I need to read Slaughterhouse Five again...

Times Online has recently published this article from Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s private journal about his time in Dresden, the city of the famous bombing. That act, of course, forms into one of the centerpieces of Slaughterhouse 5.

And it positively drips with the humanism that makes him one of my heroes.

The facile reply to great groans such as mine is the most hateful of all clichés, “fortunes of war”, and another: “They asked for it. All they understand is force.”

Who asked for it? The only thing who understands is force? Believe me, it is not easy to rationalise the stamping out of vineyards where the grapes of wrath are stored when gathering up babies in bushel baskets or helping a man dig where he thinks his wife may be buried.

The article is worth a read and if you feel like being incensed, check out some of the comments.

My guess is they somehow felt at one point that the saturation bombing of Dresden was justified and when they realize - or rather don't realize but see a faint glimpse of - the tremendous tragedy of the whole thing, they lash out at the person who makes them feel bad for justifying such a horrible act.

Also, I do believe one of the people in the comments thinks Vonnegut is still alive.