Posted on 01/13/2005 5:47:48 PM PST by veronica
So, Prince Harry, the nightmheir to the throne, has put his intellectually subnormal foot in it again. Prince William’s half-witted half-brother attended a fancy dress party held by Richard Meade, the triple Olympic gold medallist (1968 & 1972), and his fancy dress consisted of Rommel shirt with a bright red Nazi armband on the sleeve. Oh, and he had a fag on. A veritable tsunami of bad taste.
Harry has been drawing a lot of flack for this gaff. Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag, leader of spiritual leader of the Whitefield Hebrew Congregation in Manchester, described the photo of a swastika-adorned Prince as "a most unfortunate gift to neo-Nazis and Holocaust deniers." Michael Howard, leader of the Conservative Party (a fringe British political group), who is himself Jewish, said "I think a lot of people will be disappointed to see that photograph and it will cause a lot of offense."
So far, not a single voice has been raised in support of the plonker's actions. However, we at the London News Review are staunch fans of Harry and are ready and willing to mount a clumsy defence:
Our defence of Prince Harry
1. Prince Harry is sensationally stupid. Seriously, the lad is practically retarded, so it’s appropriate to cut him some slack. It’s a small miracle every time he finds his mouth with his cigarette, so the fact that he would put on a Nazi armband and not think – at any point – that this might possibly be a really really wrong thing to do, is perfectly understandable. Questions must be asked of the people around him: his friends, his carers, his bodyguards. Did no one think to mention to the dribbling moron that maybe the pretty red armband with the funny black squiggle in the middle was maybe best left in the limo? Would you blame a coma victim for wetting the bed? No. So don’t be too harsh on Harry.
2. The theme of the fancy dress party, thrown by famous horseman and friend of Prince Charles, Richarde Meade, was – believe it or not – ‘Colonials and Natives’. Oh lordy. Colonials and Natives? What the **** are these people on? What century are they living in? Colonials and Natives? It beggars belief. Why not ‘Imperialists and Nig Nogs’? Or would that have been bad taste? So anyway, a fair share of the blame for Harry’s outfit must surely go to the imbecilic Richarde Meade and his appalling choice of party theme.*
3. Where did Harry get the armband? Presumably he went for advice to his grandfather, who delightedly threw open his closet doors to reveal rack upon rack of Gestapo jackets stormtrooper boots. Or maybe Prince Philip simply slipped off his dressing gown to reveal his own swastika armband, which he rolled off and pressed lovingly into Harry’s upturned palm. “Now off you go, you young scamp, and have fun.”
4. No one seems to have wondered: perhaps Prince Harry didn’t realize it was a fancy dress party? It’s possible he just came on from a meeting, and didn’t have time to change. In which case it is heartening to see that he has developed an interest in politics. An early brush with fascism didn’t do Ricky Tomlinson any harm, so let’s go easy on Harry: he may well grow out of it, and soften in his politics towards Stalinism instead.
5. Most crucially: this was a fancy dress costume. In this context, the Nazi uniform has become a novelty, a bit of fun. This is surely a good thing. It is wrong to be scared of it: if we let the taboo linger, if we draw an amazed breath when we see Harry sporting the emblem of the Nazi party, then the swastika still has its power. So much better for us to think of it as a daft (yet undeniably stylish) outfit in a fancy dress shop, hanging alongside a wizard’s garb, a policeman’s uniform and a fairy costume. To treat the swastika in this way is not in any way to deny the seriousness and horror of the holocaust, but to remove the last vestiges of power from the Nazis. Little does Harry realize it, but his wearing of the swastika is an important political statement: it is the militant trivialization and belittling of Nazism. Mel Brooks should think about finding a bit part for him in the Producers. I bet he throws a wonderful salute.
¤
*Prince William went in a skin-tight leopard costume with tail and claws: a cleverly diplomatic outfit, although one has to ask what the heir to the throne was doing attending a party which had the theme 'Colonials and Natives'. Might it not have been more politically astute to have feigned a headache, stayed at home and watched a DVD of Zulu Dawn instead?
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Sheesh... I think he may be the best looking of the bunch and that's not saying much.
