Ask HN: Is WWIII already in its early stages? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Is WWIII already in its early stages?

#171

Post by brabel » Sat, Aug 20, 2022, 6:07 AM UTC

Isinlor wrote: post #170

brabel wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, completely agree. European countries are almost helpless without USA's weapons to defend them... they just thought they were too civilized to go to war again anytime soon, I guess, letting the USA bear the burden of actually investing in the military while they just did the bare minimum. But the situation between Russia and Germany is more complicated than that... Germany did not see Russia as the enemy as far…

When a country is trying very hard to delete you from existence for hundreds of years it's very hard to not be suspicious of that country. Poland lost 20% of population in WWII started by Germany and Soviet Russia. Every fifth person dead. You may also notice that Poland and Ukraine are on perfectly friendly terms with Germany. Because Germany came to terms with Nazism and Holocaust. But Russia never gave up on their…

> Poland lost 20% of population in WWII started by Germany and Soviet Russia. Every fifth person dead.

Germany started the war. The Soviet Union was forced into it much later by Germany declaring war on them.

> Poland lost 20% of population in WWII

No country lost more people in WWII than the Soviet Union, as I'm sure you're aware. Your feelings of huge loss are shared by the Russians.

> You may also notice that Poland and Ukraine are on perfectly friendly terms with Germany.

It's just because Germany left Polan much longer than the Soviet Union did. With time, you'll also "forgive" the Soviet Union, their crimes pale in comparison with the Germans.

> It's really hundreds of years of Russia trying to subjugate us.

Poland has been occupied by many other countries[1]. It was Prussia and the Autro-Hungray Empires that occupied it for the longest, not Russia... that's how European politics always played out, a big struggle for smaller states living between the bigger ones... why single out Russia? Probably only because it was the latest invader and memroy from previous occupations is fading.

Do you really believe being hostile to Russia will somehow be benefitial to Poland in the longer term?... if history is anything to go by, you should watch both West and East of your border while trying to stay "friendly", or at least neutral, in relations with both.

[1] https://brilliantmaps.com/invaded-poland/

Re: Ask HN: Is WWIII already in its early stages?

#172

Post by Isinlor » Sat, Aug 20, 2022, 12:35 PM UTC

brabel wrote: post #171

Isinlor wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When a country is trying very hard to delete you from existence for hundreds of years it's very hard to not be suspicious of that country. Poland lost 20% of population in WWII started by Germany and Soviet Russia. Every fifth person dead. You may also notice that Poland and Ukraine are on perfectly friendly terms with Germany. Because Germany came to terms with Nazism and Holocaust. But Russia never gave up on their…

> Poland lost 20% of population in WWII started by Germany and Soviet Russia. Every fifth person dead. Germany started the war. The Soviet Union was forced into it much later by Germany declaring war on them. > Poland lost 20% of population in WWII No country lost more people in WWII than the Soviet Union, as I'm sure you're aware. Your feelings of huge loss are shared by the Russians. > You may also notice that Pola…

Soviet Russia STARTED WWII together with Germany. They agreed it with Germans.

Soviets attacked Poland on 17th September 1939. Their army and tanks crossed Polish border.

Then they shook hands with Germans and proceeded to annex Poland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_invasion_of_Poland

Then NKVD proceeded to exterminate Polish military officers and intelligentsia during the Katyń Massacre.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katyn_massacre

The goal was to destroy Polish state.

> Do you really believe being hostile to Russia will somehow be benefitial to Poland in the longer term?

We deal with the Russia the way it is. Not the way we would want it to be.

Russia is hostile towards us first and foremost.

And personally, I wouldn't be more happy if Russians had the balls to clean up their mess.

Kick Putin and his siloviki out and start normal productive participation in the world.

> why single out Russia?

Because Russia is waging a freaking war with Ukraine right now and threatening nuclear holocaust to Poland?!

Like WTF?!

Re: Ask HN: Is WWIII already in its early stages?

#173

Post by brabel » Sat, Aug 20, 2022, 3:31 PM UTC

Isinlor wrote: post #172

brabel wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Poland lost 20% of population in WWII started by Germany and Soviet Russia. Every fifth person dead. Germany started the war. The Soviet Union was forced into it much later by Germany declaring war on them. > Poland lost 20% of population in WWII No country lost more people in WWII than the Soviet Union, as I'm sure you're aware. Your feelings of huge loss are shared by the Russians. > You may also notice that Pola…

Soviet Russia STARTED WWII together with Germany. They agreed it with Germans. Soviets attacked Poland on 17th September 1939. Their army and tanks crossed Polish border. Then they shook hands with Germans and proceeded to annex Poland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_invasion_of_Poland Then NKVD proceeded to exterminate Polish military officers and intelligentsia during the Katyń Massacre. https://en.wikipedia.…

> The goal was to destroy Polish state.

Are you sure? From your link:

"The reason for the massacre, according to the historian Gerhard Weinberg, was that Stalin wanted to deprive a potential future Polish military of a large portion of its talent".

Also, if they wanted to destroy the Polish state, they probably would have then as Poland had no way to defend itself at the time.

> Because Russia is waging a freaking war with Ukraine right now and threatening nuclear holocaust to Poland?!

> Like WTF?!

Exactly. If you believe Russia is threatening nuclear holocaust and has an agenda to destroy all Poles for whatever reason, I can see how you would be prepared to do anything in your power to destroy them, perhaps kill off every one in their country, because that would be justified if your aprehensions are true.

That makes me scared for the future of Europe because this sort of hatred is bound to, one day, blow up again, sooner than most think (as it's doing now in Ukraine).