Those who are hoping for the worst in Iraq

I often think about that. Chances were good if you were born in 1920 in Russia you would not have made it to your 30th birthday. First- you had to live through the Civil War and the first famines of Lenin. Then you had to live through the terror famines of the early thirties under Stalin. Then you had to survive the Great Purge of the mid to late 30's. Then you had to survive the war. Then you had to survive the post war purges and famine! Unreal suffering.

Dresden was partially about impressing Stalin. By the time of Yalta Churchill was disgusted with Roosevelt and his unfathomable ignorance and hubris concerning Stalin and Russian post war motives and intentions. Yalta indeed was an absolute comical low point in US diplomatic history. But Dresden was also just a continuation of "morale" bombing that had been fully grasped by both the US and Great Britain the year before. No pretense was made to avoid civilian casualties and it became the objective itself. This was of course hidden from the American public. The rationale behind this was that the civilains would become "demoralized" and press for an end to war. Studies done after the war proved it entirely false. Civilian terror bombing in Germany created a fatalistic siege mentality among German civilians and intense hatred of the allies. Dozens of allied airmen were ripped to shreds by frenzied German civilians upon being shot down. The terror bombing probably prolonged the war in the west and stiffened German resistance. The release of the "Morganthou occupation plan" didn't help any either which called for the basic enslavement of Germany males in giant construction projects and the reducing of Germany to pasture land. Roosevelt actually favored this to the horror of experienced state department men and Churchill who recognized the need for a strong germany after the war. Lastly- in the summer of 44'- when the "Front of Decent people" tried their last assassination attempt and coup against Hitler and failed- the US actually dropped millions of leaflets over Germnay taunting the particpants as even worse than Hitler. The presiding judge of the Nazi trials against the conspirators actually read from these leaflets approvingly. Roosevelt consistently refused any aide or even contact with the "FODP" in Germany despite it's many attempts to open communication with him. Many Americans died needless deaths because FDR wanted unconditional surrender of Germany.

PS- after the fire bombing of Dresden- many basements and bunkers were found with the bones of victims suspened in their own melted congealed fat. They had been boiled to death in their own flesh from the heat.

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