France becomes an island
sir: Mr Christopher Sykes (Letters, 22 December) Says that what made him keen to join the army in the war was what he read in the press about Nazi atrocities, 'not some theory about British relations with the continent.' But if what made him keen to fight was hatred of a political system because it practised atrocities, why was he not equally keen to fight the Russians? Communist atrocities were as atrocious as Nazi ones. Why the selective morality?
Could the explanation be that his moralistic excitement was merely a disguise for a more honest urge, namely his patriotism? Germany was his country's enemy; therefore fight her. But as patriot- ism was sneered at by liberal-minded people, and liberal-minded people had become the opinion- formers by the 'thirties, he may have been condi- tioned into believing that patriotism was not praise- worthy. Therefore express it as 'Down with (German) atrocities.'
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