I saw this today and was quite surprised that is was still in use (until now). I understand the historical rationale but I do think this was an easy decision that should have been made some time ago.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53249645
Yeah you can find images and video of Finnish military parades from say, 4 or 5 years ago, featuring prominently displayed swastikas on unit banners, etc.
I am pretty sure the swastika predates Nazi Germany. They are the ones that screwed it up for all of us.
Yeah its 1000s of years old, originally from what is now India, IIRC.
Quote from: Gusington on July 03, 2020, 11:04:02 AM
Yeah its 1000s of years old, originally from what is now India, IIRC.
It was probably invented in several places independently.
In India the symbol is very present today as a symbol for prosperity and good luck. I have seen it painted on houses of newly wed couples in Rahjastan, in fresco's covering whole walls together with pictures of pots with gold. Aligned horizontally instead of diagonally.
Some Indians do get confused though. When I was there, there was a media-uproar about a café that was called Hitler's Cross, with the diagonal swastika, and the red white and black Nazi colours, and featuring a large portrait of Hitler. The owner claimed innocence, stating that it seemed like an interesting theme. There are quite a few Indians who think favourably about the Nazi's, as they weakened the British might, and those people generally don't bother too much to inform themselves about what happened in Europe at the time. This bar owner changed the name after Jewish representatives explained to him why they took offence.
^Yes I've heard stories like that.
In New York City there are more than a few buildings, built before the war, with swastikas as part of their architectural details...just as another example.
It's probably 10'000 years old actually. One of the oldest symbols. Destroyed by the Nazis.
India barely had anything to do with Germans during WWII...that and a lot of ignorance. They probably also have some romantic view of the Nazis who were fighting their own enemy...the british empire. So for the Indians, the Nazis were the good guys. Not sure if they are being taught what they did in the camps.
I am very surprised that Finlands has kept it that long...they really should know better. And the symbol isn't related to their culture.
We could start a whole new thread on how the Nazis are perceived in huge parts of Asia.
Quote from: Gusington on July 03, 2020, 02:28:52 PM
We could start a whole new thread on how the Nazis are perceived in huge parts of Asia.
Indeed. I guess however that it's mostly because of the same/similar reasons.
I get all the previous ancient historical references but my surprise is that a western nation that fought with and against the nazis and is a participant (but not a member) of NATO is using the swastika. That was unexpected.
I guess nobody noticed because the entire Finnish Air Force consists of only about 130 aircraft.
Canadian Icehockey Team
(https://historiek.net/wp-content/uploads-phistor1/2015/04/dbT040j.jpg)
(https://historiek.net/wp-content/uploads-phistor1/2015/04/Afb-wired.jpg)
Softball Washington
(https://historiek.net/wp-content/uploads-phistor1/2015/04/swastika9-1925-softbal-265x318.jpg)
Rowing club in Groningen 1924
(https://historiek.net/wp-content/uploads-phistor1/2015/04/swastika-hunzehunze_vlag_1917-2.jpg)
In the 1930's all these sportsclubs changed their logo's.
Stop letting white supremacists get away with cultural appropriation!
It's crazy because if you were around pre-WWII, the Swastika was just an ubiquitous symbol. It'd be like if a political party used a happy face as their symbol, and they went on to commit mass atrocities later, and the happy face was then forever known as a racist symbol.
Quote from: al_infierno on July 03, 2020, 06:54:10 PM
It's crazy because if you were around pre-WWII, the Swastika was just an ubiquitous symbol. It'd be like if a political party used a happy face as their symbol, and they went on to commit mass atrocities later, and the happy face was then forever known as a racist symbol.
Can we have some hate group do that with Emoji's....all of them????
Please????
:2funny:
You know, that was a really interesting point about India that I had never considered.
As reprehensible as the Nazis were, if you're being oppressed by Britain and Germany comes along and kicks Britain's ass, I guess I can see how one might view the Nazis favorably.
I'm certainly not condoning it...but I can see where one could adopt that attitude. Kind of a lesser of two evils thing.
I learned something today. O0
There's an extra level to at least some of those western swastika uses in the 20s and 30s though: the American government at the time thought socialism, in the fascist mode and otherwise, was pretty great -- FDR was on record being an open fan of Mussolini and Hitler, and even of Stalin, and the Nazi party was propagandizing hard to get America and Canada on board with supporting their renaissance of Germany out of the pit of destruction. Stalin's Communist International was doing the same thing, though naturally they were (mostly) competing against alternate versions of socialism (where someone other than Stalin would control all property and means of production. ;) And vice versa of course.)