Is The West Right To Boycott Russia's Ve Day Celebrations?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3071118/A-blood-debt-Russia-moral-dilemma-Britain-Despite-fact-27-million-Russians-died-defeating-Hitler-Government-snubbing-Moscow-s-VE-Day-parade-Sadly-Putin-left-no-choice.html

Yes Putin may not be high on the list of the West's buddies or even on the list at all, but surely we should not ignore the Russian peoples sacrifice during WW2, because without Russia back then, we would now be ruled by much more frightening individuals than Putin could ever be.

/// So is the West right to shun such a momentous anniversary? Should we not put to one side current tensions with Putin to acknowledge the awesome contribution Russia made to defeating Hitler? ///

[joggerjayne]

No. Russia's sacrifice was too important to use it to make a point over current issues.

[naomi24]

^I agree.

[VHG]

>>>because without Russia back then, we would now be ruled by much more frightening individuals than Putin could ever be.

But Russia could also have been our "rulers" if they had continued to push West after WW2.

It could be argued that Stalin was a WORSE tyrant than Hitler (though they were both pretty bad).

Stalin was responsible for killing far more people than Hitler, many of them his own countrymen (or at least people who were part of the USSR).

In fact some US generals, like Patton, wanted to continue East after defeating the Germans and "defeat" Russia as well as they knew what might happen at the end of WW2.

In fact one of the reasons the USA dropped the bombs on Japan at the end of WW2 was to "frighten off" Russia by showing the power they had with those bombs.

[anotheoldgit]

VHG

/// But Russia could also have been our "rulers" if they had continued to push West after WW2. ////

And you think that they would have been able to take on the combined forces of the Allies, what do you think the 'cold war' was all about?

[youngmafbog]

//because without Russia back then, we would now be ruled by much more frightening individuals//

You mean the Germans - who rule us now anyway thanks to Blair and Bottlers last give up of more of our sovereignty?

[ichkeria]

What 'the west' is boycotting is not a dignified tribute to the sacrifice of Russians in WWII but a military parade which has been used by Soviet leaders since Brezhnev as a propaganda tool.
Merkel (for once) has the right idea: leave a wreaths at a memorial but give the goose stepping and posturing a miss
Putin's Russia now bears more than a passing resemblance to the enemy the Red Army helped defeat (amidst an orgy of looting and rape) in 1945.

[ichkeria]

Oh yes and I don't often say his but well done the Daily Mail :-)

[youngmafbog]

Very true Ich, Putin is a very dangerous man.

Taking part in this could be compared to taking part in the Olympics with Adolf.

I do have doubts about Merkel not wanting to goose step though.

[jno]

Blair and Bottlers last give up of more of our sovereignty

I have no idea who or what Bottlers might be - just another rightwing "joke", I suppose - but the yielding of sovereignty was done under Heath (joining), Thatcher (Single European Act) and Major (Maastricht Treaty). Brown on the other hand kept us out of the euro.