Sarkozy refuses invite royals D Day 65th-Anniversary

[Arsenal VG-33]

I wonder if it isn't a certain lazieness in the media to report things accurately? And perhaps a somewhat US-centric reporting about history?

Every country which took part in any major event which has gone done in the annals history has naturally put their national spin on it. It's only naturally that people take pride in what their own forces did. Over the recent years however, this has evolved in over emphasizing their importance and leaving out the sacrifices/contributions of others.

Anyone who uses any of the major television sources (CNN, FOX, CBS, etc.,etc.) as a outlet for their own education is a lost cause (not you....but society in general). It's been my observation that people who tend to watch/listen the telly/radio the most, are also the most easily influenced, more often than not by the last thing they've seen/heard. With telly and radio personalities achieving quasi-celebrity status, combined with flashy and repetitive visual and audio bling, people who watch/listen on a regular basis, and without doing any cross referencing whatsoever, tend to be very accepting of the information received, regardless of how true or false it is, (mostly the latter). Lastly, I truely worry over democracies where the press is running headlong into the venue of sensational tabloids. You tell them that polar bear paratroops landed in Berlin long enough and loud enough, they'll believe you. Was there not a report only 1 or 2 years ago, stating that most people in a certain age bracket were getting most of their information from late-nite talk show hosts???

There is no substitute for a good book - many of them - comparative research and cross referencing.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

What do you think the problem is?

I wonder if it isn't a certain lazieness in the media to report things accurately? And perhaps a somewhat US-centric reporting about history?

For example, CNN or FOX might report "the 65th anniversary of the American landing in Normandy" instead of the more accurate "Allied" landings.

It's not that I'm going to get picky about every fact, but I have been surprised to meet many Americans that didn't know the Australians fought in VietNam, or that Canadians participated in Desert Storm, Afganistan Korea etc.

What? I don't remember seeing any Canucks on M*A*S*H....

It very well could what you describe. I also think it starts in the schools. History is not being taught the way it happened, but the way they want people to know it.

 

[BombTaxi]

That is always an issue. The teaching of history here in the UK is fairly grim, there is an effort to teach the entire history of the UK from before the Roman invasion, but that is obviously a lot to fit in, and at GCSE and A-Level, the whole focus is on the World Wars and international relations - or it was when I did the exams almost a decade ago. Most kids leave school with no understanding of our history, not understanding why England is a Protestant country, for example, or why there has been such violence in Ireland for the last five centuries. The problem is further compounded by the rise of the right-wing and anti-EU parties who hijack history to promote thier agendas.

 

[ToughOmbre]

It very well could what you describe. I also think it starts in the schools. History is not being taught the way it happened, but the way they want people to know it.

Absolutely true, unfortunately. I could hardly believe the stuff in my kid's history books going back 20 to 25 years ago. The texts showed the influence of PC and revisionist historians.

TO

 

[Ferdinand Foch]

I agree. I believe that not recognizing the contributions of all of the allies is a shame and disgraceful. I also have to agree with you on the US. Unfortunately many of my countryman believe that it was only the US that shed blood and won WW2.

Unfortunately, history textbooks in middle and high school only touch on briefly the second world war, and most of the time it's not the best info. out there (unless you are in a higher up class).
Personally, I would be a lot happier if the history of World War Two (and even the first world war) were taught in a seperate class. That would give the kids the education they need on these events.

 

[Arsenal VG-33]

So, finally there are those who are able to see the incident for what it really is:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjoypNuGm2E

 

[Vassili Zaitzev]

Unfortunately, history textbooks in middle and high school only touch on briefly the second world war, and most of the time it's not the best info. out there (unless you are in a higher up class).
Personally, I would be a lot happier if the history of World War Two (and even the first world war) were taught in a seperate class. That would give the kids the education they need on these events.

Forget it Foch, I was in the same history classes as you, and we missed a lot of stuff. I think the only class I learned a lot was Civil War history, but since I'm into military history well. A reason why I'm glad I'm a part of this forum, learned quite a bit.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Well, the way I see it the Germans didn't invite the British or Canadians either, but they still showed up.

Hell with PC protocal, show up anyway.

 

[RabidAlien]

Well, the way I see it the Germans didn't invite the British or Canadians either, but they still showed up.

Hell with PC protocal, show up anyway.

A-FRIKKIN-MEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's gotta be the best response I've read yet!!


