Bush, and His Use of "Appeasement" ("Hitler's demands were not unreasonable"-Barf Alert)

Seattle Times ^ | 5/16/2008 | Bruce Ramsey

[mojito]

Democrats are rebuking President Bush for saying in his speech to the Knesset, here, that to “negotiate with terrorists and radicals” is “appeasement.” The Democrats took it as a slap at Barack Obama. What bothers me is the continual reference to Hitler and his National Socialists, particularly the British and French accommodation at the Munich Conference of 1938.

The narrative we're given about Munich is entirely in hindsight. We know what kind of man Hitler was, and that he started World War II in Europe. From the view of 1938, what Hitler was demanding at Munich was not unreasonable, according to the prevailing idea of the nation-state. His claim was that the German-speaking areas of Europe--and ones that thought of themselves as German --be under German authority. He had just annexed Austria, which was German-speaking, without bloodshed. There were two more small pieces of Germanic territory: the free city of Danzig and the Sudetenland, a border area of what is now the Czech Republic.

[goldstategop]

All of which Hitler did get without firing a shot. But when the Germans took over the Czech lands in the spring of 1939, it became apparent even to British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, the arch appeaser, that there was no limit to the German demands in Europe. Great Britain then faced two choices: it could fight or it could die. It chose the former when Germany went to war in September 1939 by invading Poland.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Cacique]

btt

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Bruce Ramsey is an editorial writer for the Seattle Times.

That, in itself, tells you why the ST is so far to the left.

They should be ashamed to have him on the staff. However, there is an opening at “Dur Sturmer.” Seems Joseph Goebbels isn’t available right now.

[Wilhelm Tell]

The article just proves how flawed this thinking is. If the peaceniks think that Hitler was “reasonable” until 1939, then any present or future madman will be considered “reasonable” as well. The peaceniks have no standard with which to estimate a threat. All they have is the vain hope that the next Hitler will be “reasonable.” They think it is unreasonable to even try to conisder whether a threat is real — just ignore the evidence and hope for the best.

[Mike Darancette]

It would take a Democrat to be able to justify national leaders meeting to carve a piece out of a nation not present.

[TigersEye]

I wonder if Bruce fantasizes about shooting the von Trapp family or just hanging them?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Related thread:

Obama an appeaser? How dare you....by Mark Steyn