Quote:
Originally Posted by McManaman
Quote:
Originally Posted by interestedParty
For one thing, if the Axis (please check your spelling before you submit your posts, otherwise you come across as even more of an ignoramus than you actually are) had won WWII, I would not be here, since my grandparents would've been sent to the gas-chambers.
Oh, i see.. You are jewish (hopefully not the ortodox one, those are real fanatics), that's why you are so fanaticaly involved in this thread. Now i can understand you calling me dumb fuck, etc.. and for all the shit directed to me for misspelling the words of axees and hollocowst..
Quote:
Originally Posted by interestedParty
And just where do you get your 'facts'? Most of my knowledge of WWII pertains to the European Theater, more specifically the Third Reich and before you ask, that knowledge was obtained mostly from five books: Hitler, by Joachim Fest; Speer, also by Fest; The Order of the Death's Head, by Heinz Hφhne; Inside the Third Reich, by Albert Speer; and Nazi Germany, by Klaus Fischer if you want to acquire knowledge about a country's history, it's best to read a history book by someone who's from that country all those authors are from Germany, and, of course, all were affected by WWII. I trust the information I get from Wikipedia, because said information matches information I have gained from other, trusted, sources (including the sources I mentioned above); therefore, I have every reason to believe in the veracity of the facts about the war in the Pacific that I've found on that site.
You say that I'm not objective I say that I'm as objective as a human being can be about such things. Doubting history just because it's written down in history books isn't being objective, it's being paranoid. Short of actually being present at a given event, or scouring the world for first-hand accounts (something that most people, myself included, don't have either the time, energy, or resources to do anyway) the only thing a student of history can do is to seek out knowledge from books that are attested to as being accurate (usually by consulting bibliographies, book reviews, and, in some instances, history professors).
You know, the history is something that can be manipulated by anyone. That's why i do not like the history, i like to see the current facts around me, that's the best evidence of what's happening in the world, and that shows oss who is the bad guy and who is the victim. And look around you and tell me, who are bad guys today? But please, be objective!
Following your logic, the news is just as vulnerable to manipulation as history. It's all about context: show a video of bomb going off and put whatever narration you want to it.
The ease of manipulation of news by the news-media
all news-media is striking. For instance, interviews with prominent figures can be edited so that they are made to look however the journalist wants them to. Man-on-the-street interviews can be conducted in such a way as to make a certain segment of the population appear stupid and/or ignorant. Segments can be shot in order to make it appear that one side of a conflict is more to blame than the other, even if it is clear to everyone involved that both sides are equally to blame. The more removed a story is from the region to which it is being reported to, the easier it is to distort the facts. However, I don't
assume that these methods are employed at all I know that it's possible to do these things, but I
also know that it's highly
improbable that they actually are done (at least not on any program I would watch). I don't see the point in doubting every piece of information that's presented to me. Empiricism can only be stretched so far before its use starts to border on the absurd.
You are too dismissive of historical study. A good student of history should know when a source is to be given credit, and when it is to be taken with a grain of salt. A good historian tells his/her reader when an account is verifiable, and when it is dubious. The study of history is fraught with difficulty, but yields tangible rewards. It allows its students to see patterns in current events, and to see how pursuing a slightly different course might yield results that would benefit everyone.
In regards to the present Israeli incursion into Lebanon, let me make one thing clear: I
do not believe it is the correct response to Hezbollah's rocket attacks on Israel. In the end, I believe it will create more terrorists than it will destroy.