As a USian having enjoyed university courses on WWII taught in the UK this nodeshell seems odd. Academic discussion of the topic is fairly logical, with the usual divisions about nuclear weapons and the value of intercepted intelligence.

Americans who have not been to the UK suspect they have some sort of innate repartee with Brits, which of course they quickly find to be bollocks (BBC for export != UK). Postwar Britain was the story of a developing welfare state and a shocked public who sought to ensure that such a situation would never happen again. Americans do not usually know why Churchill was voted out. The immediate postwar situation in the UK was acutely painful as rationing and economic dislocation were more severe after the end of hostilities (real and perceived). The Brits had brilliant minds like Sir John Maynard Keynes to thank that it was not worse.

Talking with Brits about World War II tends to expose how little they expect Americans to know about it. America is seen as a massive supply house, a reluctant and disunified patron, or a profiteering hegemonist. These views are far from unfounded and of course there are many (younger) Brits who are as blissfully unaware of what their grandparents were doing as there are Japanese, Americans, etc.

This has been a nodeshell rescue. Thank you for your attention and as always, your comments are welcome.

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