They have the Balkan and Maltese crosses, as well as the flag of the Teutonic Knights, if they're desperate for German symbols which speak to Germany but not Nazism.
I will look forward to the Confederate comparisons...3...2...1...
True, In the Victorian/Edwardian Era, there were things like swastika hat pins and other such jewelry that was sold as being a symbol for good like. Going back even further, the Indians from India and American Indians thought it was a symbol for good luck as well as the ancient Greeks. Many times though, the swastika's arms were turned 90 degrees left instead of right like the Nazis did (although there were plenty of right bent swastikas as good luck symbols too) and many Indian pundits thought the right turning swastika would doom the Germans in which they were correct..........Nowhere Man
And, while we are at it, a symbol in Buddism also. I remember a few years ago the Falan Dafa held a huge rally in New York over their persecution in China -- and unveiled a giant 50 foot swaskita as their banner. Lots of confused Jews sat around wondering why there were so many Chinese Nazis........... ChicagoHebrew
Before the Nazi era, swastikas were, indeed, merely an ancient good luck sign.
During World War One, when personal identifying symbols were routinely used as decorations by fighter pilots, both Allied and German fighter pilots decorated their aircraft with swastikas as good luck symbols.
Aces who used swastikas as their identifying symbols included Raoul Lufberry of the Laffayete Esquadrille and the Jewish German ace Fritz Beckhardt.
In one of the great ironies of history, the dust jacket of the book "Jüdische Flieger im Weltkrieg" ("Jewish Flyers in the World War"), a pre-World War II history of Jewish German aces in World War One, featured the swastika decorated aircraft of Fritz Beckhardt.
Beckhardt received the Iron Cross (First Class), the House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords, the Hessian Medal of Bravery and the Hessian Order of Ernst Ludwig. Fritz Beckhardt was so loyal to Germany that, after the German defeat, he refused to deliver his aircraft over to the Allies and, instead, flew it to Switzerland.
Such loyalty was never repaid during the Nazi era.
Jewish German World War One Ace Fritz Beckhardt in his swastika decorated Siemens Schuckert fighter.
I heard a rumor your wife is a slut and none of your kids are your own. Mind if I come over to your house and draw some blood out of the little brats for DNA testing? We have to put scurrilous rumors to bed, dontcha know.
Now, it does not really matter.
However, if Prince William were to abdicate his rights to the throne (as Edward VIII did) or if he met an unfortunate demise, it would be the responsibility of Parliament to ensure that the King of England was actually descended from the Royal line.
Interesting part of history there and I've read about many valiant German veterans who were Jewish did give it their all and more in World War I. I think in some ways, the Kaiser for all of his faults did have some forward thinking where basically he didn't care where you came from, who you were or how you worshipped God as long as you were loyal to Germany. I've seen an American plane with an Indian Chiefs head embossed on it with a small swastika on the headress.
As I noted in my post, the Iron Cross (Eisenkreuz) was the symbol of the German warrior since Napoleonic times. To this day, it is used on German military aircraft and armor.
The Swastika was co-opted by the Nazis for use as the political symbol of the National Socialist Party.
Iron Cross = German warrior symbol.
Swastika = Nazi political symbol.
After World War II, the German military men who now served in NATO forces and had won Iron Crosses during World War II had their Nazi era decorations recalled and re-issued after removing the swastikas from the Iron Crosses. The "de-Nazified" Iron Crosses were then worn on their NATO uniforms.
In regards to the Confederacy, the Confederate Battle Flag was the military symbol.
The political flag of the Confederacy was the Stars and Bars.
Ironically, in the Georgia State flag argument, the Confederate Battle Flag, the symbol of the Confederate fighting man, has been replaced by the near identical twin of the Stars and Bars, the political symbol of the Confederate Government, and the Confederate Battle Flag haters are now happy.
Go figure.
or this cross?
RE: the flag replacement in Ga, IT'S THE SAME CONFEDERACY. What a bunch of idiots, and what a great way to prove it's not about historic Confederate racism, but how today's liberal race-baiters can't rile up their rank-and-file with the Stars and Bars! I doubt sincerely the original post we're blabbing about had anything to do with Germany and everything to do with making a connection between this controversy and the Confederate flag. Whatever.
