Barely on topic but...
Apologies that this is only tangentially on topic but I think it has some relevence to the discussion about different views of people c/w governments.
When I was a child (in the 1960s) we took occasional foreign holidays, and one year we went to Germany; staying in private houses along the Mosel valley. In one such house the woman of the house ran the gasthoff while the man worked in a local factory and had a couple of rows of vines. Being proud of his wine, he was happy to share a bottle with my father, and then another bottle. Late in the evening I remember two old fools, well in their cups, reminiscing about their wartime service. These reminiscences were about lousy rations, idiot officers and happy comradeship - exactly the same as any time old soldiers meet. At the time I was surprised that two men who had been on opposing sides in a war which was still recent back then could enjoy each other's company like this (I was very young), but I now understand how powerful the common bond of shared experience can be. Two people meeting face to face are just that = two people.
This was one of the most important formative experiences of my childhood and I treasure it still.
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