sluggerotoole--2020-05-08--VE Day 75 years on, who’s memories do you recall being told?

On May 8th 1945 , the Manchester Guardian editorialised the end of war… We may not know the answer to the troubles of mankind but at least we know some of the causes .
We have learnt , or should have learn , how dangerous is the spirit of nationalism when harnessed to the fact of power .
We have seen what can happen to a great nation which surrenders to its leaders the freedom of thought and speech and conscience .
But knowledge is not enough .
Fear , hatred , nationalism and the like are not rational states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will continue to govern human behaviour and which will be fed by the chaos and misery in Europe .
Hunger and unemployment are not the best schools for reason and tolerance , but they will have many pupils .
Most in Belfast ( aside from those who had volunteered to join up ) really only felt the terror of war in April 1941 on any scale .
900 people died in just a few nights , and another 1500 injured .
After the first night , many took the hills and outlying parks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the possibly apocryphal story of one Sandy Row woman being pulled out of the debris of her house by some big burly southern fireman , to say , “ Don ’ t tell me they ’ ve blown me all the way to Dublin ” .
I know from conversations with an old colleague in my first job at the NIE that Duncairn Gardens was hit pretty badly , or at least the bottom half was .
Eileen lived only a few streets up from the bombing line , whilst many of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late mother made it she would have been 100 next Tuesday .
She was full of stories , about the hardship of the pre-Welfare State days of the 1930s , her and her siblings waving off her dad as he left Ballyward station for the US just before the crash .
She never talked to us about the war .
But in her early 80s , she gave an interview with the News Letter on her experience as a nurse the day after the Blitz .
Among the debris on the lawns outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Arnott ’ s a mile away .
On VE day , her only story was a snippet .
Of heading down into town from Bellvue ( I think , she ’ d been at the Floral Hall ) on the tram , and having to get off at York Street , because of the throngs of people filling the street on the way down to Royal Avenue .
It would be great if you have any such snippets or stories from members of your family or stories you remember being told if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just stories mind , so no commenting on others ’ contributions .
Let ’ s make this about people we knew ?

On May 8th 1945, the Manchester Guardian editorialised the end of war…
We may not know the answer to the troubles of mankind but at least we know some of the causes. We have learnt, or should have learn, how dangerous is the spirit of nationalism when harnessed to the fact of power. We have seen what can happen to a great nation which surrenders to its leaders the freedom of thought and speech and conscience. But knowledge is not enough. Fear, hatred, nationalism and the like are not rational states but emotions which for a long time will continue to govern human behaviour and which will be fed by the chaos and misery in Europe. Hunger and unemployment are not the best schools for reason and tolerance, but they will have many pupils.
Most in Belfast (aside from those who had volunteered to join up) really only felt the terror of war in April 1941 on any scale. 900 people died in just a few nights, and another 1500 injured. After the first night, many took the hills and outlying parks.
Our science teacher once told us the possibly apocryphal story of one Sandy Row woman being pulled out of the debris of her house by some big burly southern fireman, to say, “Don’t tell me they’ve blown me all the way to Dublin”.
I know from conversations with an old colleague in my first job at the NIE that Duncairn Gardens was hit pretty badly, or at least the bottom half was. Eileen lived only a few streets up from the bombing line, whilst many of those living below it perished.
Had my late mother made it she would have been 100 next Tuesday. She was full of stories, about the hardship of the pre-Welfare State days of the 1930s, her and her siblings waving off her dad as he left Ballyward station for the US just before the crash.
She never talked to us about the war. But in her early 80s, she gave an interview with the News Letter on her experience as a nurse the day after the Blitz. Among the debris on the lawns outside the City Hospital she noticed a logbook from Arnott’s a mile away.
On VE day, her only story was a snippet. Of heading down into town from Bellvue (I think, she’d been at the Floral Hall) on the tram, and having to get off at York Street, because of the throngs of people filling the street on the way down to Royal Avenue.
It would be great if you have any such snippets or stories from members of your family or stories you remember being told if you could share them below? Do just stories mind, so no commenting on others’ contributions. Let’s make this about people we knew?


sluggerotoole--2020-05-08--VE Day (Victory in Europe) – Then and Now…

I remember one Christmas afternoon when my mother disclosed that her father was a ‘ great Stalin man ’ .
I almost choked on my drink at the news but when she explained , it made perfect sense .
My maternal grandfather had been a staunch unionist and an Orangeman but became disillusioned after experiencing long term unemployment during the Great Depression .
Embittered he looked , like many of the working class , to the supposed workers utopia in the Soviet Union .
As a result , on VE Day 1945 , 93 Northumberland Street flew the Hammer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Union Flag .
The story makes me smile now as it did then , but it makes an important point – VE Day was not all about Britain .
The USSR were our gallant allies and did the heavy lifting .
British losses in the war , depending on what source you use , were between 330,000 and 400,000 dead while Soviet dead numbered a staggering 25,000,000 .
It was the Red Army which destroyed most of the German army and stormed into Berlin forcing Hitler ’ s suicide .
Subsequent attempts by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World War II as an almost wholly British triumph do not bear up to scrutiny .
Actually , it is hard to see how any power even the USSR or the USA could have beaten the Third Reich on its own , certainly not by May 1945 .
Victory was a team effort and even countries that had been defeated and occupied such as Poland , France , Belgium , Greece and the Netherlands contributed substantial ground forces to the Allied war efforts after their countries had been overrun .
There was an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day .
People had endured years of blackouts , and rationing , many had lost their homes and loved ones .
In my own family , my maternal grandmother had a brother killed in Kent trying to defuse an unexploded bomb during the Blitz , followed by her nephew four years later in Normandy .
My paternal grandfather lost his younger brother in Germany in the final weeks of the war while another was fortunate to be evacuated from Dunkirk .
VE Day is also often seen as the end of the Second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While London and New York partied , the Americans were suffering their worst casualties of the Pacific War on Okinawa and looked upon the prospect of an invasion of mainland Japan with horror .
General MacArthur warned the US Defense Secretary , Stimson , that US casualties would be around a million in such an undertaking .
For the soldiers who ended the war in Germany or Italy , VE Day was a welcome , but apparently temporary respite .
Many faced being shipped to Asia or the Pacific to finish off Japan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Burma looms ahead ’ .
In popular culture the war is seen as straight forward battle between good and evil .
The liberation of the camps and the salvation of Europe ’ s Jews from genocide are now seen as reasons for fighting , but these are modern reconstructions .
Elements of the UK press occasionally reported on the genocide of Jews ( a term not invented until after the war ) but no one seemed particularly interested in reading about it .
When the Soviets uncovered the first death camp at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the US and UK press refused to publish reports of ovens and human ashes used as fertiliser .
The stories seemed too fantastic to be credible and were dismissed as Soviet propaganda .
As a result , the Soviets kept quiet about what they found at Auschwitz-Birkenau in January 1945 until after Germany ’ s defeat by which time , British and American troops had discovered the charnel houses of Bergen-Belsen and Dachau for themselves .
Churchill and Roosevelt knew full well about Hitler ’ s attempts to exterminate European Jewry but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraging the widespread anti-Semitism in their own societies .
My experience of interviewing British war veterans at the turn of the century indicated they thought Hitler was a menace who had to be removed , but the enemy was German militarism , not Nazisim per se .
The wilder stories about German atrocities were dismissed as the type of ‘ brutal Hun ’ propaganda their fathers had been fed in the Great War and they were deeply sceptical of what they were told about their enemies .
The American public were more interested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a war of revenge for Pearl Harbour , while the conflict in Europe was regarded as ‘ Roosevelt ’ s War ’ .
Eisenhower became so frustrated about the lack of animosity GIs showed towards their German enemies he insisted on them being shown around concentration camps .
One young soldier , visibly sickened by the sight of naked , emaciated corpses stacked like cordwood , was asked by his Supreme Commander , ‘ Still having trouble hating them ?
’ Much of that is now largely forgotten along with the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberate countries , in Asia their main role was to return Burma , Malaya and Singapore to British rule .
Britain can be rightly proud of its role in the defeat of Germany and Japan but that doesn ’ t explain the current nostalgia and downright jingoism for a war which is outside the memory for anyone under eighty .
Unfortunately , the Second World War has become mythologised much as the First World has been .
The ‘ Blitz spirit ’ is constantly evoked and the Queen even quoted ‘ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballad from the war , in her recent Coronavirus address .
At least she actually served in the conflict .
History of course is always more nuanced .
Yes , there was great courage and stoicism among the general public but also shirkers , spivs and looters .
The notion that the entire country pulled together for the war effort is a myth .
Albert Sutton , a Dublin RAF veteran I interviewed , recounted with some bitterness that the Blackpool landlady he was billeted with gave the bacon eggs she was supposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while he got a piece of dry toast .
Other local ex-servicemen also recalled with anger the fact that worker in Shorts and other war industries were paid more than them and that some contemporaries who opted not to enlist , even lamented the end of the war as it brought the gravy train of overtime and big orders to an abrupt end .
World War II is commemorated largely in the UK and Commonwealth , the United States and Russia .
Everyone else suffered defeat and collaboration , civil war and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National nightmares are not the stuff of nostalgia or celebration .
1945 was the last time the United Kingdom was a big player on the world stage ; the story since then has been one of continuous decline .
The empire has gone and the country has rejected partnership with its European neighbours opting to go it alone or more likely , become an American client state in all but name .
Victory in Europe is rightly a source of pride but the main celebration surely should be of the decades of peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get that , the British on the whole do not .
There has been no war between major European States since 1945 .
That is the lasting legacy of VE Day and a cause of celebration for us all .
“ p013007 ” by PhotosNormandie is licensed under CC BY-SA

