Re: Slovakia's sacrifice, By Lukáš Fila, June 14 - 20, Vol 10, No 22
The opponents of the Austro Hungarian Empire, of Hitler, and of communism all fought those regimes because it was in their interests to do so. The United States came into the second world war (several years late) because of the attack on Pearl Harbour and because it saw its economic interests threatened by the Axis powers. The US interests coincided with the interests of the Soviet Union, and together with Britain, France and others, they made up the Allies. Slovakia, under the influence of the Catholic Church, was one of the Axis powers. The Allies did fight a "just" war because of the criminal intentions of the Axis powers.
The Soviet Union was one of the Allies. Would the writer of this editorial argue, therefore, that all of its post-world war two actions should be treated as the actions of liberators? No nation has the right to claim that it should have some sort of special considerations in the future because it did some deed sometime in the past. All nations' current actions should stand on their own merit.
The appalling gung-ho, jingoistic nature of this article may appeal to some in America, but many, in America and around the world, can see the reality behind many of the country's actions - its drive for world domination.
David Eldridge,UK
