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In reply to the discussion: "New Israel" , a not so modest proposal [View all]DFW
(59,647 posts)That's rather a tall order. In wartime Germany, "working to get rid of the Nazis" was a fast one way ticket to the guillotine. I assume you've heard of Die Weisse Rose, right? Their heads did roll. Literally.
My wife's grandfather was admonished by his decades-long neighbor because the neighbor knew he listed to British radio, an offense that carried the death penalty. He didn't turn him in due to their long relationship as good neighbors. After the war, when the tables were turned, the neighbor asked my wife's grandfather not to denounce him to the occupation authorities. Since he had spared her grandfather's life during the war, he agreed. But Germany never would have gotten rid of the Nazis on their own. They were too pervasive. Even during the last few days of the war, fanatic Nazi bands roamed the streets of even the smallest cities, shooting down civilian men of draftable age as "traitors and deserters." Only the invading Allied forces were able to get rid of that kind of a regime.
The people of Eastern Europe were only able to "get rid of" their oppressive socialist regimes once the main financier and military guarantor, the Soviet Union, was slowly collapsing. When East Germany's regime was disintegrating, it only happened after Gorbachev gave his blessing and told the Soviet military to stand down. If there's anyone who thinks Iran is going to order Hamas to stand down, and let the people of Gaza have an election where Iran and Hamas are not participating, I can only say, keep dreaming. However this ultimately plays out, speculating about fairy tales isn't going to end up sparing anyone, sad to say.