The swastika

[Flankerl]

They did it first, really. Guernica, Warsaw, Rotterdam, Belgrade, London.

Yes and no.

Guernica in contrast to WW2 bombing was rather light and a test run, but then again so did the British prior to WW2.
Warsaw was bombarded as any city that wouldn't capitulate was from all sides.
Rotterdam was most likely a screw-up between the different areas of the Wehrmacht.
Belgrade was all the way in 1941 after pretty much everyone bombed as they saw fit.
And London, yeah well the RAF started to bomb German cities in early-mid 1940 and as a matter of fact Germany did not retaliate. Then London was legitimately bombed by a few German bombers and it actually was by mistake. Then the RAF bombed Berlin in the usual pin point RAF-fashion and that kinda annoyed Hitler.

Its fun to see how it all evolved through the various stages of WW2.

 

[Father Heathen]

Let's dry our eyes, let the Hindus have their symbol back, and move on.

 

[Nietzsche]

Let's dry our eyes, let the Hindus have their symbol back, and move on.

Whoa, hold on there dear. It isn't theirs. The swastika is owned by humanity as a whole. The Hindus have no special claim to it.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Well, Facebook accepted the Hindu 'swastika' (orange color, dots between the arms and the ends of the arms going away a little). They know the difference.

@oldbadger, here is another Swastika with a Star of David during a recent special yearly bathing of the Shiva lingam (Abhishek) at a Hindu temple. The ritual invovled 1008 brass pitchers. In India, there is no conflict between Swastika and Star of David as well as Shias and Sunnis. All live happily together. India is a different proposition.

 

[jeager106]

The point is, since this is a major symbol in Hinduism, should Hindus hide or reject it now that the Nazis have hijacked it? Or should we display it with pride and educate people of its other meanings?

I would not display it with pride in the U.S.
Bad idea!
There are people world wide that believe that Nazi symbol is Satanic.
I know there are some who insist it isn't a Nazi symbol but it is so no need to respond that it isn't.
Were my father alive today and saw a Nazi flag displayed there would be violence.
WWII veteran don'cha'know.

 

[Madhuri]

I would not display it with pride in the U.S.
Bad idea!
There are people world wide that believe that Nazi symbol is Satanic.
I know there are some who insist it isn't a Nazi symbol but it is so no need to respond that it isn't.
Were my father alive today and saw a Nazi flag displayed there would be violence.
WWII veteran don'cha'know.

I wouldn't go displaying it in places where I know it would attract potential conflict. It's a religious symbol so would be used in religious contexts (including a religious forum).

 

[jeager106]

I wouldn't go displaying it in places where I know it would attract potential conflict. It's a religious symbol so would be used in religious contexts (including a religious forum).

Most people in the free world don't see it as a religious symbol.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Not our fault. We did not make it evil.

 

[Father Heathen]

Whoa, hold on there dear. It isn't theirs. The swastika is owned by humanity as a whole. The Hindus have no special claim to it.

But 卐® is a registered trademark of Hinduism, LLC.

 

[Father Heathen]

I would not display it with pride in the U.S.
Bad idea!
There are people world wide that believe that Nazi symbol is Satanic.
I know there are some who insist it isn't a Nazi symbol but it is so no need to respond that it isn't.
Were my father alive today and saw a Nazi flag displayed there would be violence.
WWII veteran don'cha'know.

A lot of backward bumpkins think that a lot of things are "Satanic", but there's no real reason for everyone else to bend over backwards just to accommodate their ignorance and stupidity.

 

[columbus]

The problem is just that you can't tell people what a symbol means to them. What a swastika means to a Hindu in Delhi and a survivor of the Nazis is just two opposite things.
So how it will be received in London will be different from Mumbai for a few more generations.
Tom

 

[Madhuri]

Most people in the free world don't see it as a religious symbol.

The 'free world' needs some education.

 

[jeager106]

A lot of backward bumpkins think that a lot of things are "Satanic", but there's no real reason for everyone else to bend over backwards just to accommodate their ignorance and stupidity.

The swastika is a symbol used by of one of the most hated men on Earth, a symbol that represents the slaughter of millions of people and one of the most destructive wars on Earth.
So are these people "backward bumpkins full of ignorance and stupidity"?
You insult a huge crowd of people.
I know the ancient history of the swastika as do many.
It's modern history that will remember that symbol as representing evil.
So please spare me the ancient history lessons.
Thank you very much for your consideration.

 

[columbus]

Most people in the free world don't see it as a religious symbol.

I see it as a form of cultural PTSD.
Thinking that it shouldn't create the response it does won't change the fact that it does.
Tom

 

[Aštra’el]

Whoa, hold on there dear. It isn't theirs. The swastika is owned by humanity as a whole. The Hindus have no special claim to it.

Whoa now, hold on there young Padawan. You seem to be excluding advanced extraterrestrial life forms from throughout the cosmos. Surely a symbol as basic as a circle, cross or swastika would not be used exclusively by humanity. Humans have no special claim to them.

I still got the Hindus' back in this though. People need to get over their sensitivities, and allow the swastika to evolve culturally back into the beautiful symbol its always been. Offended people should clear their minds, open their eyes, and cast away their judgemental thoughts.

 

[jeager106]

I see it as a form of cultural PTSD.
Thinking that it shouldn't create the response it does won't change the fact that it does.
Tom

@columbus
Accurate and spot on post.
Frankly displaying the swastika is a lot like calling a police officer a pig.
In the U.S. it's an insult.

 

[jeager106]

I'd bet flying the Nazi flag in France or England wouldn't go over too well either.
Russia? Poland? Most all of Europe also.
The Nazi party was pretty big in the U.S. at one time but WWII put that to rest.
Now the Neo Nazi's are nothing but a bunch of fat, white, ignorant, racists.
Feel free to quote me on that.

 

[Father Heathen]

The swastika is a symbol used by of one of the most hated men on Earth, a symbol that represents the slaughter of millions of people and one of the most destructive wars on Earth.
So are these people "backward bumpkins full of ignorance and stupidity"?
You insult a huge crowd of people.
I know the ancient history of the swastika as do many.
It's modern history that will remember that symbol as representing evil.
So please spare me the ancient history lessons.
Thank you very much for your consideration.

Notice that I was referring those who claim that random things are satanic.

 

[columbus]

I still got the Hindus' back in this though. People need to get over their sensitivities, and allow the swastika to evolve culturally back into the beautiful symbol its always been.

And Hindus need to get over caste and the sacredness of cows.
But I'm not holding my breath on that either.
Tom

 

[Kirran]

And Hindus need to get over caste and the sacredness of cows.
But I'm not holding my breath on that either.
Tom

I'm over caste. Many of us are, although a minority, admittedly. Indian Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists etc also need to get over caste.

As for the sacredness of cows, I am neither over that nor over the sacredness of all other life.