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muriel_volestrangler

(101,321 posts)

39. In Belgium, saying they died for profit, not freedom, would have been very insulting

Wed Mar 26, 2014, 08:27 PM

Mar 2014

Last edited Wed Mar 26, 2014, 09:35 PM - Edit history (1)

Belgium was a neutral country, its neutrality guaranteed by all sides - until Germany invaded it, and carried out a series of murders of non-combatants, claiming they had all been fighting the Germany army, when clearly they hadn't. Nearly all of Belgium remained occupied for the entire 4 years of the war. Germany's aim was to permanently occupy part of Belgium, to give it ports at the entrance to the English Channel, to make it even more militarily dangerous.

To have said "we never should have come" would have been to spit in the face of Belgians.

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Highlight:

Obama Whitewashes World War I [View all] Scuba Mar 2014 OP

What We Have Here, Sir, Is Some Serious Obama Derangement Syndrome The Magistrate Mar 2014 #1

War is inhuman. Are you for humanity or against it? nt Deep13 Mar 2014 #3

You Ask That, Sir, Of A Man Who Breakfasts On Puppies, In A Light Curry Sauce? The Magistrate Mar 2014 #14

I just want you to know you made my day. Benton D Struckcheon Mar 2014 #26

LOL. nt Cali_Democrat Mar 2014 #30

What the hell is wrong with you?!?! Nuclear Unicorn Mar 2014 #32

With a cold lager, I'd expect. Igel Mar 2014 #37

I was starting to get angry at yet another Obama slam mcar Mar 2014 #34

It still would have been an inappropriate time and place Blue_Tires Mar 2014 #21

Oh really? JackRiddler Mar 2014 #24

And guess what? Had he said something like the writer wanted Blue_Tires Mar 2014 #28

This message was self-deleted by its author JackRiddler Mar 2014 #31

i sometimes get the impression renegade000 Mar 2014 #42

True. n/t FSogol Mar 2014 #6

I swear to god I had to re-read the piece twice Blue_Tires Mar 2014 #11

Poe's Law is relevant to this. -nt Liberal Veteran Mar 2014 #25

Truth Boom Sound 416 Mar 2014 #13

Right? Bobbie Jo Mar 2014 #19

They weren't fighting for freedom... Deep13 Mar 2014 #2

Yeah, no. Imagine the shitstorm if he'd said "What a waste." n/t Loudly Mar 2014 #4

It would have been an interesting week if Barack did that and Michelle told China its schools suck. Liberal Veteran Mar 2014 #12

Fortunately Obama has better manners than to go into a rant OKNancy Mar 2014 #5

Yeah, Obama should have told the Belgians WWI was a sick joke Blue_Tires Mar 2014 #7

You know he was at the American Cemetary there, don't you? Scuba Mar 2014 #10

I know it would have been no less fucked up no matter Blue_Tires Mar 2014 #16

Ah the glories of war ... GeorgeGist Mar 2014 #46

Actually I blame WW1 on Obama himself Cali_Democrat Mar 2014 #8

Look at that, Boom Sound 416 Mar 2014 #15

You be killin it! bravenak Mar 2014 #22

Quick! Someone call Fox News! Liberal Veteran Mar 2014 #23

ofercrissake lamp_shade Mar 2014 #9

Idiotic. No world leader is going to deconstruct this sort of old mythology in a public speech. scarletwoman Mar 2014 #17

I'll rec...I don't blame Obama too much, but he could have talked about joeybee12 Mar 2014 #18

scuba, he ain't responsible for 1916 irisblue Mar 2014 #20

Power cannot tell the truth about war. earthside Mar 2014 #27

True - as long as it's important to maintain the status quo... polichick Mar 2014 #41

The greatest irony of WW1 is that it had no "bad guys". Xithras Mar 2014 #29

I'm sorry, but that is ridiculous... ljm2002 Mar 2014 #33

Weird, 'cause I feel he disrespected them by repeating the old lie. Scuba Mar 2014 #35

So, when Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address he was being disrespectful? blue neen Mar 2014 #36

I'm guessing that if he disrespected them, Blue_Tires Mar 2014 #40

Not the time? earthside Mar 2014 #45

Political history from an alternate universe. kwassa Mar 2014 #38

In Belgium, saying they died for profit, not freedom, would have been very insulting muriel_volestrangler Mar 2014 #39

Wheel. Of. Outrage. JoePhilly Mar 2014 #43

How can you pretend to be progressive in 2014, without actually having to do anything? struggle4progress Mar 2014 #44