Date: Sun, 30 Nov 1997 21:40:12 +0000 From: Chris Burford <cburford-AT-gn.apc.org> Subject: M-I: Norway's willing executioners I was glad to see Doug's post pursuing this question. There are times when these lists seem to be beginning to engage with reality with the possibility of affecting that reality. This post is just to share that yesterday the BBC reported the discovery of a 52 year old Nowegian newspaper article. After the war German prisoners of war were used to clear landmines. After the field was supposedly cleared they were made to march shoulder to shoulder across it. 182 died this way. Assuming that did not all occur on one occasion the degree of sustained psychological brutality involved must have been considerable over a period of time. No doubt there were occasions when the prior work done with metal detectors was not entirely diligent. Why was this article lost for 52 years? This is the latest in a series of revelations this year of atrocities by the allied side, including "scientific" experiments on vulnerable and ill informed subjects, that in quality if not in degree are actually comparable to the stuff of "holocaust" studies of German atrocities. It is essential to have a standpoint that seeks to comprehend what has happened knowing that atrocities are possible in all cultures, but trying to see the concrete circumstances and the various determining factors, rather than giving the impression that one nationality alone are predetermined to murder. Workers of all countries unite! is not an easy slogan to implement concretely. It is still worth it. Chris Burford London. --- from list marxism-international-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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