In memory of my grandfather.

Absolutely. There is a glorification of war - and wars past - that contributes to a kind of warped ideology in terms of identity, armies etc. You have articulated it perfectly in your last statement, and this philosophy is deserving of far more recognition - the rhetoric often focuses so strongly on, as you say, 'glory' and 'heroes', when in reality it fundamentally boils down to loss. There are no true winners. Even the 'winners' carry the loss of their family, friends, fellow troops, neighborhoods, cities, the enemy (if they have to live with taking another life), and the loss of their former way of life. And only if they are lucky they don't lose their minds (PTSD, anxiety, shell shock etc.).

 

I'll gladly have a beer with you on saturday. Where is the pub?

 

It's a mentality I will never, ever understand. The same people will talk about the sanctity of maintaining the indigenous race. We are all on this earth, and it's ours to share. Nobody has a right to one piece of land over another. We all migrate in one form or another.

 

This is the greatest and also saddest post I have ever read on the BBS.

Your Dad sounds amazing. A true legend in fact. What he went through doesn't bear thinking about.

 

Yes, I've seen it. Pond life. TBH 50% of America is as backward as Pakistan / Saudi / Turkey / Nigeria. Just a different take on Abrahamic religion, misogyny, gun toting & bigotry.

 

Some of the most stupid and bigoted people on earth live in the US bible belt.

 

My ex girlfriend of 12 years' parents were enough. They were originally in Upstate New York, but moved to Florida. Could have a nice time with them up to a point, when the racist, sexist, homophobic bool sheet started to kick in.

At the end of the day Jesus looked just like a refugee from Syria, apart from the robes, not like Robert Powell.

 

The most important parts of Jesus teaching were about loving your neighbour, colour or religion isn't specified.

 

Very moving post this, had me welling up, thanks for sharing. I posted earlier on another thread that the war had been scoped by the powerful. US , Russia and Europe coming to an agreement of what would be allowed without triggering a wider conflict. I find that deeply disturbing old men signing off on the deaths of young men. Yes Putin you can kill the Ukraine citizens and we will not get involved. Tempting to say it’s just men but unfortunately Thatcher proved that to be a lie. Deeply depressing…

 

I just want to say, as someone who considers themselves pretty far-left, how important your post and the legacy of people like your grandfather are. May he rest now in peace.

I hate the Tories, and I feel like the Labour party right now is a right-wing puppet of the ruling class. Many others feel the same way. In this situation where the right keeps getting pushed ever further right, it's somewhat understandable that people on the left start to look as far to the left (by common interpretation) as possible as an antidote to the right wing creep.

It's extremely important that people on the left don't start to ignore or gloss over the many crimes of the Soviet Union. Yes, the west have also committed various crimes and atrocities, but two wrongs don't make a right, and Stalin waged a war of terror against millions of innocent people. People like your grandfather, who should never be forgotten.

Your grandfather should never have suffered in the way that he did, and people need to remember that and swear never again - regardless of their political position.

There are ways in which Putin will try to justify this invasion - NATO creeping east, right-wing uprising in Ukraine, traditionally Russian peoples wanting self-determination.... but this invasion is wrong.

It. Is. Wrong.

 

This is an incredible post! Chilling but so powerful. Thanks for sharing.

 

Wow.
An amazing post and thanks for sharing at a most appropriate time.
Your family history is truly remarkable, as is your Dad.
He is testimony to the fact that the human spirit does endure and reading your story gives us all hope. If nothing else it makes us sit down and reflect on how lucky we are to be here today.
The fact that you've taken the time out to record your feelings on here is also a moving tribute to all the lost millions you refer to.
Wow.

 

This is a devastating post, and I have nothing but deepest condolence and respect for you and yours. I cannot even begin to imagine what your Grandfather and his immediate family had to face in those subsequent weeks/months/years and thank whatever God might be that the allied forces found a way to defeat the sheer murderous evil that those involved represented.

I should say that I find it astonishing that in a thread which so perfectly highlights the evil of totalitarian/fascist left icons such as Stalin and Hitler, and the millions of deaths for which they will forever be responsible, that some have sought to pivot it into a discussion about the 'far right', but then I assume that's easier than facing up to the horrors their own side of the political fence have been responsible for over the last few hundred years or so.

 

You are talking about totalitarian regimes @RedWest whether they purport to be left or right.