You mentioned the two evils of Communism and Nazism but forgot to mention the third, the Allied Powers. The British and Americans were war criminals just like the Nazis and Communists were. The only difference was that since they won the war they were never tried for their crimes.

Peter - guess you grew up free. Your parents - guessing again - did not have the choice. The worst of humanity is shown durin war; so is the best. the fact taht the yanks and the lies never had Gulags, concentration camps among their admitted war crimes should be enough to make you wake up. Criticize evil, not the response to evil. Or you and yours just might end up being conscripted against your will figthing on the AXIS side!!!!

Think before you react, enjoy the freedom given to you by those that knew the difference between totalitarian desires and the fight for individual liberty.

I think Peter has a point. Categorizing nations as either good or evil is too simplistic JMHO. And it's true that the categorizing is done by the winners.

I just wanted to add that to say the US gave Eastern Europe to the Soviet Union is unfair. Was it really theirs to give?

Just to clarify, if I had to choose between the USSR and the US there's no question I choose the US. However the US has also done plenty of things to be ashamed of and I think that needs to be said. For example the second Atom bomb dropped on Japan could be considered a war crime. It may be reasonable to argue that the use of the atom bomb was neccessary but one was surely enough. I have yet to hear a convincing argument that the second bomb was neccessary.

To Peter Paul & Mary.

Glad you noticed. My name's not really Mary but I just couldn't resist.

You say you would choose the US over the Soviets but they were one and the same during the war. Most of the weapons used by the Soviet Union came from the States. If it was not for the lend lease program then the Soviets would have lost the war in 1942 and there may have been a negotiated peace since many of the officers on both sides saw that the continuation of hostilities was madness. If the Germans would have gotten rid of Hitler and the British dumped Churchill millions of lives would have been saved. The Allies to this day have covered up all evidence of dissatisfaction with Churchill's policy of total war by British officers and aristocrats. All of the documents relating to the Hess affair have been sealed and the British government refuses to release them.
I am not defending Hitler but he has been demonized by the British for trying to compete with them. It was the British Empire that devoured half of the planet, killing everyone who stood in their way.
It was the Soviet Union who took over Estonia and unleashed a campain of mass killings and deportations. We should all be proud of our ancestors who fought in the German army even though it is still not politically correct.