Dear all,
In the context of the debates (fascinating for anyone interested in
interfaces between cultural, political and economic geographies)
about the second world war, liberalism, memory and so on, it
seems worthwhile to recall the argument (made in a book-long
manuscript by the late E. Mandel) that WWII can be read as at
least 5 combined wars - an anti-imperialist/ national-liberation
struggle (in the South), a conflict between fascism and liberal
democracy (inter-capitalist struggle), an East-West (communist-
capitalist) struggle, a war of revolution in the Balkans and parts of
occupied Europe and a war against national and sexual minorities
(Jewish peoples, gypsies, 'homosexuals' etc).
Perhaps respect for the manifest complexity of this world war might
also help 'us' to respect the memory of those whose lives were lost
or shattered.
James D Sidaway
Date sent: Wed, 3 May 2000 08:51:14 +0100
Subject: Re: The ideology of liberal democracy
From: "R.J.Johnston" <[log in to unmask]>
To: Adam Tickell <[log in to unmask]>
Copies to: [log in to unmask]
Send reply to: "R.J.Johnston" <[log in to unmask]>
>
> DEoes Mr Treanor enjoy insulting the memory of my father, and the
> relatives of many others whose relatives fought in the war.
>
> Conned they may have been, but they went, many died and many more came
> back permanently damaged - and in those days you couldn't sue the
> government for post-conflict trauma.
>
>
> On Wed, 3 May 2000, Adam Tickell wrote:
>
> > Repeat a lie sufficiently frequently and it becomes plausible (or not).
> >
> > The second world war ushered in a period not of liberalism but of
> > social democracy and if simplistic causes for fighting can be
> > ascribed, which (other than, of course, conscription) they cannot,
> > social democracy and a disgust with fascism is far more likely than
> > a desire to see unchecked liberal economics.
> >
> >
> >
> > The men and women
> > > who fought for the western allies in World War II fought for an evil
> > > cause, the cause of global liberalism. Living in a market society is
> > > not freedom. The soldiers of the western allies share the guilt, for
> > > the tens of millions who have been killed by the free market since
> > > 1945. They were morally no better than the soldiers of the Wehrmacht.
> > > They deserve no honour and no memorial.
> > >
> > > ----
> > > Paul Treanor
> > > http://web.inter.nl.net/users/Paul.Treanor/dem.wrong.html
> > >
> >
> >
> > Adam Tickell
> > Department of Geography
> > University of Southampton
> > Southampton SO17 1BJ
> > 023 8059 5496 (phone)
> > 023 8059 3295 (fax)
> > [log in to unmask]
> >
> > 023 8059 5392 (fax)
> > [log in to unmask] (work)
> > [log in to unmask] (home)
> >
>
James Derrick Sidaway
School of Geography and Environmental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK
Tel. 0121 414 6935
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