During World War One, Germany lionized its Jewish war heroes on equal footing with its Christian war heroes.
This included the award of the "Pour le Merite" (The Blue Max), Germany's equivalent to the Medal of Honor, and the featuring of Jewish war heroes on Sanke Cards that were the World War One German equivalent of American baseball cards.
Below are photos of Pour le Merite winner, Jewish German Ace, Wilhelm Frankl, wearing the Blue Max and featured on a Sanke Card entitled, "Our most successful flyer, Lieutenant Frankl."
Damn. Normally I'm asleep right now.
If I were talking to you on another site, you'd have 30 years of explitives coming at you.
Suffice it to say you are what you are.
or this cross?
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Well, actually, neither one.
"Eisenkreuz" refers to the curve-sided "Iron Cross".
"Balkenkreuz" refers to the straight sided "Balkan Cross".
Both styles were used in World War One and, in fact, J. Nowarra's history of the German World War One air service is entitled "Balkenkreuz und Eisenkreuz".
The change-over from the Eisenkreuz to the Balkenkreuz occurred as a result of an order from Idflieg (Inspektion der Fliegertruppen - "Inspectorate of Flying Troops") dated 17 March 1918 directing that the Eisenkreuz be replaced by the straight-sided Balkenkreuz.
I suspect that, from a distance, the curved Eisenkreuz could be confused with an Allied roundel insignia and Idflieg desired a more distinctive insignia.
This time period corresponded to the service period of the Fokker Dr. I and period photos demonstrate the hasty field changes from the factory painted Eisenkreuz to the sloppy field painted Balkenkreuz on Fokker Dr. I's.
Fokker Dr. I with factory painted Eisenkreuz
Fokker Dr. I with field painted Balkenkreuz. The "ghosts" of the Eisenkreuz are still visible.
Idflieg was not too specific about the dimensions of the new insignia so the early Balkenkreuz in the Spring of 1918 were "blocky" as the old Eisenkreuz were simply straightened out.
Later in 1918, the thinner type of Balkenkreuz was standardized as seen in these Fokker D. VII's. This style of cross was even more distinguishable from Allied roundels than the early "blocky" Balkenkreuz.
During World War Two, the distinctive World War Two style of Balkenkreuz was used.
After World War II, that Balkenkreuz was so associated with Nazi Germany that it was replaced by the World War One style Eisenkreuz. The modern day Eisenkreuz, however, differs from the World War One cross in that the white border does not extend to the ends of the arms of the cross. The World War One white border completely encircled the cross.
Harry looks enough like Charles in that photo.
How in the world do the brits stand having this half-wit cretins as symbols of British Royalty. They ought to be sent packing and forced to fend for themselves. It's like making carny barkers the social elite.
That article was bl@@dy hilarious. LOL.
Are you high?
Your statement is as silly as someone asking if anyone has 'ever thought of the brave Jihadis who strap bombs on their bodies and stream forth in search of innocent civilians to kill,' or claiming it is nothing more but 'the continuation of the proud way of life that stemmed from the days of the caliphates and sultans.'
That would be just as STUPID as the post you placed!
In the same way the Jihadis are nothing more than mere monsters deserving of a shrieking JDAM up their you know what, so are the NAZIs of yesteryear. There is nothing brave in what the Nazis did. There is no courage in sending millions of defenceless Jews to their deaths. And Mein Herr is totally different from Sig heil, and the swastika is not merely a symbol for a 'proud way of life that died out in 1945.'
You must be smoking something really potent. Or are you a troll. Either that or there is something really wrong with your head for you to call the end of WW2 in 1945 as the death of a proud way of life. There was no modicum of pride to be found in Nazism and their symbols.
I must be running slow tonight...I still had to check to see what the current Luftwaffe insignia was.
Have you seen Koln cathedral? Same thing...although the interior of the modernist lump is quite beautiful. They took all the shattered glass from the original's stained glass windows and put them into the walls of the modern one. You see this hideous lump from the outside, but the inside is a really interesting sort of nighttime stars feel, with colored lights coming from all sides.
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