Liverpool legend divides fans over his comments on Adolf Hitler and World War II
John Barnes
Former Liverpool player John Barnes has courted controversy after he commented World War II would not have taken place if Adolf Hitler had invaded African countries instead of European.
“If he took over black countries in Africa, the other non-white countries in Asia or South America, where the Allies didn’t have a vested interest, would WW2 have occurred?" tweeted Barnes.
"WW2 started because the Allies wanted to stop Germany becoming too powerful, nothing to do with right or wrong. Had Hitler left the European Jews alone and went to Ethiopia and committed the same atrocities to the black Falasha Jews, I doubt WW2 would have started," he added.
Read more:John Barnes: Liverpool on the verge of starting another great era of domination
When a netizen questioned why Barnes was negative regarding his world outlook, the former Reds player said it was 'realism' for him.
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'No anger whatsoever just realism and understanding how a particular group of people came to see themselves as superior to others because of the lies that have been fed to them, and look to justify their superiority through THEIR historical accounts of who is worthy or unworthy."
World War II took place between 1939 and 1945 where the allies and axis powers fought amongst themselves. It is reported that approximately 35 to 50 million people lost their lives during the entirety of the war.
Barnes and his Liverpool career
Barnes, a Liverpool legend joined the Merseyside club in 1987 and went on to win the First Division and FA Cup twice. During his 10-year stint with the Reds, he made 403 appearances and scored 106 goals, becoming one of the most cherished players for the club supporters.
In November last year, the club appointed him as the official ambassador.
“It’s a fantastic honour for me to be made an ambassador for this great club and all it stands for. Iloved representing LFC as a player and I’m relishing the prospect of wearing the beloved Liver bird crest on my chest once again – albeit on a suit this time around.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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