petergordeev (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

You implemented the word "you" meaning that "we" erected the wall to "stop the fleeing ones". But again I must repeat that "we" suffered from all those blockades much more than the western ppl. You think many russians loved Stalin?! Talking about Gorbachev it's necessary to mention that thanks to him (and to all russians he represented as a leader) Germany was united and the damn wall was broken (without any reparations from the german side). In spite of the post-war feelings (>25 millions dead)

rva1945 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

There's no reason to justify turning millions of innocent lives into detainees of a system just because they were living there when the WWII ended and the Red Army was occupying the zone. Children that weren't even born in 1945 were already starving "thanks to the blockade" in 1948. You had to erect the wall in order to stop the fleeing ones, not many wanted to live under Stalin dictatorship. Years later, we had to wait for Gorbachov to know the truth.

hangarrat101 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

It was the russians that started the whole blockade in the first place. I don'tthink they'd particularly care.

petergordeev (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Actually that was the Soviet Union - Russia which reconstructed the Eastern Germany even in spite of the after war misery in its own cities... and even in spite of more than 25 millions of soviet people killed and tortured by the germans. At the same time I haven't heard of the americans reconstructing Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We, russians, suffered from communism much more than the western ppl but as a nation we never left the miserable

jrwel14 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

In world war 2, only the western allies would have done this. Germany, Japan and Russia would not have.

princesssparklepony2 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

To jfm487:That's a pathetic sentiment--an insult to Germany as our ally, to the US servicemen who served in WW2 (like my dad) or who fought communism everywhere from Korea to Vietnam. Just to give you the privilege to spout your asinine opinions on the internet. They fought in a war. What'd you do bozo? Sit at home and cry "Oh I don't like that press statement so I'll just wish the communists had taken over Europe." And you dare invoke their memory to support your idiotic statements? Pathetic.

jfm487 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

After he shabby treatment by the German press and politicians after 911 and the USA's war on Islamic terrorism (especially by Schroeder)and their making the USA the "bad guys" in every way possible I wish the USA had left western Germany in 1945and le the Soviets take over that miserable ounctry. To bad so many fne Americanand British airmen had to die tring to feed the former Nazi scum of Berlin in their brats.

davebianca6707 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

my father was part of the airlift and im very proud of him.rip Dad.

dslamo (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Fair comment, well put mate :)

Avantime (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

It must be a nightmare to load and unload a flying boat with cargo