Q . . . & A

Ha, very good, you nailed that opening episode - putting humanity on trial indeed, tisk, tisk. I tended to see the united federation of planets as the United States, the Klingons as the Soviets and so on. And I think Roddenberry intended it that way. TNG? Although I am a fan & own nearly evey episode, it required me to actively ignore the more "liberal" overtones. At any rate, where am I to get this series? On the sci-fi channel, dvd? If it is as good as you say then its worth a gander to be sure.

****

To bring the triangulation to our recent phone conversations here - "When did Hitler lose the war, if he ever had the ability to win at all?", I will offer this ...

Apparently Titus & I gave the same answer - the Eastern Front. As soon as he goes into Russia (w/Stalingrad as the highlight obviously), he seals his fate. I will concede Jambo's point that as soon as you bring the US into the conflict Hitler also seals his fate. Now, we must first establish 2 things - 1.) That Hitler possessed the capacity to allow rationale and reason to dictate his war strategy (which he did not, quite obviously); and 2.) an agreed upon definition as to what "winning" looks like for Germany. Jambo proposed "Seize and maintain control of continental Europe", and I accept that definition.

So ... I will make my point brief - if Germany has the ability to allocate all of its' Barbarossa resources to continental Europe allowing him to take the UK before we enter, while NOT declaring war on the US at all (let alone 3 days after Pearl Harbor), being content to let us stay busy with Japan (assuming the racial and isolationist overtones in portions of the US holds that in place); and if Stalin stands still and watches Europe fall, then what you are left with is this: A US at war with Japan and having to decide whether we sue for peace with Germany or attempt to push them out of Europe. Bear in mind we now have no English Coast to launch D-Day. Jambo proposed that we would then cross the straight & make a deal with Stalin to do D-Day from the East. However, I would hasten to add that if Stalin is willing to maintain his pact with Hitler to the point of watching him dominate all of Europe then I tend to doubt he'd suddenly jump into bed with us & allow that front. Our only option as far as I can see at that point is a Southern to mid African landing, push North through Egypt, Lybia, Algeria & Morocco and then attempt our D-Day into either Southern Greece, Italy France, or Spain.

So to summarize, the 1-2 punch of invading Russia & declaring war on the US (rather than playing the "all we want is Europe" game as far as it would carry him) condemned his armies to a loss. Without those 2 events, in my opinion, he may well of taken all of Europe and compelled both the US to sue for peace, and Russia to maintain it ... a terrifying prospect.