The Nazi Prince of Britain

[caitycaity]

I refer you all once again to Philip Roth's The Plot Against America.

how coincidental, i just read it. though, i am at a loss how that is really relevant since it was a work of fiction.

jrydberg and i have both asked you to explain your viewpoint. honestly, i would really like to understand your viewpoint. it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. can you please explain instead of just telling me why i should feel the way you do with no further explanation?

 

[chesirekate]

My husband is Jewish. Several of his relatives (kin of his grandfather) died in the Holocaust. If he showed up at a 'bad taste' party and someone was dressed as Hitler, he would laugh. But then, he's an old punk and Nazi imagery has been played with in that arena forever so it really wouldn't faze him.

I highly doubt Harry is unaware of the Holocaust and who instigated it. I would suppose that's why he showed up at a *bad taste* party dressed as an evil dictator. You wouldn't really expect him to show up as Admiral Nelson.

I guess I should not have dressed as Cruella de Vil that one Halloween. There must have been people out there who thought I advocated skinning puppies for my new fur coat!

 

[minniepumpernickel]

Again, this is an issue that you either are on one side of or the other.

I refer you all once again to Philip Roth's The Plot Against America.



I haven't read that one by Phillip Roth, but I am a big fan of his. Have you ever read any Eli Weisel? I've read "The Night" Isn't that extremely powerful to read?

 

[Count Grub of Mooch]

how coincidental, i just read it. though, i am at a loss how that is really relevant since it was a work of fiction.

jrydberg and i have both asked you to explain your viewpoint. honestly, i would really like to understand your viewpoint. it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. can you please explain instead of just telling me why i should feel the way you do with no further explanation?

Okay, the reason why my point of view doesn't make a lot of sense is because you are probably not Jewish. It's the same reason why it is hard for a lot of people to understand why Jews in America so feverishly support Israel whether or not not they agree with them politically. I wish I could explain this more, but, alas, I don't seem able to.

The Plot Against America tells the story of a Jewish family in New Jersey and how they are affected by the presidency of Charles Lindbergh in 1940 or so. It shows how easy it is to let bigotry and hatred ruin a country and how small events can touch off much larger ones. You can read it as fiction or you can read it as a metaphor to a much bigger problem just under the surface. Again, it depends on your perspective.

 

[caitycaity]

Okay, the reason why my point of view doesn't make a lot of sense is because you are probably not Jewish. It's the same reason why it is hard for a lot of people to understand why Jews in America so feverishly support Israel whether or not not they agree with them politically. I wish I could explain this more, but, alas, I don't seem able to.

The Plot Against America tells the story of a Jewish family in New Jersey and how they are affected by the presidency of Charles Lindbergh in 1940 or so. It shows how easy it is to let bigotry and hatred ruin a country and how small events can touch off much larger ones. You can read it as fiction or you can read it as a metaphor to a much bigger problem just under the surface. Again, it depends on your perspective.

you know what happens when you assume, right. actually, i am culturally jewish. as far as religion, i am atheist. quite frankly, assuming all jews think the same way about matters like this is prety silly. i have met quite a few american jews who disagree with a lot of israeli policy. i'll have to ask around what people think about this whole costume thing. i am guessing most of my (jewish and practicing) friends think it is an overreaction.

as i said, i recently read plot against america. i know what it is about. i understand that it can be read as a metaphor. as a matter of fact, i also read it as a metaphor. however, i still do not understand what any of that has to do with dressing up as a nazi at a costume party. if you don't want to try to explain it, that's fine. i understand that it probably just feels wrong to you. but, from my point of view, if you think about other costumes that people wear, and why people wear costumes to parties, it's perplexing why all the fuss. i mean, is it wrong for people in movies about nazi's to wear nazi costumes? it's just a costume. people often wear costumes of scary things/people. nazis are pretty darn scary if you ask me. i have worn plenty of costumes of things that i did not believe in. one year for halloween one of my friends (an observant jew, i might add - i really should get his opinion on all of this) dressed up as ted kaczynski (sp?), the unabomber. it was quite a creative costume. did that mean he thought what the unabomber did was right? of course not. it was just a costume!

 

[Count Grub of Mooch]

It's not that I won't tell what I think, it's that I don't think that I can explain it to you or anyone else for that matter. Sorry.

Also, I didn't say that all Jewish people agree with Israeli politics, but I did say that most American Jews support Israel regardless of politics. Once again, I realize that I am making a generalization and cannot back it up; so let's say that the previous statement is my opinion based on the people I know.

You're right, I did assume and mistaken I am. All I can say is "Hee-haw'!

Funny, isn't it? If not for America, the prince of England may very well have been wearing a Nazi uniform not as a costume, but as his everyday clothes.

 

[dcentity2000]

Remember, comedy shows frequently feature depictions of Hitler for sheer comedy value and are airsed to the sitting rooms of millions of viewers.

How is this worse?



Rich::

 

[dcentity2000]

Funny, isn't it? If not for America, the prince of England may very well have been wearing a Nazi uniform not as a costume, but as his everyday clothes.

*ahem*

Given the circumstances, the main player in WWII was probably Russia; had they not attacked so early, France and most of Europe would have fallen long before America did a single thing; this would have meant the development of the atomic bomb by the Nazis (in co-operation with Japan) and the possible homeland invasion of America.

Equally, had Britain not helped defend Belgium for as long as it could, the same may have happened; Paris would have fallen quicker leaving Russia as the main target far quicker.

America played an important role, there's no argument there. It's just that I find ot mildly offensive when someone says "America won the war" when they were tucked so out of the way; I walk past air raid sirens on the way to my University campus and unexploded bombs are still unearthed in forests and fields all over Europe.

It would be more accurate to say "Funny; had Russia not attacked when it did, Prince Harry would be dead and so would we".

As a Britain I am glad for Russia - even if their leader was a worse man than Hitler.



Rich::

 

[jrydberg]

I was tempted to post something along the same lines, dcentity2000.

Though I think it's difficult to make the argument that any one player defeated Nazi Germany. The fact that Hitler *had* to divide his forces meant he had difficulty in dealing with both threats. Devoid of one or the other, he would've been more successful.

In any event, the Battle of Britain really put an end to Hitler's ambitions of invading England; and thus, the notion that the British would be speaking German.

In the words of Churchill, "Never have so many owed so much to so few."

The British did more than their share of winning WWII.

 

[rubyslipperlover]

I don't think Stalin was "worse" than Hitler. I think they should both be reviled.

 

[Count Grub of Mooch]

Funny; had Russia not attacked when it did, Prince Harry would be dead and so would we.

 

[mrsltg]

I think it should be dropped. It was a stupid thing to do given his standing, but he is 20. I can only imagine and cringe at the thought of seeing pictures of some of my brighter 20-year-old moments.

As far as the uniform he was wearing - he was NOT dressed as Hitler. He was dressed as Roemmel. What's the Dessert Fox famous for? Going along with a plan to assassinate Hitler. Roemmel was given the choice to kill himself or his entire family would be killed. Apparently the young Prince chose the Nazi with a heart. Just for clarification purposes...

Erin

 

[Jeanny]

funny how this whole thing is still in the news, but not the picture of Harry & William getting supplies ready for the tsunami victims.

 

[roger_ramjet]

If the party he attended was themed 'bad taste', what the hell is all the fuss about? Isn't it self-explanatory as to why he dressed up as he did? Good God, give it a bloody rest.

 

[Feralpeg]

Stupid? Yes. Did he intend to hurt or offend anyone? I doubt it. He's a young guy that has had a tough life living under a microscope through things that would have caused many people to fall apart. I think the world should accept his apology and move on.