I remember one Christmas afternoon when my mother disclosed that her father was a ‘great Stalin man’. I almost choked on my drink at the news but when she explained, it made perfect sense. My maternal grandfather had been a staunch unionist and an Orangeman but became disillusioned after experiencing long term unemployment during the Great Depression. Embittered he looked, like many of the working class, to the supposed workers utopia in the Soviet Union. As a result, on VE Day 1945, 93 Northumberland Street flew the Hammer and Sickle while every other house sported the Union Flag. The story makes me smile now as it did then, but it makes an important point – VE Day was not all about Britain. The USSR were our gallant allies and did the heavy lifting. British losses in the war, depending on what source you use, were between 330,000 and 400,000 dead while Soviet dead numbered a staggering 25,000,000. It was the Red Army which destroyed most of the German army and stormed into Berlin forcing Hitler’s suicide. Subsequent attempts by sections of the British media to present World War II as an almost wholly British triumph do not bear up to scrutiny. Actually, it is hard to see how any power even the USSR or the USA could have beaten the Third Reich on its own, certainly not by May 1945. Victory was a team effort and even countries that had been defeated and occupied such as Poland, France, Belgium, Greece and the Netherlands contributed substantial ground forces to the Allied war efforts after their countries had been overrun.
There was an out-pouring of joy and relief on VE Day. People had endured years of blackouts, and rationing, many had lost their homes and loved ones. In my own family, my maternal grandmother had a brother killed in Kent trying to defuse an unexploded bomb during the Blitz, followed by her nephew four years later in Normandy. My paternal grandfather lost his younger brother in Germany in the final weeks of the war while another was fortunate to be evacuated from Dunkirk.
VE Day is also often seen as the end of the Second World War which it was not. While London and New York partied, the Americans were suffering their worst casualties of the Pacific War on Okinawa and looked upon the prospect of an invasion of mainland Japan with horror. General MacArthur warned the US Defense Secretary, Stimson, that US casualties would be around a million in such an undertaking. For the soldiers who ended the war in Germany or Italy, VE Day was a welcome, but apparently temporary respite. Many faced being shipped to Asia or the Pacific to finish off Japan and a slogan among British troops was ‘Burma looms ahead’.
In popular culture the war is seen as straight forward battle between good and evil. The liberation of the camps and the salvation of Europe’s Jews from genocide are now seen as reasons for fighting, but these are modern reconstructions. Elements of the UK press occasionally reported on the genocide of Jews (a term not invented until after the war) but no one seemed particularly interested in reading about it. When the Soviets uncovered the first death camp at Maidanak in eastern Poland in late 1944, the US and UK press refused to publish reports of ovens and human ashes used as fertiliser. The stories seemed too fantastic to be credible and were dismissed as Soviet propaganda. As a result, the Soviets kept quiet about what they found at Auschwitz-Birkenau in January 1945 until after Germany’s defeat by which time, British and American troops had discovered the charnel houses of Bergen-Belsen and Dachau for themselves. Churchill and Roosevelt knew full well about Hitler’s attempts to exterminate European Jewry but downplayed it because they were afraid of encouraging the widespread anti-Semitism in their own societies.
My experience of interviewing British war veterans at the turn of the century indicated they thought Hitler was a menace who had to be removed, but the enemy was German militarism, not Nazisim per se. The wilder stories about German atrocities were dismissed as the type of ‘brutal Hun’ propaganda their fathers had been fed in the Great War and they were deeply sceptical of what they were told about their enemies. The American public were more interested in the Pacific which was seen as a war of revenge for Pearl Harbour, while the conflict in Europe was regarded as ‘Roosevelt’s War’. Eisenhower became so frustrated about the lack of animosity GIs showed towards their German enemies he insisted on them being shown around concentration camps. One young soldier, visibly sickened by the sight of naked, emaciated corpses stacked like cordwood, was asked by his Supreme Commander, ‘Still having trouble hating them?’
Much of that is now largely forgotten along with the fact that while in Europe British soldiers fought to liberate countries, in Asia their main role was to return Burma, Malaya and Singapore to British rule. Britain can be rightly proud of its role in the defeat of Germany and Japan but that doesn’t explain the current nostalgia and downright jingoism for a war which is outside the memory for anyone under eighty. Unfortunately, the Second World War has become mythologised much as the First World has been. The ‘Blitz spirit’ is constantly evoked and the Queen even quoted ‘We’ll meet again’, a popular ballad from the war, in her recent Coronavirus address. At least she actually served in the conflict.
History of course is always more nuanced. Yes, there was great courage and stoicism among the general public but also shirkers, spivs and looters. The notion that the entire country pulled together for the war effort is a myth. Albert Sutton, a Dublin RAF veteran I interviewed, recounted with some bitterness that the Blackpool landlady he was billeted with gave the bacon eggs she was supposed to feed him to her paying customers, while he got a piece of dry toast. Other local ex-servicemen also recalled with anger the fact that worker in Shorts and other war industries were paid more than them and that some contemporaries who opted not to enlist, even lamented the end of the war as it brought the gravy train of overtime and big orders to an abrupt end.
World War II is commemorated largely in the UK and Commonwealth, the United States and Russia. Everyone else suffered defeat and collaboration, civil war and dead who fought on both sides. National nightmares are not the stuff of nostalgia or celebration.
1945 was the last time the United Kingdom was a big player on the world stage; the story since then has been one of continuous decline. The empire has gone and the country has rejected partnership with its European neighbours opting to go it alone or more likely, become an American client state in all but name.
Victory in Europe is rightly a source of pride but the main celebration surely should be of the decades of peace that followed. The Germans and French get that, the British on the whole do not. There has been no war between major European States since 1945. That is the lasting legacy of VE Day and a cause of celebration for us all.
“p013007” by PhotosNormandie is licensed under CC BY-SA


sluggerotoole--2020-05-08--Another case of perverse British exceptionalism rumbled late?

An FT exclusive picked up by the Guardian..
The government has left open the prospect of ditching its own contact-tracing app in favour of the “ decentralised ” model favoured by Apple and Google after it was revealed that a feasibility study into such a change is under way .
After repeated warnings that the UK will be an outlier if it insists on using its own centralised app rather than relying on Google and Apple ’ s technology , rights groups and MPs said on Thursday that the lack of privacy and data protections could mean that the app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over that approach , it emerged that the Swiss-based consultancy Zühlke Engineering has been hired to undertake a two-week “ technical spike ” to investigate implementing Apple and Google ’ s system “ within the existing proximity mobile application and platform ” .
The centralised model brings advantages in terms of useful insights into the spread of the disease , but also imposes technical limitations that the government has not been able to fully overcome .
The Guardian reported on Wednesday that the app relies on a form of “ Android herd immunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where there are not enough users of Google ’ s smartphone operating system .
A switch to the decentralised approach created by Apple and Google themselves would solve these connectivity issues , but limit the visibility the NHS has on the wider spread of the virus .
Photo by Adrianna Calvo is licensed under CC0

Peter Donaghy vindicated!
An FT exclusive picked up by the Guardian..
The government has left open the prospect of ditching its own contact-tracing app in favour of the “decentralised” model favoured by Apple and Google after it was revealed that a feasibility study into such a change is under way.
After repeated warnings that the UK will be an outlier if it insists on using its own centralised app rather than relying on Google and Apple’s technology, rights groups and MPs said on Thursday that the lack of privacy and data protections could mean that the app would be illegal.
With growing questions over that approach, it emerged that the Swiss-based consultancy Zühlke Engineering has been hired to undertake a two-week “technical spike” to investigate implementing Apple and Google’s system “within the existing proximity mobile application and platform”.
The centralised model brings advantages in terms of useful insights into the spread of the disease, but also imposes technical limitations that the government has not been able to fully overcome. The Guardian reported on Wednesday that the app relies on a form of “Android herd immunity”, facing connectivity issues in situations where there are not enough users of Google’s smartphone operating system.
A switch to the decentralised approach created by Apple and Google themselves would solve these connectivity issues, but limit the visibility the NHS has on the wider spread of the virus.
Photo by Adrianna Calvo is licensed under CC0


sluggerotoole--2020-05-08--Coronavirus. Whether we like it or not, it’s all a question of politics

