World War II

I thought we were known as "perfidious Albion" before we became the English! NJ was telling Saetana that she was intelligent because she agreed with him. I would have thought disagreeing with NJ was the intelligent thing to do whenever possible! However I would never dream of doubting a woman's intelligence. I am much too well mannered. I would hate anyone to accuse me of sexism or chauvinism.


This is a good quote CK but all you are sending this time is wooden spoons! In other words I do think you are trying to stir it for me!!?

Well, although neither Churchill nor Roosevelt were being entirely honest, being practical politicians with quite a lot at stake, it was Japan's attack on Pearl Harbour and not the sinking of the Reuben James that brought the US into the war.

Just as well they did though! Think of it! No Lee Marvin in The Dirty Dozen. No Steve McQueen in The Great Escape! No Clint Eastwood in Where Eagles Dare! No Ryan O Neil in A Bridge too Far! Sorry, I wasn't serious about that last one! And not least, think of all those great second world war films with John Wayne in the starring role! The sands of Iwo Jima, Leathernecks, The Longest Day!! Yes, we film afficionados would have certainly missed some fine films if they hadn't stepped in after Pearl Harbour.

Well we are certainly getting off the topic of spanking here but I can't refrain from commenting. Although Roosevelt sympathized with England and would have liked to get the US involved there was considerable opposition to that in the US at that time. The US did not declare war on Germany. After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor Hitler, honoring his pact with Japan, declared war on the US.

If Hitler had not been so stupid as to do that it is quite possible that the US would have devoted all its resources to fighting a war in the Pacific and stayed out of Europe.

The prevailing attitude of the US public at the time would probably have been, "The Europeans have their war to fight and we have our war to fight."

See also: invading the USSR.

Sebastian
I'm not sure about the last. The German fascists have had a very methodological approach in spanking their victims. I don't know if Eugen Kogons "Der SS-Staat" was ever translated in English. He described the methods quite detailed. But definitely not erotic.

Firstly the Nazi's still might not have won anyway although I think without the Eastern Front to worry about they probably would have and secondly their is a very good book called Sex and the Third Reich. They did have the Mary Whitehouse types that wanted to ban everything but spanking and erotica was very much alive and well under the Nazi's. I think the German's, like the English, have always been drawn towards spanking and related interests. Sorry about generalising but I believe it is or maybe was in the national psyche. Perhaps a love of spanking is something all the beer drinking nations share!! I seem to remember another beer loving nation, the Czechs are into spanking especially around Easter time!

"The Bridge on the River Kwai" is a terrific motion picture, IMHO it arguably ranks along with "Patton" as the greatest World War II film of all time.

"Bridge" did include some criticisms of the British approach to warfare, however:

"This is war, this is not a game of cricket!" --Colonel Saito (Japanese prison camp commandant)

"You and that Colonel Nicholson, you're two of a kind, there's a stench of death about you--crazy with courage, and for what? How to die like a gentleman, how to die by the rules, when the only important thing is how to live like a human being!" --'Commander' Shears, (American sailor conscripted into the British commando mission)

Other very good World War II movies (AFAIC):

"The Guns of Navarone"
"Saving Private Ryan"
"A Bridge Too Far"
"The Great Escape"
"Stalag Seventeen"
"The Big Red One"
"The Enemy Below"
"Casablanca"

A few done quite well from the enemy perspective (again AFAIC):

"The Eagle Has Landed"
"The Night of the Generals"
"Cross of Iron"
"Letters from Iwo Jima"

IME it's very difficult to be 'overexposed' to the Second World War... --C.K.

If, if, if. But Hitler was and could only be Hitler, which meant that leaving England and the USSR (out of all of Europe) unconquered, unsubdued and un-allied was never going to be acceptable. He had to invade Russia, and couldn't conquer England while the USA was supplying her. He figured the Americans would be busy with the Japanese in the Pacific, and that a declaration of was against them would allow him to attack the shipping with even more impunity.