You're the one who said that the Nazis distinguished between Slavs, whom we know were all to be exterminated, and Latvians/Estonians, who were capable of being "Germanized", and so clearly were not untermenschen.
The clear implication was that the Germans were just recognizing an obvious difference. In addition to Protestantism, the obvious difference was, what? Genetic? Racial?
Regardless, Eastern European for you clearly means Slavic, and equally clearly you find having your country grouped with them extremely troublesome, perhaps insulting. Is that right? Or are we getting the wrong impression?
If my reference to Latvian guards in Nazi extermination camps is what made you lose your temper, I'm afraid facts are facts. It happened. Don't shoot the messenger. It happened in my country too, if to a lesser extent. At least we don't hold parades to honor these people, however.
http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/einsatz/lativia.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvian_Legion
Oh, you may have missed some of our threads dealing with religion and the Nazis. Protestants were much more likely to vote for Hitler than Catholics. Put that in your hat and smoke it.
Just generally, I'm trying to be more tolerant, so I didn't give you an infraction. If you continue with these over the line insults, however, there will be consequences.
You're not being rational.
I can discuss Nazi racial policies and challenge the view that everyone was about to be mass murdered without being associated with the ideology. Do you not agree?
My entire point was that the Nazis and the Soviets had the same plans in mind for us. Complete assimilation, deportations and the settlement of Russians/Germans in our lands.
How exactly does that make you believe I somehow subscribe to that hogwash? You seem to have forgot the original point markod made.
"I must be thankful to the Russians for trying to wipe us out." This is the statement that started it all. It would be a borderline hate speech offence here.
After that statement was made, I went on to explain why it makes no sense on two levels:
a) the Nazis were not going to exterminate us,
b) the Soviets did try to wipe us out culturally, just like the Nazis would.
I can put it into very simple, vulgar even, terms. Maybe this will help some people understand my point. Somehow I'm a Nazi, because I'm not thankful a rapist beat up another rapist. Both were trying to rape me. I'm definitely a Nazi, because I'm explaining that one of them wasn't a murderer, but a rapist. What you're saying is "oh, I bet you loved being raped by that one guy". No. I didn't. Do you not realize how offensive that is?
Eastern European means Eastern Orthodox. When I think of Eastern Europe, I think of Byzantium. I think of the Hajnal line. I think of East Slavs. I don't consider Czechs or, say, Croatians to be Eastern European. That label makes little sense. I think of late industrialization, I think of late urbanization, I think of high illiteracy rates in the 20th century. I think of illiterate slave-like serfs living off the land and then being herded into living in cities and being taught how to read. I think of track suits and alcoholism, I think of Soviet-styled apartment blocs. I think of spitting on the streets, golden teeth and babushkas. I think of a highly ostentatious sense of style. Of bright, shiny things and gold. Of bright red and bright green and light blue being used at the same time. I think of corruption, authoritarianism and officials riding in fancy SUVs, while others sputter around in Ladas. I think of a very parochial, sexist society. I think of domestic violence. I think of gays being beat up in public. I think of censorship. I think of general poverty. I think of women dressing like prostitutes.
I don't think they're inferior in any way, but I do believe they have been extremely unlucky in the way the dice has rolled for them. The way history has played out. It has a lot to do with the vast territory, lack of exchange of ideas throughout the last few hundred years, lack of trade, lack of investment and the fact that backwards authoritarianism has helped to keep it all together. But, unfortunately, it is what defines it as a political/cultural region of Europe.
If it was up to me, I wouldn't use this term at all. And, yes, Angela, it is offensive to be labeled 'Eastern European' in such a context. I would be slightly upset if I was called a Southern European as well, but the label 'Eastern Europe' contains a lot more layers to it than geography alone, which makes it especially insulting.