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A Marxist friend of mine describes the European war theatre during WW2 as clearly a fight for civilisation, however he sees the Far-Eastern theatre as clearly a fight between Imperialist powers. How clear/deluded is this view?
I'm thinking of the Opium war, when the British Establishment and foot soildiers did horrific damage in China, is this any worse than the Japanese savagery in Asia during WW2?
Also, one anecdote, the British Imperialist army came to burn down the house belonging to a close relative of Irish freedom fighter, Michael Collins during the Anglo-Irish war, the officer in charge Purcival was told there was an old woman inside dying and not to do it at that time. They left but said they would come back to do it after she had passed on and they kept their word! Later in the early 1940s, the same Imperialist, elevated to general, Purcival was forced to give the surrender of The British Imperialist forces in Singapore! This is a story from Nora Owens, ex Irish Minister for Justice and her sister ex MEP Mary Banotti, who were grandnieces of Mickey Collins!
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