In all this concideration of nations present, by their genocidal past, it is often glossed over that every industrial nation killed millions in centralizing the wealth, the US killed some fifty millions of Africans in transit to slavery alone, as well as uncounted Indians. England s ecconomic interests drove the governmental policies that allowed a single crops failure to cause over a million deaths in Ireland in the middle of the nineteenth century. Each act of genocide is unique, and yet, we can not begin to blame Russians and Germans for not coming to terms with genocide in their past, while we do the same. I must admit that as I say this, I had to cross Germany with my wife. I would not let the sun shine on me within the borders of that country, as my mothers Jewish and Gypsy family was murdered not very long ago there. I have forgiven individual Germans, and yet, that nation cannot be said to have begun to come to terms with the past. One needs only to visit the Roma camped on the borders of Germany to see the problem.
I must and do temper this statement by acknowleging the great forward movement in the rights of refugees spearheaded by Germany, as an example of how, when a nation comes to terms with the past, it can result in progress.
Great song, I never realized it was Dick Gaughns, having heard it from Billy Bragg.
All the best
Larry