Expressions of Discontent

The saga that began with the Sun's lambasting Prince Harry for wearing a German army uniform, complete with swastika armband, to a fancy dress party (discussed below) continues unabated, sadly, and now German politicians are getting in on the act, saying that Nazi symbols should be banned throughout Europe (reports from The Guardian, CNN, BBC). The ban within their borders which includes an outright ban on the buying and selling of Nazi memorabilia is their way of dealing with an uncomfortable part of their history. Let them keep that ban to themselves, though. It has nothing to do with the rest of us, and we should not take part in it. By singling out Nazi symbols for a ban, when so many other potent symbols of death are freely shown (the Hammer and Sickle, for instance, is the symbol of a regime that killed more people than the Nazis did), just gives false glamour to Nazi symbols. I agree, by the way, that the British have a rather unhealthy fascination with WWII, but it is hard to see how a ban on the trade in and public display of Nazi insignia can have the effect of diminishing that.


Hammer & Sickle, Aeroflot Version — Sanitizing Stalinism?

I think it is a problem for us in the West that we get all excited about the Nazi genocide while being perfectly cool about other genocides and maniacal tyrannies. A poster depicting Hitler would probably be taboo, but one portraying Chairman Mao is amusing. That's wrong. It is probably is a race-memory of WWII propaganda, rather than an objective consideration of the harm done by each, that makes us see one as a demon in human form, and the other as just a fat, foreign, bald bloke. We need a broader perspective.



The Khmer Rouge flag — surely a colourful addition to any decorative scheme? (flagspot.net)