I recall hating history classes in middle and high school. It was all about rote memorization of names and dates and countries...something I didn't do very well at. I came out knowing that the Battle of the Bulge happened, and that Rommel was an evil man who was defeated only by the shining and stellar example of Patton. Etc etc. It wasn't until nearly a decade later when I started reading WW2 history, especially the personal accounts, that I realized that Rommel wasn't an evil man, that his troops loved him for who he was, and his enemies respected him for the same...that Patton was a hard-headed, foul-mouthed egotistical bastard who got the job done, and managed to rub Montgomery's nose in it every single time. That the Battle of the Bulge, instead of being a travesty caused by ____ dropping the ball (insert "green troops" or "British troops" here, depending on textbook), was instead a small slice of Hell on ice where the average Allied grunt dug in and really showed the world what they were made of, regardless of race, creed, or color. With all the PC crap coming to the forefront these days, I'm really scared of what my daughter will be forced to choke down. The one comfort I have is that she will grow up with as thorough an understanding of WW2 (and to a lesser extent, WW1/Korea/Vietnam/GulfWar/Iraq) as I can give her. She will have a thorough respect for the military forces of all nations. And she will know how to politely tell her PC teachers exactly where they can stuff it.

 

[A4K]

I never trust the press, they always exaggerate things for the sake of a story. My faith in the school education system is on about the same low level. I just hope there are enough people with brains in the world to remember what exactly took place 65 years ago, and who to thank for it.

 

[Njaco]

Don't know if its a snub, media overload or what but at least an invitation to the one Head-of-State that actually served in WWII - the Queen - would have been nice.

 

[DFM+BB]

I'm french and I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for this...

 

[BombTaxi]

It's none of the above Njaco, it is up to Brown to invite the Queen, not Sarkozy. No-one is snubbing anyone, although it is well known that Brown's relationship with the Queen has been disintegrating since she stepped in and told him to sort his government out. At the moment, he'll be lucky to be PM this time next week, so let's hope the next one does a better job...

Rabid, I was interested by your claim that some textbooks blame the British for the early disasters in the Battle of the Bulge. My own understanding was that British troops weren't involved - although if you read some histories, you would think the British stopped fighting after Alamein anyway...

EDIT: DFM, you have nothing to be sorry for mate, it seems to be a blundering idiot this end that is causing the problem.

 

[Ferdinand Foch]

The one comfort I have is that she will grow up with as thorough an understanding of WW2 (and to a lesser extent, WW1/Korea/Vietnam/GulfWar/Iraq) as I can give her. She will have a thorough respect for the military forces of all nations. And she will know how to politely tell her PC teachers exactly where they can stuff it.

Great idea RA, I think I'll follow your example when I have kids. Events like these are just too important to be told to students in all of about ten minutes.

DFM: Don't worry man, we have idiots on our side of the atlantic too. I remember back in middle school, when the Second Gulf War started, that we had a lot of people (especially down South) call French fries "Freedom fires," and French toast "freedom toast."

 

[badbear]

Bl**dy french T***pot .? no offence to you dfm+bb

 

[vikingBerserker]

DFM: Don't worry man, we have idiots on our side of the atlantic too. I remember back in middle school, when the Second Gulf War started, that we had a lot of people (especially down South) call French fries "Freedom fires," and French toast "freedom toast."

(VB plays the banjo to help get the full effect)

 

[badbear]

And as for gordon brown what a complete%^*t and a *%£er nuff said can,t stand the bloke should be stood in a field and napalmed sorry if thats a bit strong but he really gets my back up.BB

 

[HerrKaleut]

Just a small point. Protocol and precedence dictate that an invite is sent from the French gov. to Buckingham Palace and a CC to Downing St. Although Brown is P.M., Her Maj. is still the head of state (albeit with no real constitutional powers). How many years have these commemorations been happening,one would have thought they could get it right. Both sides of the channel knew what should have occured.
IMO it was a snub of the first magnitude, and if it is down to Gordon Brown.....to the Tower of London with him As for the french, send a gunboat up the Seine and nail the Union Flag to the top of the Eifel Tower

 

[Soundbreaker Welch?]

It's too bad this happened. The British did a tough job on D-day, just watch the movie.

 

[Bernhart]

I read somewhere intial plan was to be just a franco american thing, from The French governments plan.