Hi GeorgeH: Comparisons in history are indeed dangerous, and often not helpful. On the other hand, what is meant by the comparison to Hitler is that in order to accomplish a political, social and ecconomic end, Hitler, Cromwell and Andrew Jackson committed genocide. One can make distinctions in scope, in the historical times in many ways, but if you are a Choctaw or Irish mother witnessesing the murder of your child before you are raped and murdered, those distinctions do not mean much. I have spent decades responding to the defensiveness of people about their history. Most large agressive nations have a lot to look at with some sense of remorse, which if we do not, England will again have its Jillianwallas, and America will again have its Mai Lais, Ireland will have its Balliseedies, and Germany will have its Bergin Belsons and the killing of the innocent will go on. GerogeH, like a parent who must see the wrongs a child does in order to be a responcible parent, a citizen or subject has to ackowlege the wrongs of ones government in order not to be the worst kind of trator, a trator to humanity. If you are ever in New York, I hope I can by you whatever you are drinking and we can toast to putting past behind us, but not by negating the wrongs of the past which make the present possible. Well, short of that, a drink to contiuned talk towards freindship and understanding. Slan Larry Otway