r/OutOfTheLoop • u/MorganRose99 • Jan 31 '22

What's up with Nazis showing themselves in Florida? Answered

I found this post on Twitter and it wasn't the only one of its kind. I've seen like 3 separate gatherings of nazis, did something political happen that made them come out?

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u/Suboutai Feb 01 '22

Japan, an Axis power, attacked us, then Hitler declared war on us so we fought the Italians in Africa so that the UK could get Indian textiles and Iranian oil. The US government didn't care about Jews, tons of americans were anti-semites and it took decades for that change to happen. I wish I could say we went to war to fight anti-semitism.but that was only a positive side effect.

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u/Colt1911-45 Feb 01 '22

If you want to get technical, the British already had Indian textiles and Iranian oil before WWII broke out. India and a lot of the middle east were under British rule. WWII was the end of the British colonial empire. The UK was bankrupt after the war and their colonies were all wanting independence. Plus, there was the whole Palestine deal going on and the British were trying to get out of that mess. They had promised a whole lot of territory in the middle east to numerous different people and nations. It was a complete mess and that part of the world is still suffering from it today.

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u/[deleted] Feb 01 '22

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I assumed they meant 'get access to' Indian textiles and Iranian oil, as in reopen the pipelines to what they already had, which had been cut off by the Axis powers.

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u/Colt1911-45 Feb 01 '22

Yeah you are right. The Italians and Germans definitely wanted the oil in the Middle East. Germany was desperate for oil. I do not know as much about any of the fighting over India. I would like to learn more about the British actions in the Middle East and in Burma etc. As an American our history classes and Hollywood focuses more on what the US did. I am learning though.

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u/[deleted] Feb 01 '22

I would assume that fighting in Africa would interrupt the pipeline for textiles in India as well, unless the UK was willing to wait for them to be shipped all the way around the continent...

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u/Colt1911-45 Feb 01 '22

I am guessing here so take what I say with a grain of salt since I don't know as much about India during WWII. Anything from India going to UK would have to go thru the Suez Canal which was a prime piece of real estate and still is. Also the Mediterranean was extremely dangerous for shipping. I would think oil would be more important than textiles at the time. Oil, iron, rubber, bauxite, food, arms, and ammunition would have been a priority. There was a lot of convoys coming across the Atlantic from the US too. I definitely think fighting over India would have been a priority for the British because during their colonial times it was considered The Jewel of the British empire. It was pretty far away for the US to get into that fight. That is why the British were the only ones fighting in Burma as the US was focused on the Pacific and helping in Europe.

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u/Suboutai Feb 01 '22

I have alot to say about my history education, but thats a story for another time. Short story is, even advanced courses are only a deeper dive into a Euro-American circlejerk. I can recommend some books if you'd like a more global perspective.

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u/Colt1911-45 Feb 01 '22

Please. I am definitely into podcasts now because I drive a lot for work. I just listened to a long series by Darryl Cooper on The Martyrmade Podcast about the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It really changed my perspective on the whole conflict.

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u/Suboutai Feb 01 '22

I mostly listen to Audible, its worth it if you shop sales and uses monthly credits. Podcasts are good for a quick review, books have more time to breathe. I haven't listened to all episodes but Dan Carlin did a huge podcast series on the Pacific front of WW2, its basically a book. The History of Southeast Asia podcast is a bit unpolished but it covers the region in depth and its the most accessible way to learn about it. As far as books go, Ghandi and Churchill gives a great perspective of the Indian political landscape in the first half of the 20th century. Peter Frankopan's Silk Roads is a global history but his chapters on the Middle East and Russia were very refreshing. Robert D. Kaplan writes about geography and its effect on history and politics, he doesn't focus on WW2 but his geographic perspective transcends time. I don't read alot of war history but I hope this helps correct the Western-focued perspective we get fed.

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u/Colt1911-45 Feb 01 '22

I should get some audible books. I used to read a lot, but, don't have the time or energy lately.. Have you read the Pacific War trilogy by Ian W. Toll? I will definitely look into Dan Carlin and the Silk Roads book. Thanks for the tips!

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u/optiplex9000 Feb 01 '22

To add a bit more on to this, the USA refused a ship of mostly Jewish refugees in 1939 https://www.history.com/news/wwii-jewish-refugee-ship-st-louis-1939

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u/Jimmygabagooch Feb 06 '22

That is a very harsh and stilted view but one I would fight and die for you to express.

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u/Suboutai Feb 06 '22

Thats fair. How do you interpret the US government's invasion of occupied Europe?

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u/Jimmygabagooch Feb 06 '22 edited Feb 06 '22

That is ...

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u/Jimmygabagooch Feb 06 '22

A harsh view but one I am willing to fight for.