shawny

[quote] Most of the soldiers had not participated in the crimes, but neither did they protest or complain to their superiors. None of these All American Boys are likely to have been under threat of immediate shooting by their superiors, nor did they have family at home who would be thrown into concentration camps if they refused to obey.  It's just the way of Man......[/quote] I think it may be futile to judge both events against each other, suffice to say the threats to the German soldiers in World War 2 to obey such vile things, were probably far different to the Americans in Vietnam. In your post you mention most American soldiers not participating.  In the case of Oradour, I do not think that to be the case, if so, perhaps we would have records to tell us that most German soldiers never took part in the atrocity. I do believe that the two cases and indeed the wars themselves, were quite different.  

I don't want to get in to a dispute here but have you ever been in the position of shooting innocents ?  Of course the answer I would think is "No" As for no gun being put to their heads, I think we know that is most probably the case, even if not literally. I believe it is hard to know what anyone would do, when the penalty of refusal to act as ordered, is a shot in the head yourself, or death by some means. Now add on that you have a dearly beloved parents, maybe even wonderful Grandparents and a few children of your own at home in Germany, waiting for your return ? As none of us have probably ever been in this same position, I guess we can all say we would rather be shot than do this and when the reality of the moment comes along, what would we really do ? Truth is, we can stamp our feet and deny we would never, ever, do such a barabarous act and I would hazard a guess that some time back, many of those same men who committed those evil deeds, might well have said the same thing. Wars are detestable times and terrible atrocities happen, whether we would be brave enough to be killed for our principles, knowing our children, our Wives and our Grandparents will not be seen again, well that is probably the hardest question to answer, that one may ever be asked.

You state, according to many historians.....I have read a few books over many years and I don't want to harp on about this but sorry, I really think that the best that anyone can say about why this atrocity happened is : On that day they killed a total of 642 men, women and children without giving any reasons for their actions and to this day there is no universally accepted explanation for the massacre.   Author Michael Williams http://www.oradour.info/index.htm As for this sort of thing never happening again....sadly, it has happened since and many times over.

As in cooking, or simply flattening them ?

[quote user="Cathy"]   One of the ironies was that the SS battalion sealed off the wrong village.  The place where a German officer was bing held hostage by the Resistance (the reason for the Germans' action) was in fact Oradour-sur-Vayres.     [/quote] That depends on whose account you read and whose theory on this massacre you wish to believe.

On the other hand, how brilliant for the Sherpas, without him being known universally as Sherpa Tenzing, who would know who the Sherpas actually were. I bet his fellow Sherpas have been more than happy over the years to share the mans name [:)]

In  truth, you could put where you like but you can just put where you are at the time of writing, as most people tend to do. It is an outdated part, just like the French banking system itself really. As for the possibility of rejecting a cheque and that you may have actually been somewhere else, oh please..........[8-)] As for that cashier, it was a totally worthless answer.

I am sorry but imagine going to, shall we say The Lake district and finding that it is run by Foreigners whose command of the language is bad, so bad, they cannot get you an ambulance, or manage the number or even worse, not know the right number to call when  their language is not up to scratch. Come on and sorry to repeat it, if you run a business in any country, dealing with people who are from that country, it is surely important enough to be able to speak the language, at least  sufficiently enough to be able to do something as simple as calling a Doctor or the Samu. Sorry again but I cannot go on the remise that if I was in the UK, I or other Brits would freeze an dnot know the words or understand what was being said, when calling a Doctor or Hospital. [quote]It can happen to anyone, and I don't think it's reasonable to imply someone can't run a business because of it, though if I'm ever intending to stay at Quillans I might wear my 118 sweatshirt.[;-)] [/quote] [:D] [:D] Sure one can run several styles of business if one does not have the contact this person would be getting but contact face to face is different, I think you would agree. Again, you state that these people you mention, were NOT in business, surely a totally and compeletely different affair. Anyway, I think it now fair to say, that either the lessons are not working or there is a need to double them up (it is winter, so perhaps, slow down ?) so this kind of happening,  remains just a one off nightmare scenario.

[quote] If the student had not been passing by I would have phoned 117.[/quote] Sorry but a  fat lot of good that would have been. You have nothing to panic about now and you have offered the wrong number. Tresco, were they in business in France though, the people you spoke of were simply in a shop and that can happen, yes.  That surely is the difference but if one runs a business in France and therefore deals with the French, as I am sure this person does, then surely it is reasonable to expect  the patron to speak French sufficiently enough to handle anything that may arise ?

Sorry but I read that as one of "what are you doing running a place in France and not being able to do the simplest thing, like ringing a Doctor/Samu Pompiers when required " ? I have no idea how long you have been running your business in France, it would seem at least 3 years, less/more ? Surely, you must speak sufficient French to be able to call someone and comprehend what they are saying ? Imagine if the student(s) had not been there, the Woman may have possibly died ! In your case, I really would be more worried about my French, than getting names. Finding a name in this case would have been very simple. She would have had some ID, including a passport to let people know who she was. I believe you should take this incident as a warning, you are in France, you take French guests, you take their money, you have been lucky, now take lessons and quickly. I took the liberty of reading a few more posts, where you talk of speaking with French people, I don't wish to appear rude but is that possible or did they speak English ?

I think I now have the information about one of the items in the concrete barrels. It is and I expect some suspected the same. It is none other than , The Fallen Madonna with the Big Boobies by Van Klomp Should Colonel Von Strohm be told ?

I hope you enjoyed the wine, I really do and I hope they are exactly as you have described.. Now sit down. I cannot be sure what you would get but look at this. It says they are selling at........ No, you have look yourself, hope you saved some, it may well pay for the whole Chateau to be done up and a nce holiday !! http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Chateau+Petrus+Pomerol/1923/-/USD/A/-/0 Can't get it to work, so cut and paste. Gastines obviously knows the price [:D]

If you believe that is all you need to do, then you have not asked the required authorties because that is nothing like you would be required to do, to be called a farmer. It's alright, I know you were just putting up a fanciful proposition, if only it were that simple. Yes there are some weird and fanciful ideas being bandied about but has anyone actually seen one that has become a solution and the person actually getting by with it ?