I was thinking recently about the Coronavirus situation , and without wanting to go into the specific Irish question ( for the record , I want North and South to strongly co-ordinate with each other ) , I have noticed that despite all our best wishes – on paper at least – to want to just “ follow the science ” and make the right decisions “ based on science ” , this is usually beyond us all whatever the peer reviewed studies will say about the virus over the next weeks and months .
All of us , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a slightly favoured personal default position , I know that I have certain sympathies for the Swedish “ Prof .
Johan Giesecke ” position and that others have sympathies for the “ ICL ” or “ Prof .
Neil Ferguson ” position .
Nearly all of us are of course strict amateurs when it comes to the actual in-depth science , it goes without saying .
I noticed that the scientists themselves have this bias too , Prof. Neil Ferguson in his recent interview on YouTube for the Unherd Lockdown TV program , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly from China on how to contain and beat the virus .
Interesting , his politics are shining through , was what I gleaned from this pronouncement of his .
I do think we should all be upfront and honest about this .
If we as individuals are more conservative-minded or libertarian ( full disclosure : I fall into this category ) we believe ( in general ) that life is risk , that people are free , that we are all going to die one day ( perhaps much sooner than some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life is a challenge to be accepted and enjoyed ; every day that I leave my house I am subjecting myself to a certain risk by driving my car , having stress at work drives my blood pressure up , and a hundred other things .
I must be careful and protect myself and others of course , but not too fearful – life is not to be lived in fear .
Government is only there to serve the people and not the other way around ; its role is necessarily very limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exceed its competence .
It is there to do our ( the people ’ s ) will , never the other way around .
Government is under us , reporting to us , never above us .
If I want to drink too much , or smoke too much , or whatever , that is no concern of the state ( unless I drink and drive ) .
It may be immoral in a personal sense , but that is my business , not that of government .
If we as individuals are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the political spectrum , then we have a different set of general beliefs or ideas .
( I will try to do justice to them here and not pigeonhole them in an unfair way – difficult but here goes ) .
We will believe in general that the state must be strong , very “ in control ” , and often very centralized , must step in and intervene much more to try to ensure that weaker elements of society are protected against the stronger that may exploit them , and must do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distress , sorrow , hardship etc .
If that means that the state must take on extra powers and special powers and centralize more and weaken somewhat individual freedoms , then so be it and all the better .
The goal is to make things better , to drive towards an ideal society , so the state must get the power to be able to achieve this worthy goal of making the world a better place .
And then came the Coronavirus .
What we already know about this virus I will sum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far the worst pandemic in living memory ( living memory extends back to the late 1970s in my case ) .
It is nothing like as bad as the 1918 Spanish flu , which claimed in huge numbers the lives of the young and the healthy also .
Thank God that our children seem to be spared and that we must not fear for our young this time around .
It is far more like the 1957 Asian flu or the 1968 Hongkong flu in terms of seriousness .
“ Much worse than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the Spanish one ” would sum things up .
My first instinct is to think about how blessed and fortunate I have been to have lived well over 40 years on this earth without ever encountering such a threat as this .
I freely admit that I was terribly scared going into work in mid-March in the midst of the virus ’ s big first wave .
I feel fear even today as I go to work .
After an initial period ( 17th March – 21st April ) in which I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only went into work physically once a week , I have since more or less started up normal physical work presence again .
It seems that I haven ’ t had it ( yet ) .
But the fear is still there .
I think that conservatives must acknowledge this , that there are two completely normal competing instincts , the instinct to get back to activity and get the economy working again , and the instinct to be prudent and protect oneself and to want to stay at home .
Now on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like myself will tend to fall on the side of “ getting back to work ” and left of center individuals will tend to emphasize caution in lifting the lockdown .
I understand very well that we have already destroyed our underlying economic strength through this lengthy lockdown .
For socialists , there are of course 2 motivations for wanting to keep the lockdown in place as long as possible : firstly to be as careful as possible and maybe “ save lives ” , and secondly , the longer we destroy our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as we are undeniably doing at present , the more the people “ en masse ” become utterly dependent and of necessity more amenable to what the Germans call “ Vater Staat ” principles – the “ father state ” will provide for you .
The final bill from this terrible virus is yet to be presented to the population of each country .
But the enormous shortfall in each state can only be offset by a ) a huge increase in taxes when we start up again ( not going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or b ) central banks expanding their balance sheets and printing “ funny money ” to cover the shortfall .
At the same time , it is obvious that socialist calls for universal income , free stuff for everybody out of nowhere in other words , which were already present before this crisis , will multiply tenfold as we come out of it .
From my perspective nations printing more money is clearly the worst of all solutions and hides within it the crash of the complete system ( à la Germany 1923 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the solution which all states in Europe at least will move towards .
Probably the US too .
It will be perceived as the path towards re-election by many politicians .
Just let the Central Banks sort it out .
On a long term perspective , obviously the country that is ( sadly once again ) the source of this terrible outbreak ( China ) and whose government has taken clear steps to inhibit and block the free flow of information on the virus , with catastrophic results for the world , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It has offered ( sometimes faulty ) gifts of PPE and testing equipment around the world to emphasize what a good government it is and to upgrade its image .
The PRC is also emphasizing how wonderfully well it has dealt with the virus compared to its rival , Trump-led USA .
China has understood that post-Covid the US is going to withdraw completely from China and a new Cold War era is opening , so it must position itself as a friend of the rest of Asia , Russia , Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Can we detach Europe from the US is the key question that the Communist Party in China may be asking itself ?
This will be the defining question for the EU and the other European nations in the aftermath of these crises .
How do we define ourselves vis-à-vis China and the USA , the two Super-Powers of the modern world ?
Who do we orientate ourselves towards ?
Photo by Wokandapix is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA

I was thinking recently about the Coronavirus situation, and without wanting to go into the specific Irish question (for the record, I want North and South to strongly co-ordinate with each other), I have noticed that despite all our best wishes – on paper at least – to want to just “follow the science” and make the right decisions “based on science”, this is usually beyond us all whatever the peer reviewed studies will say about the virus over the next weeks and months.
All of us, if we are honest, seems to have a slightly favoured personal default position, I know that I have certain sympathies for the Swedish “Prof. Johan Giesecke” position and that others have sympathies for the “ICL” or “Prof. Neil Ferguson” position. Nearly all of us are of course strict amateurs when it comes to the actual in-depth science, it goes without saying.
I noticed that the scientists themselves have this bias too, Prof. Neil Ferguson in his recent interview on YouTube for the Unherd Lockdown TV program, said that we all have to learn directly from China on how to contain and beat the virus. Interesting, his politics are shining through, was what I gleaned from this pronouncement of his.
I do think we should all be upfront and honest about this. If we as individuals are more conservative-minded or libertarian (full disclosure: I fall into this category) we believe (in general) that life is risk, that people are free, that we are all going to die one day (perhaps much sooner than some of us think), and that life is a challenge to be accepted and enjoyed; every day that I leave my house I am subjecting myself to a certain risk by driving my car, having stress at work drives my blood pressure up, and a hundred other things.
I must be careful and protect myself and others of course, but not too fearful – life is not to be lived in fear. Government is only there to serve the people and not the other way around; its role is necessarily very limited and strictly defined. It must never exceed its competence. It is there to do our (the people’s) will, never the other way around. Government is under us, reporting to us, never above us. If I want to drink too much, or smoke too much, or whatever, that is no concern of the state (unless I drink and drive). It may be immoral in a personal sense, but that is my business, not that of government.
If we as individuals are more oriented towards the left side of the political spectrum, then we have a different set of general beliefs or ideas. (I will try to do justice to them here and not pigeonhole them in an unfair way – difficult but here goes). We will believe in general that the state must be strong, very “in control”, and often very centralized, must step in and intervene much more to try to ensure that weaker elements of society are protected against the stronger that may exploit them, and must do everything possible to alleviate any death, distress, sorrow, hardship etc.
If that means that the state must take on extra powers and special powers and centralize more and weaken somewhat individual freedoms, then so be it and all the better. The goal is to make things better, to drive towards an ideal society, so the state must get the power to be able to achieve this worthy goal of making the world a better place.
And then came the Coronavirus. What we already know about this virus I will sum up as follows: it is by far the worst pandemic in living memory (living memory extends back to the late 1970s in my case). It is nothing like as bad as the 1918 Spanish flu, which claimed in huge numbers the lives of the young and the healthy also. Thank God that our children seem to be spared and that we must not fear for our young this time around. It is far more like the 1957 Asian flu or the 1968 Hongkong flu in terms of seriousness. “Much worse than the normal ‘flu, much better than the Spanish one” would sum things up.
My first instinct is to think about how blessed and fortunate I have been to have lived well over 40 years on this earth without ever encountering such a threat as this. I freely admit that I was terribly scared going into work in mid-March in the midst of the virus’s big first wave. I feel fear even today as I go to work. After an initial period (17th March – 21st April) in which I mostly tried to work from home and only went into work physically once a week, I have since more or less started up normal physical work presence again. It seems that I haven’t had it (yet).
But the fear is still there. I think that conservatives must acknowledge this, that there are two completely normal competing instincts, the instinct to get back to activity and get the economy working again, and the instinct to be prudent and protect oneself and to want to stay at home.
Now on to the more controversial stuff. Conservatives like myself will tend to fall on the side of “getting back to work” and left of center individuals will tend to emphasize caution in lifting the lockdown. I understand very well that we have already destroyed our underlying economic strength through this lengthy lockdown. For socialists, there are of course 2 motivations for wanting to keep the lockdown in place as long as possible: firstly to be as careful as possible and maybe “save lives”, and secondly, the longer we destroy our free economies in the West through lockdown, as we are undeniably doing at present, the more the people “en masse” become utterly dependent and of necessity more amenable to what the Germans call “Vater Staat” principles – the “father state” will provide for you.
The final bill from this terrible virus is yet to be presented to the population of each country. But the enormous shortfall in each state can only be offset by a) a huge increase in taxes when we start up again (not going to happen, just not feasible politically) or b) central banks expanding their balance sheets and printing “funny money” to cover the shortfall. At the same time, it is obvious that socialist calls for universal income, free stuff for everybody out of nowhere in other words, which were already present before this crisis, will multiply tenfold as we come out of it.
From my perspective nations printing more money is clearly the worst of all solutions and hides within it the crash of the complete system (à la Germany 1923), but I also think this is the solution which all states in Europe at least will move towards. Probably the US too. It will be perceived as the path towards re-election by many politicians. Just let the Central Banks sort it out.
On a long term perspective, obviously the country that is (sadly once again) the source of this terrible outbreak (China) and whose government has taken clear steps to inhibit and block the free flow of information on the virus, with catastrophic results for the world, has stepped up its PR relations work. It has offered (sometimes faulty) gifts of PPE and testing equipment around the world to emphasize what a good government it is and to upgrade its image.
The PRC is also emphasizing how wonderfully well it has dealt with the virus compared to its rival, Trump-led USA. China has understood that post-Covid the US is going to withdraw completely from China and a new Cold War era is opening, so it must position itself as a friend of the rest of Asia, Russia, Africa, and most of all, Europe.
Can we detach Europe from the US is the key question that the Communist Party in China may be asking itself? This will be the defining question for the EU and the other European nations in the aftermath of these crises. How do we define ourselves vis-à-vis China and the USA, the two Super-Powers of the modern world? Who do we orientate ourselves towards?
Photo by Wokandapix is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA


