I have no trouble distinguishing them based on what kind of concentration camps they ran. I assure you that “the soviets occupied your country for 50 years, but it’s ok because they initially fought the other guys who occupied you” is not as good of a “gotcha” as you believe.
I take your words to mean that I should be grateful that the soviets only replaced 20% of the population in my country, because the germans were planning to replace 50% (according to Generalplan Ost). To some, it may be an interesting philosophical debate whether evil can be measured in population replacement percentages, or whether we should try to measure evil like this at all. Believe me that what you’re saying is nothing new to me (or to any Estonian who has ever discussed this subject with any non-Estonian). It’s a debate I have heard hundreds of times throughout my life, and it’s not one I wish to participate in again right now.
By the way, what you’re saying is also a very common Kremlin talking point when it comes to the soviet occupation of my country - trying to direct the conversation to how horrible to Nazis would have been, so “surely the actions of the Soviets were justified in that context”.
The thing is though, most people do distinguish them quite heavily. The hammer and sickle is still frequently used as an international symbol of worker’s liberation while the swastika, black sun, etc are firmly attached to one of the greatest atrocities in human history. To compare them as equals, even without their direct relation in history, is extremely strange and something that only fascists would typically do in an effort to downplay the holocaust
We were thankfully able to turn things around after the (relatively recent) collapse of the soviet union. We were able to join both NATO and the EU, and while quality of life has not fully caught up to the nordics, I have been able to witness a constant improvement since my childhood.
I have no trouble distinguishing them based on what kind of concentration camps they ran. I assure you that “the soviets occupied your country for 50 years, but it’s ok because they initially fought the other guys who occupied you” is not as good of a “gotcha” as you believe.
Permanently Deleted
I take your words to mean that I should be grateful that the soviets only replaced 20% of the population in my country, because the germans were planning to replace 50% (according to Generalplan Ost). To some, it may be an interesting philosophical debate whether evil can be measured in population replacement percentages, or whether we should try to measure evil like this at all. Believe me that what you’re saying is nothing new to me (or to any Estonian who has ever discussed this subject with any non-Estonian). It’s a debate I have heard hundreds of times throughout my life, and it’s not one I wish to participate in again right now.
By the way, what you’re saying is also a very common Kremlin talking point when it comes to the soviet occupation of my country - trying to direct the conversation to how horrible to Nazis would have been, so “surely the actions of the Soviets were justified in that context”.
The thing is though, most people do distinguish them quite heavily. The hammer and sickle is still frequently used as an international symbol of worker’s liberation while the swastika, black sun, etc are firmly attached to one of the greatest atrocities in human history. To compare them as equals, even without their direct relation in history, is extremely strange and something that only fascists would typically do in an effort to downplay the holocaust
How’s your country doing today?
We were thankfully able to turn things around after the (relatively recent) collapse of the soviet union. We were able to join both NATO and the EU, and while quality of life has not fully caught up to the nordics, I have been able to witness a constant improvement since my childhood.
Was your childhood before or after the fall?