Annual Waffen SS march

And its that time of the year, the annual Latvian Waffen SS march takes place amd as usual Russia protests along with other groups.

Russia Condemns Waffen SS March in Latvia | World | RIA Novosti

 

What surprised me is the amount of veterans who are still alive. The article talks about "hundreds". Also to be noticed is the fact that Riga tried to ban the march but that it was overrun by a court.

 

Gosh that Russian Foreign Ministry must qualify for the worst architect award - was it designed by Stalin?

 

Certainly , it must be 1945-1970 period , so it's either Stalinist architecture or his successors.

 

The Latvian president too is a strong advacate for the march. How unfortunate.

 

Double post

 

Wow, that article is post-commi newspeak at its finest. The Putin-regime's press wastes not one word about why these men joined the SS and why they are still held in a high regard. You know, the soviet occupation, elimination of the Latvian upper class, mass deportations(which continued once Latvia was re-occupied).What a sorry bunch of hypocrites!

 

double post

 

Although it is true that many Latvians joined the Waffen SS for the right reasons, such as liberation of Latvia from Stalin aggression and murderer, but because they joined the side which turned out to be the most disgusting, murderous and cowardly (at least against women and children) group in WW2. Well guess what, you do not get a parade. Just a small price to pay.

 

Russia is not the only country outraged. Israel along with other european countries do not support the march either.

I guess the Jewish, Roma and Russian populations which began to disappear right after the Nazis liberated them was just a way the Latvians returned the favor.

 

I already mentioned why they fought you, didn't I?! No need to spell it out again.

 

The Baltic states in WW2. How do I best illustrate their situation? Your phone rings and guess who is calling? Dr. Hannibal Lecter! He tells you he's coming for dinner and that you, your wife and your kids are the menu. A few minutes later the doorbell rings. You peek out of the window and its not Hannibal Lecter but Norman Bates. He noticed the commotion in your house asks you if everything is ok and if he can help you by say, borrow you his cal.12 pump action shotgun? Would you say no, just because he too is a crazy ass killer?

 

Borrowing a gun from a bad guy does not, in itself, make you a bad guy, what you do with the gun, can however.

I have little doubt that the Baltic troops who fought along side German forces saw themselves as freedom fighters, but so to did American Colonists during our Revolution as did Southerner's and Northerner's during our Civil War. But in each case unpardonable things were done by those who see themselves as the 'good guy's'.

An injustice remains an injustice, reguardless of the uniform you wear.

 

Slon;
It would seem that at least some of these marchers are indeed NEO NAZIs-not "patriots caught up in a situation both complex and horrible"- and as such reprehensible and "enemies of all mankind outside of their own narrow ethnic definitions". Calls to ban Baltic neo-Nazi marches | The Jewish Chronicle
JeffinMNUSA
PS. Interesting that this unit was primarily a front line division; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvian_Legion Most of Hitler's Eastern warriors were engaged in the Partisan Wars.

 

Well then I guess the controversy is that they are trying to paint you as the liberater...


Not very nice Marcus...

 

Both sides in this debate did some truly evil things. One side hides its sins behind the (Cost of Victory), and the other excuses their evil doers by saying it had no choice but to join the Nazis.

Anti-Soviet Fighters in the Baltics, Ukraine and Belarus were very quick to join the cause of Holocaust.

Russians till this day will say “Our Country had no Choice”,when confronted with Soviet State indifference to the massive casualties that were (in many cases) needlessly suffered by Red Army and massive Civilian death rate because Government failed to insure their safety.

 

Not just them. Belorussians, Ukrainians and even rural Russians were very happy when the Wehrmacht arrived. Considering what they went through under the old regime I can not blame them.

 

Yes there is.

 

What I wouldn't do is parade to celebrate it all 50 odd years later and treat it as a celebration.

 

Two quotes I find illuminating...on two of those links...Apologist claptrap speaks for itself...

The other.... they have chosen Germany, because they seek co-operation with western civilization.

Western civilization...Germany 1940's? But I suppose quote two is directly answered by quote one.