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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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Posted on 01/17/2003 5:26:36 PM PST by wonders
One of Croatia's sporting heroes is being accused of Nazi sympathies, after he compared his own attitude before a ski race to that of a German soldier in World War II.
Ivica Kostelic's comments - which he made after winning a World Cup slalom race 10 days ago - are reported in a Croatian news magazine.
Kostelic compared Hitler favourably with Stalin While Mr Kostelic's spokesman says his words were taken out of context, the magazine's website also carries the recording of an earlier interview, in which the skier says Nazism was a healthy system.
Mr Kostelic, who is a hero in Croatia, on Sunday won his third consecutive World Cup slalom race.
Previously, after his second win 10 days ago, he gave a news conference in which he compared his pre-race attitude to that of a German soldier at the time Nazi Germany launched its invasion of the Soviet Union.
His comments have now been published in a Croatian magazine.
'Heat of the moment'
Mr Kostelic's spokesman says the young skier spoke in the heat of the moment but the magazine, Nacional, has now published on its website the recording of an interview he gave last year.
In it, Mr Kostelic says Nazism is a healthy system, better than Communism, because under the Nazis an individual could rise to the top on merit.
He also says Russian dictator Josef Stalin was worse than Adolf Hitler, because Stalin killed his subordinates at random, whereas Hitler only killed those who were after his own life.
Croatia was a Nazi puppet state during the Second World War, and Croatian nationalists have been equivocal about condemning the country's fascist past.
Many of Croatia's leading sportsmen - including former Wimbledon tennis champion Goran Ivanisevic are outspoken nationalists, but few have gone as far as Mr Kostelic.
One of the sponsors of Croatia's ski team is now demanding that Mr Kostelic either apologise or explain.
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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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It turns out he has a advertising contract with a Austrian company. They summoned him to their HQ and read him the riot act.
Another example of a neo-Ustasha making Croatia & Dalamtia a continuing embarassment....and another example of how foreigners rule Zagreb with a iron fist. In this scandel it will be some Austrian businessmen who ultimately determine the clown's fate.
Oh, so he majored in Comparative Genocide. How nice.
He sounds like he's now ready for 'The Master Race' . . .
Yep, ready like Hitler's soldier at Stalingrad
It wouldn't be hoplite, would it?
LOL
Under the influence of a movie he watched few days ago?! Gee, no more movies for him! And, why didn't he name that movie? Such powerful and intoxicating movies, capable of such long-lasting side-effects, need to carry a warning label: "Caution: if you are 3 years old and/or a Croatian athlete prone to nationalism, you may not watch this movie except in presence of your parents/guardians and then only with soundproof earplugs, lest you be quoted out of context as a Nazi sympathizer."
Yet the article says the statement was made in the "heat of a moment." Makes you wonder how many days was this guy "hot" after seeing this supposed movie. Sounds more like obsessed!
Then there is the issue of a metaphor. A good example of a methaphor is the expression "drowining in money." One could simply define a metaphor as a figure of speech.
Where is the metaphor in the statement "Nazism is a healthy system?" No wonder athletes can't hold a real job!
Our friends and allies...what can I say.
Aspen SL-1 Podium. 1st Ivica Kostelic, 2nd Giorgio Rocca, 3rd Mario Matt
This time the've joined a second "New European Civilzation" which will no doubt also send their sons into the worst bits of fighting.
No US General is his right mind would risk American's lives when he has some willing Croats ( or Romanians, or Maygars, or Bulgars, or Slovenes ) to first send into the fray to 'test' the waters.
It makes the world go round...and keeps all the tabloids in business.
Does bluester know this? You know he is currently serving his active training obligation...test target, ha? In all fairness, poor old bluester was actually against Slovenia joining NATO, but the ex-communist government of Slovenia thought it would make a significant contriubtion by offering its young males to Empire's disposal.
I have seen/read many diverse accounts of what went down over there.
I am going to credit a friend of mine who had "feet on the ground" first hand knowledge with my current opinion,FWIW.In his experienced opinion and in his own words "there were no good guys" over there, and we should have stayed the hell out of that mess.
Thank you, Bill Clinton, for showing just how low the bar can go, if we stop paying attention to the machinations of professional politicians, for any reason.
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