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Comment by vacri | Hacker News Reader

> I think there should be a distinction between a country that kills and tortures millions and one that does not.

There isn't a major economy in the world that this does not describe. Perhaps not India. The "Race for Africa" was a low point for the UK and France, for example.

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Of course India (or its historical antecedents) have killed millions, though it's been primarily other folks on the subcontinent. I agree with your point otherwise.

Please list one instance when the modern Greek state did as described.

Greek invasion of Turkey in 1919 was pretty ugly although the scale was different.

Please list one resource which describes the modern Greek state as a 'major economy'.

They can still claim some moral high ground in that, were they to go bankrupt today, colonialism was not directly the cause. That's not the case with Germany in the 40s/50s.

The debt forgiveness of Germany post-WWII shouldn't just be seen as altruism. The Soviet Bear was seen as a major threat by the Allies, and having a healthy buffer state was a significant factor in making policy around West German finances.

If Greece was a buffer state against some monstrously powerful ideological opponent, you can bet that we'd be seeing considerably different politicking going on.

I wouldn't see it as altruism either, but I think you discount the fact that the Allies did not want a third war with Germany. There were factions within the American government that wanted to turn Germany into a deindustrialized field, but instead they built Germany up into a strong ally. It was more than to just counter the Soviets: They removed the German threat for good.

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