Have a read of "Hitler's Jewish Soldiers".
Germans, even Jews, even ethnically-Jewish Panzer commanders, had NFI what their government was doing behind their backs. Until they were next.
Communications were primitive, the media lied, and nobody wanted to believe.
Two of those are still true in the modern West.
What do we deserve for our governments' unspeakable crimes?
What do you think you deserve?
Probably we will get what we 'deserve' in due time too. Wait and see.
If you study history you should realize it is a never ending tragedy and violence is its engine.
The victims become the perpetrators in an infinite loop since the first homo sapiens.
You are quite correct, but history is punctuated by periods of stability and negotiated rule-following.
I have a sinking feeling we're living right at the tail end of one...
I agree, at least for the post-1945 Collective West it was, but we planted the seeds of our fate long ago and we are now ripping it consequences.
Monetary debasement and fiscal irresponsibility
External imperialism and violent overstretching
Moral/spiritual/cultural decadence
Uncontrolled immigration
Self-Complacency and cognitive decline
I hope to be wrong but i think other civilizations wont be so merciful for our crimes/weaknesses.
Even if as individuals many of us are definitely innocent, collectively we carry responsability, expecially in the eyes of more collectively-centered civilizations.
100%
At least as individuals we can try to live a principled and self-reliant life, speak truth to power, be kind with our dears, dont be assholes with strangers and look for inner peace.
No one can turn the world upside-down or change the history flow, but we can try to be the best of ourselves and choose to swim like a salmon.
