History doesn’t repeat itself but only rhymes, eh? The hell you say.
“The Russians are dumbfounded by the many little things our soldiers carry on their person. They think the snapshots of our homes, our rooms, our girls, are propaganda. It takes a very long time to convince them that they are genuine, that all Germans are not cannibals. They presently even doubt the truth of the indoctrinated catchword: Germanski nix Kultura. In a few days time, here as elsewhere, the Russians come and ask if they may be allowed to hang up again their icons and their crucifixes. Previously under the Soviet regime they have had to keep them hidden away because of the disapproval of a son, a daughter, or a commissar. That we raise no objection to their displaying them evidently impresses them. If you tell them that there are any amount of crucifixes and religious pictures to be seen in our country they can hardly believe it. Hastily they re-erect their holy niches and repeatedly assure us of their hope that this permission will not be revoked. They live in terror of their commissars, who keep the village under surveillance and spy on its inhabitants. This office is often undertaken by the village schoolmaster.”
Bold mine, and dispositive. Sure looks as if history is repeating itself pretty damned exactly, if you ask me.
The above passage is from the amazing Hans-Ulrich Rudel’s amazing autobiography, Stuka Pilot—a book I’ve had ever since I was but a wee chap, and of late have been skimming through yet again, just for the halibut.
Do understand, please, that this is NOT to be taken as any kind of endorsement of Naziism over Communism, as all too many of us are wont to do nowadays. Far as I’m concerned that’s a distinction without a difference; there’s little to choose between the two, and to be enslaved under one is tantamount to being likewise enslaved under the other. Thanks but no thanks, bub. No matter how you slice ‘em, they’re both pure baloney.
“Far as I’m concerned that’s a distinction without a difference…”
That’s because there truly is no difference.