sluggerotoole--2020-05-09--The suspension of Northern Ireland’s new abortion regulations under pressure from “pro-life” opinion

The suspension of Northern Ireland’s new abortion regulations under pressure from “pro-life” opinion is fake news of the UK government’s making

The Irish News story on 8 May THE British government last night withdrew controversial abortion regulations for Northern Ireland before they could be put to the vote in Parliament next week .
It means that the regulations put forward by secretary of state Brandon Lewis at the end of March will not now apply .
It is understood that the strength of the challenges faced by the proposed legislation , in particular at a Lords select committee , led the government to pull the regulations .
The NIO proposals would have made abortion available on demand up to 12 weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undefined mental or physical reasons ” .
Catholic bishops were among the most trenchant critics of the regulations , accusing the Westminster government of removing “ protections to the life of the unborn child with chilling alacrity ” .
But it turns out this is not a surrender to critics .
It has been introduced to allow time to correct “ some cross referencing typographical errors.. ” and “ does not allow for any significant changes.
” This excuse reads so much like one dreamt up by the Chinese Communist Party that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be blamed for a multitude of errors .
If taken at face value this is one of them .
More time is given though for critics to marshal their forces , although the opportunities for a rethink are very limited for regulations compared to primary legislation .
The story on 9 May ABORTION regulations introduced in Northern Ireland remain in place despite a delay to a Westminster vote , the British Government has said .
The Northern Ireland Office ( NIO ) said the regulations introduced on March 31 continue to apply .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ parliamentary procedures which prompted claims from anti-abortion activists that the regulations had been withdrawn .
The regulations are being ‘ remade ’ , which means introducing the same regulations back into parliament – but it does not allow for any significant changes .
A vote had been expected next week , but the NIO said a ‘ remaking ’ is being undertaken due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on parliamentary proceedings .
However , it is understood it will also allow for the amending of some typographical cross-referencing errors .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Given the unprecedented situation created by the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact this has had on parliamentary proceedings , we intend to re-make these regulations on Monday May 11 , giving parliament an additional 28 sitting days to consider them .
“ The UK government remains under a legal obligation to implement these regulations under section 9 of the Northern Ireland ( Executive Formation etc ) Act 2019.
” It is understood the ‘ remaking ’ will ensure that the regulations will apply continuously , and has no effect on the provision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The regulations were introduced after Westminster last year decriminalised abortion in the north in a landmark law change amid Stormont ’ s absence .
They allow abortion on request for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and up to 24 weeks on the grounds that continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk of injury to the woman ’ s physical or mental health .
Abortion will also be available in cases of severe and fatal foetal anomalies , with no gestational limit .

The Irish News story on 8 May
THE British government last night withdrew controversial abortion regulations for Northern Ireland before they could be put to the vote in Parliament next week.
It means that the regulations put forward by secretary of state Brandon Lewis at the end of March will not now apply.
It is understood that the strength of the challenges faced by the proposed legislation, in particular at a Lords select committee, led the government to pull the regulations.
The NIO proposals would have made abortion available on demand up to 12 weeks and up to 24 weeks for “undefined mental or physical reasons”.
Catholic bishops were among the most trenchant critics of the regulations, accusing the Westminster government of removing “protections to the life of the unborn child with chilling alacrity”.
But it turns out this is not a surrender to critics. It has been introduced to allow time to correct “some cross referencing typographical errors..” and “ does not allow for any significant changes.” This excuse reads so much like one dreamt up by the Chinese Communist Party that it must be true.
The lockdown can be blamed for a multitude of errors. If taken at face value this is one of them. More time is given though for critics to marshal their forces, although the opportunities for a rethink are very limited for regulations compared to primary legislation.
The story on 9 May
ABORTION regulations introduced in Northern Ireland remain in place despite a delay to a Westminster vote, the British Government has said.
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) said the regulations introduced on March 31 continue to apply.
It follows confusion over a delay in parliamentary procedures which prompted claims from anti-abortion activists that the regulations had been withdrawn.
The regulations are being ‘remade’, which means introducing the same regulations back into parliament – but it does not allow for any significant changes.
A vote had been expected next week, but the NIO said a ‘remaking’ is being undertaken due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on parliamentary proceedings.
However, it is understood it will also allow for the amending of some typographical cross-referencing errors.
An NIO spokeswoman said in a statement: “Given the unprecedented situation created by the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact this has had on parliamentary proceedings, we intend to re-make these regulations on Monday May 11, giving parliament an additional 28 sitting days to consider them.
“The UK government remains under a legal obligation to implement these regulations under section 9 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019.”
It is understood the ‘remaking’ will ensure that the regulations will apply continuously, and has no effect on the provision of abortion services in Northern Ireland.
The regulations were introduced after Westminster last year decriminalised abortion in the north in a landmark law change amid Stormont’s absence.
They allow abortion on request for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and up to 24 weeks on the grounds that continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk of injury to the woman’s physical or mental health.
Abortion will also be available in cases of severe and fatal foetal anomalies, with no gestational limit.


