The Thinking ‘Kat: 80 Years On
It’s a rather sobering thought to realise that it’s been 80 years since World War II ended in Europe. The defeat of the Nazis was a landmark moment in history, which could have played out very differently, if not for the combined efforts of numerous countries, and the sacrifices made by millions. 80 years later, and I cannot help but fear the world has forgotten the lessons from that dangerous, violent time, with the rise of far-right, neo-Nazi populism threatening to destabilise civilisation.
I cannot help but genuinely wonder where some politicians on both sides of the Atlantic would be if they had lived during the 1930s. It is not too hard to imagine some of them supporting the Nazis, and that should be a frightening prospect. The Nazis were unashamedly divisive, fascist, racist, homophobic, and dehumanising of their enemies. That should ring a few bells. Whether or not it does is a different matter. What should not be in question is that we should never, ever return to a world like that, where hate rules. The cost was unimaginably high, and if we ever find ourselves in World War III, we might not survive it. We should be learning lessons from history, not repeating it, but I fear we are, as a planet, determined to do just that.
We should pause to reflect upon what so many brave men and women gave up for us to have a world where people are not judged, divided and mistreated. We should honour those sacrifices by working to make sure we do not repeat those mistakes. That is my message, and it should be everyone’s message.
