A possible front cover for my new book on exterminations, in preparation. The image is the Haserot Angel sculpture in the Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. I like it, but it may be too strong. What do you think? If you have a moment, please let me know in the comments. The text below is extracted from one of the chapters of the book.
The cover image is excellent. I would say even beautiful. Collapse accepting. Definitely looking forward to your new book. I spent most of my university years and government career focusing intently on the Arabic language and the modern Middle East. I am now a retired grandmother and very interested in learning more about Europe. Your posts are helping to educate me, especially in the time of Gaza. For that I am grateful. Thank you.
One could write almost the same story about gazoline or cereals. It indeed made two "good" reasons to try to invade Russia. Giving the lack of both, the shorter the war the better. So when it started to drag on, the Russians got the upper hand and things got seriously awry for the Germans.
Of course, any parallel with any present situation is a mere coincidence...
I lived for fifteen years in a country famous for its famines (Ethiopia). One of the things you quickly learn about such events is that 1, they only count if the are publicized and 2, dead people are never equal, but have value depending on whose dead they are (obviously, this is highly dependant on who won the last war...and who got to write the history books).
As you are no doubt aware, if the Morgenthau plan was not put into execution, there are lingering questions about just how many Germans, both military prisoners and civilians, died in excessive numbers after the end of World War II.
A number of researchers have put the numbers at 10 million or more. I am sure too that you know of James Bacque's book, Other Losses, on this very subject. While Bacque's numbers have been questioned by many, as too has the wilful character of the measures that led to so many dying, no one disputes the veracity of many of the events he portrays.
I am in no position to ascertain Bacque's claims. It does seem that German death statistics are less that reliable, with, for example, mortality rates said to be lower during the 'hunger winter' of 46-47, that those of the prosperous 1960s. Curiously, when cursorily checking one of the post-second world war military prisoner camps online, in France, I immediately came upon a simple book, advertised on the website of the French town where the camp was located, with the blurb stating that 'many of the German prisoners fell dead on the march from the train station...' *
Meanwhile, while the number of dead from the famine of 1973 that was the clincher in the overthrow of Haile Selassie, is said to be in the 200 000 range, the war that just lapsed in the north of Ethiopia between the central government and a rebellious region, caused the death of perhaps half a million, with many more having died since...from famine.
How many? No one knows. In 1973, the BBC filmed the dying, today, journalists do not venture into these parts...
Correct. I didn't mention the number of German victims of famines after the war, because, apparently, as you say, they belong to the wrong side and they don't count. There are no numbers, not even estimates that you can find on the Web.
I am looking forward to reading your new book. The cover image of the woman is excellent but living trees in the background just won’t do. More dystopian please.
Really interesting and makes sense , why genocides are opportunities to elites even to this day. I did not know how famine on that scale was used in World War 1. It also gives another explanation on the “Spanish Flu”, that some say was not a viral infection, see Dr Sam Bailey and the excellent book “Can You catch a Cold ?”.
Il correttore ortografico ha colpito ancora!. L'immagine è adeguata al titolo del libro. E' cruda, ma anche il tema lo è. Mi pare che i rami intrecciati sullo sfondo dipingano un velo che delimita lo stretto passaggio da attraversaee. Cosi' credo si possa risparmiare la fatica di ritoccare l immagine per rimuoverli. Mia opinione. Spero pra spiegato meglio, sorriso.
Great cover image! Looking forward to the book.
Thanks!
The cover image is excellent. I would say even beautiful. Collapse accepting. Definitely looking forward to your new book. I spent most of my university years and government career focusing intently on the Arabic language and the modern Middle East. I am now a retired grandmother and very interested in learning more about Europe. Your posts are helping to educate me, especially in the time of Gaza. For that I am grateful. Thank you.
Thanks a lot for the encouragement, Aleta!
One could write almost the same story about gazoline or cereals. It indeed made two "good" reasons to try to invade Russia. Giving the lack of both, the shorter the war the better. So when it started to drag on, the Russians got the upper hand and things got seriously awry for the Germans.
Of course, any parallel with any present situation is a mere coincidence...
Dear Ugo Bardi,
I lived for fifteen years in a country famous for its famines (Ethiopia). One of the things you quickly learn about such events is that 1, they only count if the are publicized and 2, dead people are never equal, but have value depending on whose dead they are (obviously, this is highly dependant on who won the last war...and who got to write the history books).
As you are no doubt aware, if the Morgenthau plan was not put into execution, there are lingering questions about just how many Germans, both military prisoners and civilians, died in excessive numbers after the end of World War II.
A number of researchers have put the numbers at 10 million or more. I am sure too that you know of James Bacque's book, Other Losses, on this very subject. While Bacque's numbers have been questioned by many, as too has the wilful character of the measures that led to so many dying, no one disputes the veracity of many of the events he portrays.
I am in no position to ascertain Bacque's claims. It does seem that German death statistics are less that reliable, with, for example, mortality rates said to be lower during the 'hunger winter' of 46-47, that those of the prosperous 1960s. Curiously, when cursorily checking one of the post-second world war military prisoner camps online, in France, I immediately came upon a simple book, advertised on the website of the French town where the camp was located, with the blurb stating that 'many of the German prisoners fell dead on the march from the train station...' *
Meanwhile, while the number of dead from the famine of 1973 that was the clincher in the overthrow of Haile Selassie, is said to be in the 200 000 range, the war that just lapsed in the north of Ethiopia between the central government and a rebellious region, caused the death of perhaps half a million, with many more having died since...from famine.
How many? No one knows. In 1973, the BBC filmed the dying, today, journalists do not venture into these parts...
Yves-Marie Stranger
*https://www.saintvincentdepaul.fr/Vie-associative/Annuaire-des-Assos/M.-C.-P.-B.-Memoire-du-Camp-de-Prisonniers-de-Buglose
Correct. I didn't mention the number of German victims of famines after the war, because, apparently, as you say, they belong to the wrong side and they don't count. There are no numbers, not even estimates that you can find on the Web.
I am looking forward to reading your new book. The cover image of the woman is excellent but living trees in the background just won’t do. More dystopian please.
Thank you Ward. about the cover, I am not sure I can eliminate the trees without ruining the overall effect. I'll see what I Can do.
Really interesting and makes sense , why genocides are opportunities to elites even to this day. I did not know how famine on that scale was used in World War 1. It also gives another explanation on the “Spanish Flu”, that some say was not a viral infection, see Dr Sam Bailey and the excellent book “Can You catch a Cold ?”.
Imago is suite to the tutte. Background teresi are fine. They suggest a theshold one must pass throught.
Sorry, Sampei. Not so clear. Can you explain?
Il correttore ortografico ha colpito ancora!. L'immagine è adeguata al titolo del libro. E' cruda, ma anche il tema lo è. Mi pare che i rami intrecciati sullo sfondo dipingano un velo che delimita lo stretto passaggio da attraversaee. Cosi' credo si possa risparmiare la fatica di ritoccare l immagine per rimuoverli. Mia opinione. Spero pra spiegato meglio, sorriso.
"The purpose of a thing is what it does" - Stafford Beer.
What the thing does, trumps what we may think it is and ought to do. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_purpose_of_a_system_is_what_it_does
The point of exterminations, to the apex-predator "owners", is what, now?
Thank you for picking up this thread again, Ugo.
Excellent comment. Thanks!