[PEN-L:1235] Re: Re: Re: Ford and GM's Nazi ties

["James Michael Craven" <cravjm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Response: So would courage on this man's part been to have joined the
"America First" Movement? Of course World War II was an
inter-imperialist war in many respects; but the everyday airmen,
sailors, soldiers were used as cannon fodder and little to do with
that. And once the war began, the defeat of fascism was an imperative
and yes bombs were dropped on civilians (some outright supporters of
fascism, some not) on all sides. But ask those liberated from
concentration camps and occupied territories if they minded whatever
it took to break Germany, Japan and Italy; many in the resistance
movements called bombs down on their own positions for strategic
objectives.

And as someone who once served as an instrument of U.S. imperialism
as a young man at a different stage of consciousness, it does take
courage to go on even with your doubts to try to carry through with
the lot that has been handed to you and yes, perhaps you were too
ill/un-informed to make an alternative choice if one was indeed
available. My father served in China-Burma-Indian Theater and perhaps
he bombed civilians but whatever he did was nothing compared with the
Rape of Nanking and the ugliness of the forces that had to be
defeated. All war is sick but sometimes the nature and uglyness of
the enemy dictate the means that are imperative to defeat and stop
that ugliness.

Jim Craven


On  4 Dec 98 at 7:59, William S. Lear wrote:

> On Thu, December 3, 1998 at 23:08:01 (-0800) michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> >Bill Lear wrote:
> >>
> >> Dropping bombs on civilians from 25,000 feet is courage?
> >
> >Actually, the airman had one of the highest mortality rates in the war.
> >So, if you grant the reasonableness of the war ...
>
> ..., then, dropping bombs on civilians from 25,000 feet while being
> shot at is a reasonable and courageous act.
>
> I thought the brave refused such things...
>
> I guess I don't mind so much credit given for flying about, being shot
> at by Germans, but I do wish a bit more care was taken in slapping
> this fellow on the back without mentioning on whose heads the bombs
> were dropping.
>
> The dark side needs to be shown the light as well.
>
>
> Bill


 James Craven
 Dept. of Economics,Clark College
 1800 E. McLoughlin Blvd. Vancouver, WA. 98663
 jcraven@xxxxxxxxx; Tel: (360) 992-2283 Fax: 992-2863
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