RESPECT.

[KennyR]

On that day American, Canadian, Polish, British Empire, and other Allies stormed the beaches to free Europe from the two extremes of Nazism and Communism. Yes, that was an example of a just war, even if unjust things were done pursuing it.

I fear that these days the liberation of Europe is used too often to justify American expansionism, or to fire up jingoism. In fact, veterans are already angry at Bush for trying to compare Iraq to WW2.

[KennyR]

Morley wrote:
What really surpised me about those old veterans, is that they really wanted their former german enemies to be there. It's been 60 years, but still, to forgive like that is purely an act that deserves a lot of respect.

Yes. Even more amazingly, I saw a documentary about ex-Waffen SS veterans meeting Russian soldiers in Russia to share a vodka and to celebrate old friends. Now, these people were the deadliest of enemies once, and at one point certainly would not have taken each other prisoner, except maybe to torture each other to death. But there they were, old men, laughing and joking, all ideologies and hatreds gone.

That's how people are. Tyrants and warmongers lie to the people, and make them fight. People don't make war by nature, only by following lies they think are righteous. Anyone who supports the war in Iraq has not learned from history. Democracy is failing if it allows people like Bush to profiteer on the suffering of others, just like Hitler and Stalin did.