100 year old WW2 veteran: "the sacrifice wasn't worth the result of what it is now"

[sc94597]

SvennoJ said:

sc94597 said:

And it would be far worse for far longer if Hitler and Nazi Germany persisted. Most hundred year olds aren't going to be able to make these sort of nuanced assessments, so I am not sure what the news of this is, other than maybe to fuel fascist propaganda? Like what other implication is there from these comments than Nazism shouldn't have been defeated during WWII? 

What it means is that we have let his sacrifice be for nothing as we're well underway to new fascist oppression. It doesn't mean that he wanted Nazism to steamroll the world in the 1940s, it means that its happening again. It means we haven't learned from history and are repeating the same mistakes that led to Nazi Germany.

Yes he can make that assessment. 

Eh. The U.K's government is being ran by a social-democratic/social-liberal coalition Labour Party. And the British people are much freer today than in the late 1930's and early 1940's, at least if we are talking about positive freedom. Although there is a good case for negative freedom too (Alan Turing was castrated in 1952, he killed himself two years later, as an example.)

I am skeptical that he is arguing against the far-right here and that the people spreading his message are either. 

These are the sort of media institutions spreading this message. The same ones tongue-bathing fascists.

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/why-is-this-second-world-war-vet-crying/

"While Penstone may feel that his honorable service is betrayed as Britain has become increasingly authoritarian, others may feel that Britain has become freer by banning hate speech and importing large numbers of migrants."

https://www.allsides.com/news-source/american-conservative-media-bias

Last edited by sc94597 - on 17 November 2025