sluggerotoole--2020-05-09--Russia’s role in World War II…

Russia’s role in World War II…

“ History is written by the victors ” is a well known and often accurate statement , however , for me it was never truer than when examining Russia ’ s role in World War II ( WWII ) .
With VE day ( Victory in Europe ) having now just passed , it was notable that there were a large number of people highlighting the important role Russia played in bringing about freedom in Europe by helping to defeat Nazi tyranny .
Whilst there is absolutely no doubt that Russia played a huge role in defeating Nazism , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at their overall contributions more objectively .
On 1st of September 1939 Germany invaded Poland which in effect resulted in the outbreak of WWII as France and Britain declared war on Germany on 3rd September .
However , an often forgotten/ignored intervention happened on September 17th as part of the Nazi/Soviet agreement ( Molotov-Ribbentrop pact ) Russia invaded Poland from the east .
This military intervention by Russia involved up to 800,000 troops and resulted in between 3000 – 7000 deaths Polish deaths .
The outcome of this was the annexation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ironically the Soviets controlled over 50 % of Poland and 13 million people as a result of their invasion .
What did France and Britain do ?
Both France and Britain were stunned by Russia ’ s intervention , however , they did not declare war on Russia .
On a technicality Britain had secret protocol to the 1939 Anglo-Polish treaty that specifically limited Britain ’ s obligation to protecting Poland to aggression from Germany only .
In addition to this on a purely practical point , Britain and France were barely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coupled with the Soviets would have been an impossible task .
Therefore , France and Britain were muted on Russia ’ s invasion of Poland and set about defending France against the impending German invasion .
What happened to the Polish people under Russian Occupation ?
The Russians captured 250,000 Polish prisoners during the invasion , these prisoners were denied any type of legal status as the Russians had not signed up to the international convention on rules of war .
As a result , almost all officers were murdered with the remaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stalin ordered the murder of 22,000 Poles by the Soviet police during the Katyn massacre , in addition to the Soviet police rounded up and executed anyone them deemed as a perceived threat from intellects , politicians to religious leaders .
According to sociologist , Prof. Tadeusz Piotrowski , during the years from 1939–41 , nearly 1.5 million people ( including both local inhabitants and refugees from German-occupied Poland ) were deported from the Soviet controlled areas of former eastern Poland deep into the Soviet Union .
Only a small number of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war .
According to American professor Carroll Quigley , at least one third of the 320,000 Polish prisoners of war captured by the Red Army in 1939 were murdered .
It ’ s estimated that between 10 and 35 thousand prisoners were killed either in prisons or on prison trail to the Soviet Union in the few days after the 22 June 1941 German attack on the Soviets .
Trumped up charges were levelled against many Polish people as an excuse to execute them including accusations of fascism whilst in reality many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since 1939.6000 political deaths were instigated by the Soviets whilst it is estimated that 20,000 more Poles died in Communist prisons .
One of the darkest legacies involving Russian troops was the scale of rapes they carried out on females , Polish records indicate that 100,000 people were raped during the “ liberation ” of Poland In Poland , German Nazi atrocities ended by late 1944 , but they were replaced by Soviet oppression with the advance of Red Army forces .
Soviet soldiers often engaged in plunder , rape and other crimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fear and hate the regime.50,000 members of the Polish Underground State were deported to Siberia and various other Soviet Labour campsTrumped up charges were levelled against many Polish people as an excuse to execute them including accusations of fascism whilst in reality many of the Poles had been fighting Nazi tyranny since 1939.6000 political deaths were instigated by the Soviets whilst it is estimated that 20,000 more Poles died in Communist prisons.One of the darkest legacies involving Russian troops was the scale of rapes they carried out on females , Polish records @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ liberation ” of Poland It ’ s also worth nothing that Poland was not fully liberated of Russia until 1956 .
Was Poland an Isolated Example ?
No , the crimes of the Soviet Union whilst in conjunction with the Nazis or fighting against them is innumerable and extremely difficult to quantify , some examples are as follows : – Illegally annexing Estonia in 1940 .
In 1941 , 34,000 Estonians were drafted into the Red Army with only 30 % surviving the war .
It has further been reported that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen military service with remainder perishing in concentration camps .
– When the Nazis invaded Estonia the Soviets deported 300k Estonians , many of whom were executed .
In fact , as a result of Soviet occupation of Estonia it permanently lost 20 % of its population .
– Some 300,000 Lithuanians were deported or sentenced to terms in prison camps on political grounds .
It is estimated that Lithuania lost almost 780,000 citizens as a result of the Soviet occupation , of these around 440,000 were war refugees .
– Almost every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executions usually on false charges , large scale rape against the female inhabitants and mass deportations – usually to Soviet style concentration camps known as Gulag .
What happened to the Germans ?
The Germans carried out barbaric acts on the Russians and committed mass atrocities against the Russian people particularly during the invasion of Russia in 1941 , therefore a backlash was inevitable .
As the Red Army advanced , Nazis propaganda against the Russians regarding their atrocities backfired and it almost hastened the retreat of German civilians .
Fleeing before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inhabitants of the German provinces of East Prussia , Silesia , and Pomerania died when evacuation columns encountered units of the Red Army .
Civilians were run over by tanks , shot , or otherwise murdered .
Women and young girls were raped and left to die .
The Russian army was guilty of mass rapes during WWII with many women committing suicide when the Red Army closed in rather than await the inevitable .
It was said at the time that victims ranged from 8 to 80 , sometimes the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffering the Russian endured although this happened in other countries before Russia was invaded .
Other put it down to the mass consumption of alcohol that the Russians consumed .
In Berlin estimates of rape victims from the city ’ s two main hospitals ranged from 95,000 to 130,000 .
One doctor deduced that out of approximately 100,000 women raped in the city , some 10,000 died as a result , mostly from suicide .
The death rate was thought to have been much higher among the 1.4 million estimated victims in East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least two million German women are thought to have been raped , and a substantial minority , if not a majority , appear to have suffered multiple rape .
( https : //www.theguardian.com/ books/2002/may/01/news .
features11 In his analysis of the motives behind the extensive Soviet rapes , Norman Naimark singles out “ hate propaganda , personal experiences of suffering at home , and an allegedly fully demeaning picture of German women in the press , not to mention among the soldiers themselves ” as a part reason for the widespread rapes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tendency to binge-drink alcohol ( of which much was available in Germany ) had on the propensity of Soviet soldiers to commit rape , especially rape-murder .
Naimark also notes the allegedly patriarchal nature of Russian culture , and of the Asian societies comprising the Soviet Union , where dishonor was in the past repaid by raping the women of the enemy .
The fact that the Germans had a much higher standard of living visible even when in ruins “ may well have contributed allegedly to a national inferiority complex among Russians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inferiority ” , the resulting need to restore honour , and their desire for revenge may be the reason many women were raped in public as well as in front of husbands before both were killed .
According to Antony Beevor , revenge was not the only reason for the frequent rapes ; but the Soviet troops ’ feeling of entitlement to all types of spoils of war , including women , was an important factor as well .
Beevor exemplifies this with his discovery that Soviet troops also raped Soviet and Polish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nazi concentration camps as well as those who were held for forced labour at farms and factories .
Many German soldiers feared being captured by the Soviets and where possible attempted to be captured by the western Allies .
The logic for this was justified with many Germans captured by the Russians facing brutal conditions in concentration camps .
Approximately 3 million German soldiers were captured by the Russian during WWII .
Russian statistics indicate that of this 3 million , 380,000 died in captivity .
German historian Rüdiger Overmans maintains that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Russian prisoner of war camps were known the have a high mortality rate .
Furthermore , despite the war ending in 1945 , many Germans remain incarcerated up until 1956 when the final prisoners were released .
What is beyond dispute is the cruel and sadistic conditions that these prisoners would have endured which was a trademark of the entire Russian military regime at that time and markedly similar to that of the Nazis.Did the ends justify the Means ?
There is no doubt that the evils of Nazism needed to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ played a key role and endured a heavy loss of life as a result .
However , long before WWII began , at its inception and long after its end Russia was involved in innumerable war crimes that have been too often forgotten when relaying the horrors of WWII and its aftermath .
The evils of Nazism are rightly scrutinised and long may this continue but we should not forget the evils the Russians and indeed others carried out .
If we are to cherish the freedoms that we enjoy today it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honest and complete narrative .
Photo by Neurolink is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA

