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Khandro | 11:59 Mon 07th Jun 2021 | News
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We have obviously all got different tales to tell of the young people in our lives.
It has been my privilege to visit those beaches on the anniversary of D-Day. I sincerely hope the enormous sacrifice is never forgotten.
It's not a useful view of history to divide it into goodies and baddies, especially if you don't acknowledge the plentiful space in between. Such a binary view was what, for example, "1066 And All That" was satirising.

None of which is to undermine at all the need for remembering events like this, and the sacrifices those people made. Both those who died, and those who lived through it, we owe a lot. I just wish that this memorial didn't get coupled with an attack on modern perspectives of history as a whole.
Agree with Jim.

It is a great memorial and tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of others.
I don’t agree with Jim. I think it’s essential to divide this war into the goodies and the baddies. Nazis never were ‘goodies’ and never will be.
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Apparently the narrative being given to French school children today is that it was they themselves, their 'Resistance', who drove the Germans out of their country in WW2.
I think that was why Trump (yes, him again!) insisted on meeting Macron in a a war cemetery in front of the thousands upon thousands of graves at the 75th anniversary.
Supermarket plastic shopping bags were imprinted with a plan of all the landing beaches, but somehow managed to leave out 'Sword', where the British landed.
Vive le France!
Firstly, that was incredibly moving and the memorial is a fitting tribute to those who risked all to fight for the world we have today. Future generations must be taught of what happened back then, so that they never make the same mistakes again.

As for the goodies/baddies argument, I think it can be broken down into something that important, as long as it is remembered that it was the Nazi ideology that was evil, not the axis countries as a whole. It helps no one to say Germany bad, UK good.

Well, obviously Naomi doesn't agree with me, but it's still not clear on what grounds other than to provide comfort. It's unambiguous of course that the Nazis had to be defeated, so I'm not rejecting the label "baddies" in this scenario. Neither am I wishing to argue that the Allies were also "baddies". Not everything the Allies did in WWII was justifiable, but that isn't the same thing. Still, any version of history that divides everybody into good and bad, with nothing in between, is wrong and unhelpful. A proper view of history means a warts-and-all approach, and also at least some level of self-reflection and reflection on our own history. That's the point.

Moreover, there is room for nuance in history, and for differences in perspective owing to differences in experience. It's narrow-minded to ignore that.
an extract from my fathers diary June 1944

"31 May 1944 - Union Day South African orderlies here have given me some potatoes and I am going to tea with them at 6 30 pm. Being at the end of the food distribution chain, they cd sometimes afford to be generous

"7 June 1944: Before our parole walk, a rumour started that there was as second front. This left me cold. Then I began to feel that this day is somehow historic. Collected some lilies of the valley on the walk.

"One of the interpreters called 'Piccadilly Jim' had worked as a waiter in London before the war. Every one badgered him for news and his irritable reply: "dont worry we are doiing quite well." could be interpreted in any way.

"10 June 1944 Swiss arrived. Now no earthly hope of repatriation. They said that there was a shortage and volunteers would be required from England. I said that was rubbish. There were already too many in the camp and if there were a shortage I would go at once."

oops shortage of doctors...
// As for the goodies/baddies argument,// looking aged and well used in the late nineteenth century - who were the baddies in the Boer War? or the spanish civil war - or Yugoslavia, 1940-5.
Indo Pakistan war of 1970, Vietnam war

went out with 'the whig view of history" - that htistory progresses and gets better and better
( clearly doesnt - look at Iran 1979, Syrian Iraq now)
Khandro, the French will never forgive us for liberating them.
Yes, very well worth my time. Feeling a bit emotional, thanks Khandro.
Post war ( we have had this before) the French has this epuration thing ( purification - ) collaboration trials and so on

I said that Laval ( he used to br Prime Minister ) was the only Time Magazine cover man ( 1935) to be shot for treason ( 1946 )

A previous prime minisnter ( Blum) was found in a concentration camp. petain the outgoing president was arraigned for naughtiness ( treason again I think)

and yes de Gaulle could not forgive the Allies for liberating France.

Churchill and later Attlee contiued the pretence that the Channel islands had no collaborators (which were all in the ruling class)
We forget at our peril. It could well happen again.
Precisely David - which is exactly why we must remember and recognise the 'baddies'. The 'no blame' culture is idealistic but acknowledgement of reality is far more sensible.

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