WE have a new generation in this country. The generation I belonged to, I am glad it is passing. We were educated in a myth that is so sickening that one hopes that such brainwashing never repeats itself in the future.

My generation passed on that myth. Now in the age of the internet coupled with Guyana’s very young population, the falsification of history as to which country defeated Nazi Germany in 1945 will no doubt come to an end.

We in the post 1945 generation in the newly independent countries have been immensely (emphasis on that adverb) saturated with the almost invincible Western propaganda that Nazi Germany and its totalitarian narcissist, Adolf Hitler were defeated by the Western Allies. This is a distortion of history on a colossal scale.

Yesterday, (Friday) marked the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War 2. In that war, Russia (then known as the Union of Soviet Republics (USSR), lost 27 million of its citizens (soldiers and civilians), the largest by any European country. This is compared to 416, 800 of Americans in Europe; 456, 000 British citizens; eight million Germans. Just look at that comparison and from 1945, every human should be carrying in their bosom some sympathy for the Russian people.

Unfortunately, in Guyana this weekend, the Russian Embassy will not put on any event so Guyanese can know the facts and the truths of World War 2. The fact is, the truth is, the USSR was the decisive factor in defeating Germany. It is a tragic blow to humankind that the world has grown up since 1945 and does not know about that fact, that truth.

And why they don’t know it? Because the European empires that colonised the Third World pushed that falsification of history down our throats. Our former colonial dictators from Europe told us that they and the Americans liberated the world from Nazi Germany.

The Russians of course had no way of countering that terrible, horrible and ugly myth because they were not welcomed in the Third World and when Third World governments tried to facilitate a Russian presence in the Third World, they were overthrown.

Our own country, Guyana, remains one of the most immoral imperialist interventions to remove the Jagan Government that wanted to establish friendly relations with Russia. Other examples were President Arbenz in Guatemala, President Sukarno in Indonesia, Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba in the Conga, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, just to name a few.

When the Americans replaced the European hegemony in the post-colonial world, the former colonies were treated to the power of Hollywood. Not dozens but hundred of war movies came out with the relentless propagandistic motif of how the war was won and how the war was won never portrayed the essential role of the Russians in defeating Nazi Germany.

A country that defeated Germany in the Second World War has been demonised since the end of the war by the West. It is indeed one of history’s greatest injustices.

Today, historic ironies have become unbearable. The Russians are seen as an evil country by the West and Germany occupies a central position in Western affairs since 1945. Germany and the United States have enjoyed a phenomenal friendship since 1945 while Russia has been ostracised by the West. One desperately hopes the Trump presidency ends this immoral encirclement of Russia.

But there is another irony that is impossible to believe since the war ended 80 years ago. Japan invaded China and brutalised and killed millions of Chinese.

The Americans fought the Japanese and took the decision that it was a waste of time to keep on fighting, so they threw two atom bombs on Japan. Can anyone believe that two of the closest allies in world politics are Japan and the US and Japan treats China as an enemy that is to be defeated?

Examine the history of the world and you will not find two uglier and despicable ironies – American and German unbreakable bond and Japanese and American genetically linked friendship. Both of these impossible intimacies revolve around the common enemy of Russia. But much to his credit, President Trump is not averse to bringing in Russia from the cold.

The story of the world’s ingratitude to Russia is playing out with brutal hypocrisy in Europe right now. Guess who is leading the fight – Germany. Europe wants Ukraine to defeat one of the world’s glorious nations – Russia. And why? Simply because Europe doesn’t like Russia. But even if you don’t like Russia, why choose Ukraine over Russia? I mean, why Ukraine that has a former comedian for a president?

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.