“History is written by the victors” is a well known and often accurate statement, however, for me it was never truer than when examining Russia’s role in World War II (WWII).
Germany Invades Poland (Only Germany?)
On 1st of September 1939 Germany invaded Poland which in effect resulted in the outbreak of WWII as France and Britain declared war on Germany on 3rd September. However, an often forgotten/ignored intervention happened on September 17th as part of the Nazi/Soviet agreement (Molotov-Ribbentrop pact), Russia invaded Poland from the east. This military intervention by Russia involved up to 800,000 troops and resulted in between 3000 – 7000 Polish deaths. The outcome of this was the annexation of Poland between the Nazis and the Soviets, ironically the Soviets controlled over 50% of Poland and 13 million people as a result of their invasion.
What did France and Britain do?
Both France and Britain were stunned by Russia’s intervention, however, they did not declare war on Russia. On a technicality Britain had a secret protocol to the 1939 Anglo-Polish treaty that specifically limited Britain’s obligation to protecting Poland to aggression from Germany only. In addition to this on a purely practical point, Britain and France were barely equipped to face down the Nazis, coupled with the Soviets would have been an impossible task. Therefore, France and Britain were muted on Russia’s invasion of Poland and set about defending France against the impending German invasion.
What happened to the Polish people under Russian Occupation?
The Russians captured 250,000 Polish prisoners during the invasion, these prisoners were denied any type of legal status as the Russians had not signed up to the international convention on rules of war. As a result, almost all officers were murdered with the remaining soldiers sent to forced labour camps.
Stalin ordered the murder of 22,000 Poles by the Soviet police during the Katyn massacre, in addition to this Soviet police rounded up and executed anyone they deemed as a perceived threat from intellects, politicians to religious leaders.
According to sociologist, Prof. Tadeusz Piotrowski, during the years from 1939–41, nearly 1.5 million people (including both local inhabitants and refugees from German-occupied Poland) were deported from the Soviet controlled areas of former eastern Poland deep into the Soviet Union. Only a small number of these deportees returned to their homes after the war. According to American professor Carroll Quigley, at least one third of the 320,000 Polish prisoners of war captured by the Red Army in 1939 were murdered. It’s estimated that between 10 and 35 thousand prisoners were killed either in prisons or on prison trail to the Soviet Union in the few days after the 22 June 1941 German attack on the Soviets.
But Russia Liberated Poland
In Poland, German Nazi atrocities ended by late 1944, but they were replaced by Soviet oppression with the advance of Red Army forces. Soviet soldiers often engaged in plunder, rape and other crimes against the Poles, causing the population to fear and hate the regime. In Poland, German Nazi atrocities ended by late 1944, but they were replaced by Soviet oppression with the advance of Red Army forces. Soviet soldiers often engaged in plunder, rape and other crimes against the Poles, causing the population to fear and hate the regime. 50,000 members of the Polish Underground State were deported to Siberia and various other Soviet Labour camps.
Trumped up charges were levelled against many Polish people as an excuse to execute them including accusations of fascism whilst in reality many of the Poles had been fighting Nazi tyranny since 1939.
6000 political deaths were instigated by the Soviets whilst it is estimated that 20,000 more Poles died in Communist prisons.
One of the darkest legacies involving Russian troops was the scale of rapes they carried out on females. Polish records indicate that 100,000 people were raped during the “liberation” of Poland.
It’s also worth nothing that Poland was not fully liberated from Russia until 1956.
Was Poland an Isolated Example?
No, the crimes of the Soviet Union whilst in conjunction with the Nazis or fighting against them are innumerable and extremely difficult to quantify, some examples are as follows:
– Illegally annexing Estonia in 1940. In 1941, 34,000 Estonians were drafted into the Red Army with only 30% surviving the war. It has further been reported that less than 50% of these men seen military service with remainder perishing in concentration camps.
– When the Nazis invaded Estonia the Soviets deported 300,000 Estonians, many of whom were executed. In fact, as a result of Soviet occupation of Estonia it permanently lost 20% of its population.
– Some 300,000 Lithuanians were deported or sentenced to terms in prison camps on political grounds. It is estimated that Lithuania lost almost 780,000 citizens as a result of the Soviet occupation, of these around 440,000 were war refugees.
– Almost every country occupied by the Russians faced mass executions usually on false charges, large scale rape against the female inhabitants and mass deportations – usually to Soviet style concentration camps known as Gulag.
What happened the Germans?
The Germans carried out barbaric acts on the Russians and committed mass atrocities against the Russian people particularly during the invasion of Russia in 1941, therefore a backlash was inevitable.
As the Red Army advanced, Nazis propaganda against the Russians regarding their atrocities backfired and it almost hastened the retreat of German civilians. Fleeing before the advancing Red Army, large numbers of the inhabitants of the German provinces of East Prussia, Silesia, and Pomerania died when evacuation columns encountered units of the Red Army. Civilians were run over by tanks, shot, or otherwise murdered. Women and young girls were raped and left to die.
The Russian army was guilty of mass rapes during WWII with many women committing suicide when the Red Army closed in rather than await the inevitable. It was said at the time that victims ranged from 8 to 80, sometimes the “justification” used was retribution for the suffering the Russian endured although rape was carried out by the Russians in other countries long before Russia was invaded by the Nazis. Others put it down to the mass consumption of alcohol that the Russians consumed. In Berlin estimates of rape victims from the city’s two main hospitals ranged from 95,000 to 130,000. One doctor deduced that out of approximately 100,000 women raped in the city, some 10,000 died as a result, mostly from suicide. The death rate was thought to have been much higher among the 1.4 million estimated victims in East Prussia, Pomerania and Silesia. Altogether at least two million German women are thought to have been raped, and a substantial minority, if not a majority, appear to have suffered multiple rape. ( The Russian army was guilty of mass rapes during WWII with many women committing suicide when the Red Army closed in rather than await the inevitable. It was said at the time that victims ranged from 8 to 80, sometimes the “justification” used was retribution for the suffering the Russian endured although rape was carried out by the Russians in other countries long before Russia was invaded by the Nazis. Others put it down to the mass consumption of alcohol that the Russians consumed. In Berlin estimates of rape victims from the city’s two main hospitals ranged from 95,000 to 130,000. One doctor deduced that out of approximately 100,000 women raped in the city, some 10,000 died as a result, mostly from suicide. The death rate was thought to have been much higher among the 1.4 million estimated victims in East Prussia, Pomerania and Silesia. Altogether at least two million German women are thought to have been raped, and a substantial minority, if not a majority, appear to have suffered multiple rape. ( https://www.theguardian.com/ books/2002/may/01/news. features11
In his analysis of the motives behind the extensive Soviet rapes, Norman Naimark singles out “hate propaganda, personal experiences of suffering at home, and an allegedly fully demeaning picture of German women in the press, not to mention among the soldiers themselves” as a part reason for the widespread rapes. Naimark also noted the effect that tendency to binge-drink alcohol (of which much was available in Germany) had on the propensity of Soviet soldiers to commit rape, especially rape-murder. Naimark also notes the allegedly patriarchal nature of Russian culture, and of the Asian societies comprising the Soviet Union, where dishonor was in the past repaid by raping the women of the enemy. The fact that the Germans had a much higher standard of living visible even when in ruins “may well have contributed allegedly to a national inferiority complex among Russians”. Combining “Russian feelings of inferiority”, the resulting need to restore honour, and their desire for revenge may be the reason many women were raped in public as well as in front of husbands before both were killed. According to Antony Beevor, revenge was not the only reason for the frequent rapes; but the Soviet troops’ feeling of entitlement to all types of spoils of war, including women, was an important factor as well. Beevor exemplifies this with his discovery that Soviet troops also raped Soviet and Polish girls and women that were liberated from Nazi concentration camps as well as those who were held for forced labour at farms and factories. In his analysis of the motives behind the extensive Soviet rapes, Norman Naimark singles out “hate propaganda, personal experiences of suffering at home, and an allegedly fully demeaning picture of German women in the press, not to mention among the soldiers themselves” as a part reason for the widespread rapes. Naimark also noted the effect that tendency to binge-drink alcohol (of which much was available in Germany) had on the propensity of Soviet soldiers to commit rape, especially rape-murder. Naimark also notes the allegedly patriarchal nature of Russian culture, and of the Asian societies comprising the Soviet Union, where dishonor was in the past repaid by raping the women of the enemy. The fact that the Germans had a much higher standard of living visible even when in ruins “may well have contributed allegedly to a national inferiority complex among Russians”. Combining “Russian feelings of inferiority”, the resulting need to restore honour, and their desire for revenge may be the reason many women were raped in public as well as in front of husbands before both were killed. According to Antony Beevor, revenge was not the only reason for the frequent rapes; but the Soviet troops’ feeling of entitlement to all types of spoils of war, including women, was an important factor as well. Beevor exemplifies this with his discovery that Soviet troops also raped Soviet and Polish girls and women that were liberated from Nazi concentration camps as well as those who were held for forced labour at farms and factories. Did the ends justify the Means? Many German soldiers feared being captured by the Soviets and where possible attempted to be captured by the western Allies. The logic for this was justified with many Germans captured by the Russians facing brutal conditions in concentration camps. Approximately 3 million German soldiers were captured by the Russian during WWII. Russian statistics indicate that of this 3 million, 380,000 died in captivity. German historian Rüdiger Overmans maintains that the actual figures is closer to 1 million as Russian prisoner of war camps were known the have a high mortality rate. Furthermore, despite the war ending in 1945, many Germans remained incarcerated up until 1956 when the final prisoners were released. What is beyond dispute is the cruel and sadistic conditions that these prisoners would have endured which was a trademark of the entire Russian military regime at that time and markedly similar to that of the Nazis.
There is no doubt that the evils of Nazism needed to be confronted and destroyed, here the Russians played a key role and endured a heavy loss of life as a result. However, long before WWII began, at its inception and long after its end Russia was involved in innumerable war crimes that have been too often forgotten when relaying the horrors of WWII and its aftermath. The evils of Nazism are rightly scrutinised and long may this continue but we should not forget the evils the Russians and indeed others carried out. If we are to cherish the freedoms that we enjoy today it has to be through the lens of an honest and complete narrative.
With VE day (Victory in Europe) having now just passed, it was notable that many people highlighted the important role Russia played in bringing about freedom in Europe by helping to defeat Nazi tyranny. Whilst there is absolutely no doubt that Russia played a huge role in defeating Nazism, we need to take a step back and look at their overall contributions more objectively.


sluggerotoole--2020-05-09--Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom! – Little Richard 1932 – 2020…

He saw .
He conquered .
We came .
Ever heard of the MultiVerse theory ?
Oversimplified , the Multiverse is the sum of all potential parallel universes .
It is a hypothetical construct , elegant in its mathematics .
Some scientists think it is theoretically plausible .
Others dismiss it for lack of any hard evidence .
Obviously they never listened to Little Richard ( aka Wayne Penniman ) .
The first time I saw Richard was on live American TV was the Tennessee Ernie Ford show in 1961 .
As I recall he did Lucille .
But I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particular a clip of “ Tutti Frutti ” .
At the age of six , I was amazed .
Exhilarated .
After Little Richard , Sputnik 1 did not seem particularly weird or scary .
The adults may have been scared witless of both .
But that was their problem .
It was only years later that I could articulate in words my initial reaction .
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot !
!
!
I have no idea of the impact Little Richard had on people in Ireland .
Did the show bands do Little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I do know the man is due buckets of gratitude .
For example , Little Richard taught Paul McCartney his signature “ Wooo , ” He was first to hire Jimi Hendrix , gave a young Tina Turner charisma lessons , and out Janis-ed a screaming Janis Joplin at the Atlantic City Pop Festival two weeks before Woodstock in August 1969 .
In a 1964 interview , Paul McCartney spoke of how much trouble he had emulating Richard ’ s songwriting style .
“ We spent a lot of time trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Long Tall Sally , ’ ” he said .
“ We are still trying to compose a Little Richard sort of song.
” Paul explained it as much harder than it looks .
“ It ’ s very difficult .
‘ I Saw Her Standing There ’ was the nearest we got to it .
I ’ d liken it to abstract painting .
People think of ‘ Long Tall Sally ’ and say it sounds so easy to write .
But it ’ s the most difficult thing we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I was at the Beatles historic ( histrionic ) Shea Stadium concert .
Really couldn ’ t hear much .
But they did do “ I ’ m Down ” On this track , no one had to wonder about the relationship .
The singer ’ s girl had definitely left him .
As for that little symbol of love , that wasn ’ t coming back , either .
“ Man buys a ring , the woman throws it away , ” Paul sang .
( Ouch ! )
But most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can ’ t hear it without thinking of rock ’ s tiny force of nature — Richard himself .

