Pat Oliphant for April 12, 2010

IT WAS TOO LATE 40+ YEARS BACK!

If George Patton had been allowed to do what he wanted at the end of World War II the world wouldn’t be in the situation it is now.

If Patton had really gotten “his way”, OR McArthur, kit very likely wouldn’t be here today.

If the avatar representing Kit is emblematic of her state of repose, I’ll wager she treads water in the shallow end…

Good one, Oli!!!

Isn’t it funny how the shallow reading of history and the distracted watching of movies tends to make one see only the simple view.

The Soviet Union would have had all of Western Europe had Patton got his way.

Had Dugout Doug had his way there would have been no industrial giant called South Korea or Japan or Taiwan.

To think otherwise demonstrates the idiocy of the battle.

Yeah - Patton wanted to do what Hitler did (betray then invade an ally) and Napoleon tried to do before him (invade Russia). Both moves killed an empire.

One reason Hitler (and I imagine, Napoleon) failed in his attempt to invade Russia is that he underestimated the Russian soldiers and civilians. When they fought the Nazis they weren’t fighting for Stalin or communism. They were fighting for “Mother Russia,” their homeland. Politics were in the background. Any leader of any country who would want to invade Russia now would definitely have to know that. The Russians hold an attachment to their country which is extremely strong. How else could they have withstood the attacks on both Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) or Stalingrad (now Volgograd)? Communism may be gone in Russia but the attachment of the people to their land and country is very strong, just as those of us in the United States have a very strong attachment to our country. In dealing with Russia diplomacy, frustrating as it can be at times, beats trying to attack or invade that country. Patton was great in Europe against the Nazis, but I doubt he would have been that successful against the Russians. Hopefully we’re past the period of the Cold War and in a place where the two countries can talk to each other.

It was too late 65 years ago.