Thomas > Recent Status Updates

It's actually sad how far the power of collective actions, Communist resistance and later on Union strikes, have fallen - becoming completly irrelevant in the current scheme despite the fact the general living standard is the worst/scariest it's been since the end of WW2 in the West.

Fact of the case: The German economy could never hope to match the Allies.

The guilt is honestly surprising. I should watch 'The Zone of Interest' again.

I've for sure read this before, but I feel like this is the first time it registers that Heydrich was assassinated by the Czech (based).

Strange to imagine that some of the Task Force men (SS and police) committed suicide due to what they did. The question remains is how were any of these people allowed to survive and live with themselves. Not that this phenomenon continues to the present day…

It's a bit baffling how the 'Holocaust by bullets' isn't really emphasized in basic history classes on WW2. At least from what I remember, I only really understood the distinction when doing my own reading.

Potential PhD topic: Historical relations between Balts, Russians, and Jews, specifically differences between the relationships during Tsarist Russia (pogroms), Nazi occupation, and the USSR + current memory and attitudes.

Evans treatment of the Soviet Union proves that he's a historian worth his craft as he neither tries to demonize the USSR (especially horrid to try and do given the central topic) nor glaze it as some valiant 'anti-fascist' heroic force. His antidotes on Stalin, and the treatment between Soviet and Germans POWs are just central to his credibility.

Was Stalin's head filled with literal bricks? Guy defects from Germany to tell him that the Germans are invading tomorrow morning. Stalin: "Whoops you're spreading misinformation. Say bye-bye to your life-life!" ^-^

I know all about Germany pre and during WW2 like the back of my hand, but now I realize: I don't know anything about France, barely anything about Britain and Russia, and while I know a decent amount about the USA - it's not nearly to the extent of Germany.

I should fix that.

This section is probably the most “detached” we’ve been from the Nazis. Britain during WW2 has always been a favourite topic of mine, a real “feel good” moment (from the perspective of a ‘classical liberal conservative history dad’).

The positives of Christian morality are striking, and the truth is that those who actually believe in the tenants of Christian philosophy can commit many evils but there is a clear limit. A line that can only be broken by someone who does not believe in either rationality or morality.

I need to start reading again. Been taking a huge break due to the heat but where I am now, it's nice: windy and cloudy. Perfect weather to finish Evans' Third Reich trilogy.

It's not "mind blowing" to just have the obvious obviously laid out. The Nazis were subhuman, and far more evil than anything the Soviets even wished of doing.

It really isn't a debate.
(I'm not a Holocaust exceptionalist, but I'm def. on the defensive when it comes to comparing the Nazis and the USSR because the vast majority of people who make these comparisons are HC deniers.)

Besides seemingly one, the German army was not against murdering civilians on principle, merely due to the prospect of disobedience introduced among the troops.

Like all propaganda, Polish discrimination against ethnic Germans was true in reality, even before the outbreak of hostilities. 2000 Germans were killed (murdered?) by the Polish forces in the opening of the invasion.

It's elements like this, that sides who were objectively good still committed bad acts that shortcircuit the brains of idiots who then cry "it was morally complicated!". See also: Ukraine and Israel.

Really excited to read this one. I think it will end up being my favourite.

"As always everything worked flawlessly."

And Stratt is just a terrible character. Zero resolution. Just a "bad ass girl boss".

I'm not even bothering to comprehend the science stuff. Each problem gets an automatic solution and all I need to know is that we are now on Plotpoint B from Plotpoint A.

It's hard to tell when Weir is writing an annoying character on purpose because They. All. Sound. The. Same.

I simply do not believe that these are people talking.
We have a book full of bacon science redditors, purposely bitchy girlbosses, stereotypes, and 'i haz cheeseburger'.

Okay. First these poorly-designed flashbacks had some sort of in-story reason for the pacing, as it was literally Ryland having a mental flashback and his conscious sort of pauses and resumes as he absorbs the information.

Now. They are incredibly boring but now also, despite there being reveals, Ryland just doesn't react and neither does Rocky. Are these boring segments just for us now?

Basically halfway through this book and there is absolutely no point to this book. The flashbacks scenes are a painful snore-fest with obnoxious characters. And the prose is still awful.

Now that the plot has progressed to a decent percentage, I have to say that I expected *too much* plot-wise because that was really the only thing left keeping me reading.

The prose is getting a bit less unbearable now.
The dialogue is fine, if a bit juvenile but people do talk like this, especially like Ryland.

I am intrigued and the science explanations are fun to follow, but I am probably never going to be the target demographic of this book - even if I want to laugh at the idea of there being "no politics" in this book.

Each chapter ends with a: "Oh my god- It's actually [blank]!"

PHM seems to take place in an alternate dimension where Elementary Globalism turned out to exist in the real world of geopolitics. It's hard to take seriously but the book was written in 2020...so maybe I can't be *too* harsh as that was probably the last moment when cooperative internationalism existed before dying a brutal death.

Laughing b/c Weir said he dislikes "politics in books" - I see why.