He saw. He conquered. We came.
Ever heard of the MultiVerse theory? Oversimplified, the Multiverse is the sum of all potential parallel universes. It is a hypothetical construct, elegant in its mathematics. Some scientists think it is theoretically plausible.
Others dismiss it for lack of any hard evidence. Obviously they never listened to Little Richard (aka Wayne Penniman).
The first time I saw Richard was on live American TV was the Tennessee Ernie Ford show in 1961. As I recall he did Lucille.
But I had seen film clips previously. In particular a clip of “Tutti Frutti”. At the age of six, I was amazed. Exhilarated. After Little Richard, Sputnik 1 did not seem particularly weird or scary. The adults may have been scared witless of both. But that was their problem.
It was only years later that I could articulate in words my initial reaction. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot !!!
I have no idea of the impact Little Richard had on people in Ireland. Did the show bands do Little Richard covers? I do not know. I do know the man is due buckets of gratitude. For example,
Little Richard taught Paul McCartney his signature “Wooo,” He was first to hire Jimi Hendrix, gave a young Tina Turner charisma lessons, and out Janis-ed a screaming Janis Joplin at the Atlantic City Pop Festival two weeks before Woodstock in August 1969.
In a 1964 interview, Paul McCartney spoke of how much trouble he had emulating Richard’s songwriting style. “We spent a lot of time trying to write a real corker – something like ‘Long Tall Sally,’” he said. “We are still trying to compose a Little Richard sort of song.”
Paul explained it as much harder than it looks. “It’s very difficult. ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ was the nearest we got to it. I’d liken it to abstract painting. People think of ‘Long Tall Sally’ and say it sounds so easy to write. But it’s the most difficult thing we’ve attempted.”
Like 14 million other people, I was at the Beatles historic (histrionic) Shea Stadium concert. Really couldn’t hear much. But they did do “I’m Down” On this track, no one had to wonder about the relationship. The singer’s girl had definitely left him. As for that little symbol of love, that wasn’t coming back, either. “Man buys a ring, the woman throws it away,” Paul sang. (Ouch!) But most important of all was the style. You can’t hear it without thinking of rock’s tiny force of nature — Richard himself.


sluggerotoole--2020-05-09--Covid-19 just part of Darwin’s dangerous idea…

Some years back , the vagaries of cheap air travel and the capriciousness of meetings schedules conspired to place me in central London with a few hours to spare .
So I took that rare opportunity to visit the Gothic cathedral that is the Natural History Museum ( NHM ) to see a Charles Darwin exhibition .
In my youth , pathetic in the eyes of my peers , Darwin was my hero ; his simple , powerful idea excited me sufficiently to make studying science a joy rather than a chore , and I continued to learn over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the likes of Richard Dawkins , Daniel Dennett and Steve Jones .
The more we test Darwin ’ s theory of natural selection as the engine for evolution of the species the more we are compelled to accept that we humans , like all life , have evolved and , more importantly , are still developing .
Why Darwin ’ s theory elicits such popular resistance , despite our inability to disprove it , is not down merely to religious belief instead it seems people just don ’ t like the idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vanity could only be human .
In essence , evolution is ; variation , inheritance , selection by the environment and , off course , time .
For humans , the process needs plenty of time .
For a species where individuals live over 40 years , time is the reason we fail to see evolution in action .
Yet this is not so for microbes , including the SARs-CoV-2 virus that is currently causing us such problems .
New viral types appear daily .
Problems with Covid-19 , but also for MRSA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about other pandemics such as avian flu are really evolution in action , proof of the great man ’ s big idea .
As a species , humans have been successful through the use of intellect in fighting infection in practical ways , but in general , these living agents ( and semi-living agents where a virus is concerned ) prove more tenacious than we would like .
Once it gets started , life is hard to kill , and this is the secret of evolution .
Another aspect of evolution I find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are fooled into thinking that two species were made for each other when in fact , and over geological time , this perfect fit has just come about by means of a wasteful process ; the honey bee that perfectly fits the flower , the bat with the ten-inch tongue that neatly reaches the bottom of the anthill and a virus that merely hitches a lift in humans to get it from Wuhan to New York .
Interestingly , pandemics have been the pressure for humans to co-evolve .
Sickle-cell anaemia and thalassaemias @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genetic attempts to out-wit malarial infection , and Tay-Sachs Disease is a similar process in surviving TB infection .
The proposition put forward by Steve Jones in his book The Language of the Genes that HIV existed for many years in the human population in East Africa I find particularly intriguing .
The community in this corner of Africa were generally monogamous and the virus needed to keep a host alive long enough until he or she had a second sexual contact .
Only with sexual excess – African truck drives away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the opportunity to infect multiple partners over a shorter period , and this seems to have been the spur for the virus to evolve into a more virulent and deadly form .
What will we learn about the SARS-Cov-2 as it evolved from a life in bats , into pangolins and then into humans ?
If it turns out to be wet markets , they need to close down urgently .
The biologist Theodosius Dobzhanskyin the 1970s stated that “ Nothing in biology makes any sense other than in light of evolution ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more we find that Darwin was right .
Yet an increasing number of educated people , particularly in the US , are unwilling to accept the science and for me , this is hugely disappointing .
As I left the NHM , I thought of the irony of housing Darwin ’ s exhibition in a building that looks so much like a religious institution .
Photo by aitoff is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA

Some years back, the vagaries of cheap air travel and the capriciousness of meetings schedules conspired to place me in central London with a few hours to spare. So I took that rare opportunity to visit the Gothic cathedral that is the Natural History Museum (NHM) to see a Charles Darwin exhibition. In my youth, pathetic in the eyes of my peers, Darwin was my hero; his simple, powerful idea excited me sufficiently to make studying science a joy rather than a chore, and I continued to learn over the years. I have had excellent guides in the likes of Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett and Steve Jones. The more we test Darwin’s theory of natural selection as the engine for evolution of the species the more we are compelled to accept that we humans, like all life, have evolved and, more importantly, are still developing.
Why Darwin’s theory elicits such popular resistance, despite our inability to disprove it, is not down merely to religious belief instead it seems people just don’t like the idea that they evolved from apes; such vanity could only be human.
In essence, evolution is; variation, inheritance, selection by the environment and, off course, time. For humans, the process needs plenty of time. For a species where individuals live over 40 years, time is the reason we fail to see evolution in action. Yet this is not so for microbes, including the SARs-CoV-2 virus that is currently causing us such problems. New viral types appear daily. Problems with Covid-19, but also for MRSA and Clostridium dif. and our worries about other pandemics such as avian flu are really evolution in action, proof of the great man’s big idea.
As a species, humans have been successful through the use of intellect in fighting infection in practical ways, but in general, these living agents (and semi-living agents where a virus is concerned) prove more tenacious than we would like. Once it gets started, life is hard to kill, and this is the secret of evolution.
Another aspect of evolution I find fascinating is co-evolution. To often we are fooled into thinking that two species were made for each other when in fact, and over geological time, this perfect fit has just come about by means of a wasteful process; the honey bee that perfectly fits the flower, the bat with the ten-inch tongue that neatly reaches the bottom of the anthill and a virus that merely hitches a lift in humans to get it from Wuhan to New York.
Interestingly, pandemics have been the pressure for humans to co-evolve. Sickle-cell anaemia and thalassaemias are diseases that are the result of genetic attempts to out-wit malarial infection, and Tay-Sachs Disease is a similar process in surviving TB infection. The proposition put forward by Steve Jones in his book The Language of the Genes that HIV existed for many years in the human population in East Africa I find particularly intriguing. The community in this corner of Africa were generally monogamous and the virus needed to keep a host alive long enough until he or she had a second sexual contact. Only with sexual excess – African truck drives away from home or promiscuous gay men – came the opportunity to infect multiple partners over a shorter period, and this seems to have been the spur for the virus to evolve into a more virulent and deadly form. What will we learn about the SARS-Cov-2 as it evolved from a life in bats, into pangolins and then into humans? If it turns out to be wet markets, they need to close down urgently.
The biologist Theodosius Dobzhanskyin the 1970s stated that “Nothing in biology makes any sense other than in light of evolution”. The more we look, the more we find that Darwin was right. Yet an increasing number of educated people, particularly in the US, are unwilling to accept the science and for me, this is hugely disappointing. As I left the NHM, I thought of the irony of housing Darwin’s exhibition in a building that looks so much like a religious institution.
Photo by aitoff is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA


sluggerotoole--2020-05-09--What happened to the Polish people under Russian Occupation?

