1 Jan 2022 9:38 pm
The German people blindly followed Hitler to their ruin. Hitler sacrificed a great people needlessly. I grew up in the ruins of what remained 25 years later. Under socialism 30 years later we still lived in the ruins of destroyed buildings. Ours had almost 3 walls. Electricity was sporadic and in the winter months warmth consisted of burning what could in a barrel. Under socialism everything goes to the ruling elite. No amount of effort went to the people. What was dispersed was just enough to keep you from charging the gun nests. Total deprivation, hopelessness and despair. Why work hard when it is of no benefit. People labored just enough to keep from being shot.
Yet in the distance just 25 years after the war Berlin, West Germany (free) stood like a monument to the tenets of capitalism. Huge beautiful brand new skyscrapers loomed on the horizon. Despite their lies information seeped in beyond the confines of our prison. Children unable to be fed were left on the steps of government agencies hoping those who kept what little food was produced would at least provide them nourishment. These children were raised by the state to be ardent socialists. They often became members of the Stasi - the secret police. Young women could be raped on the streets and no one dared object. To do so meant certain torture and even death and wouldn't have made a difference.
The Stasi would force sons to incriminate their own families. For instance a common tactic was to take a citizen and require him to wear a wire to a family gathering. They would be instructed to say something contrary to the socialist tyranny. If the family members didn't turn him in they would be arrested and tortured for failing to report the treason. This broke down the trust even inside the family. No one knew who to trust.
Yet in the distance just 25 years after the war Berlin, West Germany (free) stood like a monument to the tenets of capitalism. Huge beautiful brand new skyscrapers loomed on the horizon. Despite their lies information seeped in beyond the confines of our prison. Children unable to be fed were left on the steps of government agencies hoping those who kept what little food was produced would at least provide them nourishment. These children were raised by the state to be ardent socialists. They often became members of the Stasi - the secret police. Young women could be raped on the streets and no one dared object. To do so meant certain torture and even death and wouldn't have made a difference.
The Stasi would force sons to incriminate their own families. For instance a common tactic was to take a citizen and require him to wear a wire to a family gathering. They would be instructed to say something contrary to the socialist tyranny. If the family members didn't turn him in they would be arrested and tortured for failing to report the treason. This broke down the trust even inside the family. No one knew who to trust.