Unless he was a really good friend of yours, it would be easy enough for you to just delete his number, stay out of it and tell your friend you're not getting involved anymore. Don't skirt around the issue! Just get out of the middle and stay out, it's safer :).
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.