitler. So they stalled for time.

    This new conflict is not going to play out like WWII. Not when both sides have the capability to destroy the planet in the blink of an eye. Ukraine will hold out for a lot longer than was expected, and gain the admiration and the sympathy of the world, just like Poland did. And then? The only question really is...who will be next? And will the hardware be rolled out? Don't wanna go there. I'll think about it tomorrow.

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