Gerard

Comment Threads

• Greg. Tingey commented on Any Sufficiently Advanced Technology Is Indistinguishable From Cthulhu
  In Germany the large majority had collaborated with the Nazis. Utter, total cobblers. The large majority HAD NO CHOICE once Adolf was in power ... that's how dictatorships work. Indeed, it looked for about a year [ Feb 1933 - July 1934 ] that Adolf might be eased out by "normal" right-wing elements, once he'd served his purpose. However, the "Night of the Long Knives" finished all of that, & after then it was far too late....
• J Thomas commented on Any Sufficiently Advanced Technology Is Indistinguishable From Cthulhu
  "In Germany the large majority had collaborated with the Nazis." Utter, total cobblers. The large majority HAD NO CHOICE once Adolf was in power ... that's how dictatorships work. Yes, and it was that way in Iraq too. http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/Occ-GY/ch21.htm#b1 Having been a party member did not prevent a man from being better at his job and having a more agreeable personality than someone who was not. Too often, in fact, the opposite seemed to be true. Frequently the Nazis had training, experience, energy, affability, and not a bad political record. 'The Americans respected efficiency and trusted the men who seemed...
• PrivateIron commented on Any Sufficiently Advanced Technology Is Indistinguishable From Cthulhu
  You also run into the problem that much of the active resistance was Communist (and/or dead.)...
• J Thomas commented on Any Sufficiently Advanced Technology Is Indistinguishable From Cthulhu
  You also run into the problem that much of the active resistance was Communist (and/or dead.) Amusingly, that's true for the Nazis and for Saddam both. Though Saddam also faced muslim threats (which he tried to handle by acting increasingly muslim himself) and Shia threats. Somehow you never hear about the communists in Iraq any more....
• Damian the surprised commented on Any Sufficiently Advanced Technology Is Indistinguishable From Cthulhu
  This HAD NO CHOICE thing is actually worth a lot more scrutiny than it usually gets. I think it must include things like "all the cool kids are joining the party (that loser Gunther joined the resistance, and that surely must tell you all you need to know about THEM)", "she told me to come home with my shield or on it", "it's tragic how my father's Junker is so reduced, but if we have a new Teutonic Crusade in the east, I can become a Junker myself - what a time to be alive!", etc. In more general terms...