What if...

[Edge]

... today's CNN were to have issued a news report on D-Day back in 1944?

Might it read something like this?

June 6, 1944. -NORMANDY- Three hundred French civilians were killed and thousands more wounded today in the first hours of America's invasion of continental Europe. Casualties were heaviest among women and children. Most of the French casualties were the result of artillery fire from American ships attempting to knock out German fortifications prior to the landing of hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops. Reports from a makeshift hospital in the French town of St. Mere Eglise said the carnage was far worse than the French had anticipated and reaction against the American invasion was running high. "We are dying for no reason," said a Frenchman speaking on condition of anonymity. "Americans can't even shoot straight. I never thought I'd say this, but life was better under Adolph Hitler."

The invasion also caused severe environmental damage. American troops, tanks, trucks and machinery destroyed miles of pristine shoreline and thousands of acres of ecologically sensitive wetlands. It was believed that the habitat of the spineless French crab was completely wiped out, threatening the species with extinction. A representative of Greenpeace said his organization, which had tried to stall the invasion for over a year, was appalled at the destruction, but not surprised. "This is just another example of how the military destroys the environment without a second thought," said Christine Moanmore. "And it's all about corporate greed." Contacted at his Manhattan condo, a member of the French government-in-exile who abandoned Paris when Hitler invaded said the invasion was based solely on American financial interests. "Everyone knows that President Roosevelt has ties to big beer," said Pierre LeWimp. "Once the German beer industry is conquered, Roosevelt's beer cronies will control the world market and make a fortune."

Administration supporters said America's aggressive actions were based in part on the assertions of controversial scientist Albert Einstein, who sent a letter to Roosevelt speculating that the Germans were developing a secret weapon, a so-called "atomic bomb." Such a weapon could produce casualties on a scale never seen before and cause environmental damage that could last for thousands of years. Hitler has denied having such a weapon and international inspectors were unable to locate such weapons even after spending two long weekends in Germany. Shortly after the invasion began reports surfaced that German prisoners had been abused by Americans. Mistreatment of Jews by Germans at so-called "concentration camps" has been rumored but so far, remains unproven.

Several thousand Americans died during the first hours of the invasion and French officials are concerned that uncollected corpses pose a public health risk. "The Americans should have planned for this in advance," they said. "It's their mess and we don't intend to clean it up."

(lifted from another forum)

[Loredoctor]

And having Michael Moore distort the event and claim Roosvelt and Churchill organised to get at Jewish Currency and Oil in Europe.

[Cail]

Utterly brilliant!

[Naver Htrad]

It was true that Germany had the A Bomb in development. The did build the V rockets. When Allies took over Germany, American went in and took the man who build the V rockets and I think he died recently, but he worked with NASA.
I did not know there was oil in Europe. Only oil know of around Europe is in Russia but that has only just been discovered. WW2 was a war with a cause, to free Europe from the Nazis.

[dlbpharmd]

Excellent post, Edge. Thanks!

[Avatar]

Excellent post, Edge. Thanks!

Agreed.

It's an interesting question though. Is it that the nature of the world has changed so much in 60 years? Or is it, as Naver suggests, that it was simply because it was a war with a cause? And a cause that was supported.

Hitler had already demonstrated that he was a threat, by taking over large chunks of Europe, and most people (not most people in any one country, but most people in the world), were only too glad to see him removed.

--A

[matrixman]

It should be noted, though, that Einstein ultimately came to regret writing the letter to President Roosevelt, calling it his biggest blunder (or second biggest, I can't quite remember which).

[Loredoctor]

It should be noted, though, that Einstein ultimately came to regret writing the letter to President Roosevelt, calling it his biggest blunder (or second biggest, I can't quite remember which).

His second biggest blunder; first was ant-gravity.

[Queeaqueg]

Slammin Edge

[Bucky OHare]

I don't think you can really compare the liberation of Nazi-occupied France with the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

[Loredoctor]

I don't think you can really compare the liberation of Nazi-occupied France with the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

I was joking.

[ZefaLefeLaH]

What if I found some nice pictures of the Jews being persecuted, ravished, tortured, killed, and dead?


Would that help this nice little topic?

[danlo]

I agree with Zeph <**passes out** > just to end the evil of the concentration camps and endless presecution of the Jews (not to mention the bombing of England) was enough to justify what we did.

[Bucky OHare]

I agree with Zeph <**passes out** > just to end the evil of the concentration camps and endless presecution of the Jews (not to mention the bombing of England) was enough to justify what we did.

I agree, American involvement in WWII was entirely justified, though you did only declare war after Pearl Harbour had been bombed, rather than during the Battle of Britain, in which half a million british civilians were killed and another million made homeless. I know its kind of a cliche to point this out, so please don't take offence. (and others suffered much, much more; 26 million Russian civilians were killed afterall) But it does show WWII was an entirely justified war on the allies' part, whereas you can argue about the justification of the Iraq War, it being entirely pre-emptive.

Loremaster, I gathered you were only joking , and honestly I didn't take offence, and i hope you didn't neither. I just thought for the sake of the bleedin' heart liberals among us I would point out the bleedin' obvious.

[Loredoctor]

Well said, danlo.

DE - that's okay; I was just worried my joke was taken in poor taste.