How do policies of mass murder in the Bloodlands by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union compare to American History?
1 Answer
The answer is dependent upon the interpretation of the question which in itself is very general.
Explanation:
How can we compare the loss of human life?
Quantitively one could argue that the killings carried out by Nazi Germany and The Soviet Union were far worse because the totals were so much greater. For example the Nazis were responsible for the extermination of 6 million Jews, 500,000 gypsies and at least 15 million Soviet civilians as well as the persecution of other groups.
The Soviet Union during Stalin's purges in the 30's saw the deaths of over 30 million civilians. American domestic history has no comparable losses.
However there are distinct similarities. Much of this killing was not random, but deliberate and systematic. Nazi persecution of the Jews can be compared to and with American policy towards native Americans. Both are examples of genocide.
It is also the case that we must be clear when what we mean by American policy. This could be domestic policy as described above. However it could equally be applicable to foreign policy. Again valid comparisons can be drawn.
American foreign policy in areas such as Central and South America and Vietnam include examples of systematic and premeditated mass murder if not genocide comparable with both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.
Examples include support for dictators such as Pinochet, Noriega and Batista, direct involvement and support for brutal death squads in countries such as El Salvador and Guatemala, CIA backed coups and assassinations such as Diem in South Vietnam, the illegal carpet bombing of Cambodia, and covert operations such as Operation Phoenix which eliminated 500,000 perceived Vietcong political cadres in Vietnam. The list is endless.
Finally how can we quantify human life? Is one or one hundred deaths less significant than 1 million.
