Stupidity on parade
Here is a story of a woman in Australia who flew a Nazi flag at her house and was surprised to discover that her neighbors didn't approve of her new yard decoration. Actual quote from the article:
Won't remove it because her four-month-old daughter likes the colors?
Argh!
I realize that, before the Nazis appropriated it as their symbol in the early 1920's, the swastika was an ancient religious symbol used by Hindus and Buddhists, and was regarded in several cultures as a symbol of good luck. However, since World War II, it has been virtually solely the symbol of the Nazi regime. Even today, it is used primarily by neo-Nazi groups as their symbol and almost never used to symbolize anything else except fascism of the Nazi variety. I find it utterly amazing that anyone alive today could be "unaware" of its history and meaning, particulary since she was clearly flying the very same flag that the Nazis flew, with a black swastika emblazoned on a white circle on a red flag!
Ms. Duncombe had told the Daily Telegraph she did not know what the flag signified until the controversy erupted, but would not remove it because her four-month-old daughter liked its bright colours.Didn't know what the flag signified?
Won't remove it because her four-month-old daughter likes the colors?
Argh!
I realize that, before the Nazis appropriated it as their symbol in the early 1920's, the swastika was an ancient religious symbol used by Hindus and Buddhists, and was regarded in several cultures as a symbol of good luck. However, since World War II, it has been virtually solely the symbol of the Nazi regime. Even today, it is used primarily by neo-Nazi groups as their symbol and almost never used to symbolize anything else except fascism of the Nazi variety. I find it utterly amazing that anyone alive today could be "unaware" of its history and meaning, particulary since she was clearly flying the very same flag that the Nazis flew, with a black swastika emblazoned on a white circle on a red flag!
It's surprising how ignorant some people are. I mean WWII only ended 60 years ago. That's not a very long time by any measure. It just goes to show that education is inadequate every where.
ReplyDeleteI believe the Hind swastika had the arms facing the other way. The A greeks called it the tetragammon.
ReplyDeleteThere's a town in northern Ontario called Swastika near Kirkland Lake. They had the name before the Nazis had the symbol. The town was named for the local mine which in turn was owned by the British Mitford Family. One of their daughters, Unity, was supposedly conceived there. She later became such an ardent adherent to Hitler that she tried to kill herself when Britain declared war. Supposedly she suggested the Swastika as a symbol for the Nazis, but this is an urban legend - the German far right had been using the Swastika as a symbol for years before that.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting issue.
ReplyDeleteYou are quite right that before the Nazi abomination, the swastika was a religious symbol of great importance to the Hindus and Buddhists, signifying a beautiful equilibrium and balance present in all life on earth.
It is a tremendous irony that the word "swastika" is Sanskrit in origin; etymologically it is derived from the roots "Su" (good) and "Asati" (to exist). The amalgamation "Swasti-ka" actually means, if you will not let this supreme irony reduce you to madness, "may goodness always prevail".
In the hierarchy of outrage that we feel towards those who display or use that symbol today, so soon after that unmatched hell that were the Nazis, I reserve the least opprobium toward Buddhists and Hindus who do so for religious/spiritual reasons. It is in fact somewhat callous to do so: this was theirs for thousands and thousands of years (their civilization is very old), they had completely no truck with the nazi demons, and in fact fought for the British, their own oppressors, on the direction Gandhi. Had the nazis appropriated the cross for themselves, I would similarly not hold it against Christians who refused to let evil misappropriate something that represented goodness.
Next on the hierarchy are folks who use the nazi swastika, but apparently out of ignorance. In this category will be included this fool australian; a more famous example would be the impossibly naive Prince Harry of the British House of Windsor. These people, more than anything, deserve enormous pity: ignorance like that, while unfortunately not hard to come by these days, is completely unenviable.
The last category of folks who might use the swastika today are the ones who are actually despicable, frightening, and horrible, if they are not completely insane: the people who wear or use the symbol knowingly and to honor evil. These are the folks who should worry us, for they have no - completely no - moral fiber.
I do have to point out, however, that it wasn't just any Swastika this lady was displaying. It was a Nazi flag, complete with black Swastika on a white circle on a blood-red flag. That is nothing other than the symbol of the Nazi regime.
ReplyDelete