“ History is written by the victors ” is a well known and often accurate statement , however , for me it was never truer than when examining Russia ’ s role in World War II ( WWII ) .
On 1st of September 1939 Germany invaded Poland which in effect resulted in the outbreak of WWII as France and Britain declared war on Germany on 3rd September .
However , an often forgotten/ignored intervention happened on September 17th as part of the Nazi/Soviet agreement ( Molotov-Ribbentrop pact ) , Russia invaded Poland from the east .
This military intervention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and resulted in between 3000 – 7000 Polish deaths .
The outcome of this was the annexation of Poland between the Nazis and the Soviets , ironically the Soviets controlled over 50 % of Poland and 13 million people as a result of their invasion .
What did France and Britain do ?
Both France and Britain were stunned by Russia ’ s intervention , however , they did not declare war on Russia .
On a technicality Britain had a secret protocol to the 1939 Anglo-Polish treaty that specifically limited Britain ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Germany only .
In addition to this on a purely practical point , Britain and France were barely equipped to face down the Nazis , coupled with the Soviets would have been an impossible task .
Therefore , France and Britain were muted on Russia ’ s invasion of Poland and set about defending France against the impending German invasion .
What happened to the Polish people under Russian Occupation ?
The Russians captured 250,000 Polish prisoners during the invasion , these prisoners were denied any type of legal status as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international convention on rules of war .
As a result , almost all officers were murdered with the remaining soldiers sent to forced labour camps .
Stalin ordered the murder of 22,000 Poles by the Soviet police during the Katyn massacre , in addition to this Soviet police rounded up and executed anyone they deemed as a perceived threat from intellects , politicians to religious leaders .
According to sociologist , Prof. Tadeusz Piotrowski , during the years from 1939–41 , nearly 1.5 million people ( including both local inhabitants and refugees from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soviet controlled areas of former eastern Poland deep into the Soviet Union .
Only a small number of these deportees returned to their homes after the war .
According to American professor Carroll Quigley , at least one third of the 320,000 Polish prisoners of war captured by the Red Army in 1939 were murdered .
It ’ s estimated that between 10 and 35 thousand prisoners were killed either in prisons or on prison trail to the Soviet Union in the few days after the 22 June 1941 German attack on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against many Polish people as an excuse to execute them including accusations of fascism whilst in reality many of the Poles had been fighting Nazi tyranny since 1939 .
6000 political deaths were instigated by the Soviets whilst it is estimated that 20,000 more Poles died in Communist prisons .
One of the darkest legacies involving Russian troops was the scale of rapes they carried out on females .
Polish records indicate that 100,000 people were raped during the “ liberation ” of Poland .
It ’ s also worth nothing that Poland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1956 .
Was Poland an Isolated Example ?
No , the crimes of the Soviet Union whilst in conjunction with the Nazis or fighting against them are innumerable and extremely difficult to quantify , some examples are as follows : – Illegally annexing Estonia in 1940 .
In 1941 , 34,000 Estonians were drafted into the Red Army with only 30 % surviving the war .
It has further been reported that less than 50 % of these men seen military service with remainder perishing in concentration camps .
– When the Nazis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many of whom were executed .
In fact , as a result of Soviet occupation of Estonia it permanently lost 20 % of its population .
– Some 300,000 Lithuanians were deported or sentenced to terms in prison camps on political grounds .
It is estimated that Lithuania lost almost 780,000 citizens as a result of the Soviet occupation , of these around 440,000 were war refugees .
– Almost every country occupied by the Russians faced mass executions usually on false charges , large scale rape against the female inhabitants and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concentration camps known as Gulag .
The Germans carried out barbaric acts on the Russians and committed mass atrocities against the Russian people particularly during the invasion of Russia in 1941 , therefore a backlash was inevitable .
As the Red Army advanced , Nazis propaganda against the Russians regarding their atrocities backfired and it almost hastened the retreat of German civilians .
Fleeing before the advancing Red Army , large numbers of the inhabitants of the German provinces of East Prussia , Silesia , and Pomerania died when evacuation columns encountered units @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run over by tanks , shot , or otherwise murdered .
Women and young girls were raped and left to die .
The Russian army was guilty of mass rapes during WWII with many women committing suicide when the Red Army closed in rather than await the inevitable .
It was said at the time that victims ranged from 8 to 80 , sometimes the “ justification ” used was retribution for the suffering the Russian endured although rape was carried out by the Russians in other countries long before Russia was invaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down to the mass consumption of alcohol that the Russians consumed .
In Berlin estimates of rape victims from the city ’ s two main hospitals ranged from 95,000 to 130,000 .
One doctor deduced that out of approximately 100,000 women raped in the city , some 10,000 died as a result , mostly from suicide .
The death rate was thought to have been much higher among the 1.4 million estimated victims in East Prussia , Pomerania and Silesia .
Altogether at least two million German women are thought to have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if not a majority , appear to have suffered multiple rape .
( The Russian army was guilty of mass rapes during WWII with many women committing suicide when the Red Army closed in rather than await the inevitable .
It was said at the time that victims ranged from 8 to 80 , sometimes the “ justification ” used was retribution for the suffering the Russian endured although rape was carried out by the Russians in other countries long before Russia was invaded by the Nazis .
Others put it down to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russians consumed .
In Berlin estimates of rape victims from the city ’ s two main hospitals ranged from 95,000 to 130,000 .
One doctor deduced that out of approximately 100,000 women raped in the city , some 10,000 died as a result , mostly from suicide .
The death rate was thought to have been much higher among the 1.4 million estimated victims in East Prussia , Pomerania and Silesia .
Altogether at least two million German women are thought to have been raped , and a substantial minority , if not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple rape .
( https : //www.theguardian.com/ books/2002/may/01/news .
features11 In his analysis of the motives behind the extensive Soviet rapes , Norman Naimark singles out “ hate propaganda , personal experiences of suffering at home , and an allegedly fully demeaning picture of German women in the press , not to mention among the soldiers themselves ” as a part reason for the widespread rapes .
Naimark also noted the effect that tendency to binge-drink alcohol ( of which much was available in Germany ) had on the propensity of Soviet soldiers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Naimark also notes the allegedly patriarchal nature of Russian culture , and of the Asian societies comprising the Soviet Union , where dishonor was in the past repaid by raping the women of the enemy .
The fact that the Germans had a much higher standard of living visible even when in ruins “ may well have contributed allegedly to a national inferiority complex among Russians ” .
Combining “ Russian feelings of inferiority ” , the resulting need to restore honour , and their desire for revenge may be the reason many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as in front of husbands before both were killed .
According to Antony Beevor , revenge was not the only reason for the frequent rapes ; but the Soviet troops ’ feeling of entitlement to all types of spoils of war , including women , was an important factor as well .
Beevor exemplifies this with his discovery that Soviet troops also raped Soviet and Polish girls and women that were liberated from Nazi concentration camps as well as those who were held for forced labour at farms and factories .
In his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soviet rapes , Norman Naimark singles out “ hate propaganda , personal experiences of suffering at home , and an allegedly fully demeaning picture of German women in the press , not to mention among the soldiers themselves ” as a part reason for the widespread rapes .
Naimark also noted the effect that tendency to binge-drink alcohol ( of which much was available in Germany ) had on the propensity of Soviet soldiers to commit rape , especially rape-murder .
Naimark also notes the allegedly patriarchal nature of Russian culture , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Union , where dishonor was in the past repaid by raping the women of the enemy .
The fact that the Germans had a much higher standard of living visible even when in ruins “ may well have contributed allegedly to a national inferiority complex among Russians ” .
Combining “ Russian feelings of inferiority ” , the resulting need to restore honour , and their desire for revenge may be the reason many women were raped in public as well as in front of husbands before both were killed .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only reason for the frequent rapes ; but the Soviet troops ’ feeling of entitlement to all types of spoils of war , including women , was an important factor as well .
Beevor exemplifies this with his discovery that Soviet troops also raped Soviet and Polish girls and women that were liberated from Nazi concentration camps as well as those who were held for forced labour at farms and factories .
Many German soldiers feared being captured by the Soviets and where possible attempted to be captured by the western Allies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ many Germans captured by the Russians facing brutal conditions in concentration camps .
Approximately 3 million German soldiers were captured by the Russian during WWII .
Russian statistics indicate that of this 3 million , 380,000 died in captivity .
German historian Rüdiger Overmans maintains that the actual figures is closer to 1 million as Russian prisoner of war camps were known the have a high mortality rate .
Furthermore , despite the war ending in 1945 , many Germans remained incarcerated up until 1956 when the final prisoners were released .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sadistic conditions that these prisoners would have endured which was a trademark of the entire Russian military regime at that time and markedly similar to that of the Nazis .
Did the ends justify the Means ?
Many German soldiers feared being captured by the Soviets and where possible attempted to be captured by the western Allies .
The logic for this was justified with many Germans captured by the Russians facing brutal conditions in concentration camps .
Approximately 3 million German soldiers were captured by the Russian during WWII .
Russian statistics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 380,000 died in captivity .
German historian Rüdiger Overmans maintains that the actual figures is closer to 1 million as Russian prisoner of war camps were known the have a high mortality rate .
Furthermore , despite the war ending in 1945 , many Germans remained incarcerated up until 1956 when the final prisoners were released .
What is beyond dispute is the cruel and sadistic conditions that these prisoners would have endured which was a trademark of the entire Russian military regime at that time and markedly similar to that of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the evils of Nazism needed to be confronted and destroyed , here the Russians played a key role and endured a heavy loss of life as a result .
However , long before WWII began , at its inception and long after its end Russia was involved in innumerable war crimes that have been too often forgotten when relaying the horrors of WWII and its aftermath .
The evils of Nazism are rightly scrutinised and long may this continue but we should not forget the evils the Russians and indeed others carried out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedoms that we enjoy today it has to be through the lens of an honest and complete narrative .
With VE day ( Victory in Europe ) having now just passed , it was notable that many people highlighted the important role Russia played in bringing about freedom in Europe by helping to defeat Nazi tyranny .
Whilst there is absolutely no doubt that Russia played a huge role in defeating Nazism , we need to take a step back and look at their overall contributions more objectively .