Whats with the skulls and the German worship?

[titsonritz]

This was my dentist growing up.

 

[Doomtown]

I'll never forget going to a biker party in Colorado when I was a kid, it was a 1%er clubhouse, and behind the bar were two flags, the American flag and a Swastika flag. I was too young to know anything at the time but the imagery stood out to me. Some time later we covered Nazi Germany in class and WW2 and I was perplexed why those bikers would have both flags on the wall next to each other. A very strange feature I've observed in the culture is the duality of American Patriotism and adoration of (if not adherence to) Nazi ideals.

To speculate a little bit, I don't think it's so much a fantasy of the Holocaust, but more so an adoration for the power behind a national brand. It works for most fascist countries. I think many of these Neo-Nazi fanboys deep down perceive a problem and think Hitler had the right idea. You have a political leader, an underdog, who defines all of the issues of the nation including and up to the government itself and the open media, calling for reform from the top with a plan on how to fix everything (spoiler, everything is someone else's fault) and you pepper in marketing that involves some level of unified posturing. Read between the lines, sound familiar? You weaponize the media, you make enemies out of those who aren't nation-born, you make enemies out of those who appose you, you end diplomacy, and convince people that this along with boosting industry and self-dependence is the way the nation will be reborn. It's a tasty treat. I don't find it coincidental that much of the Neo-Nazi hate crime we see in our country is targeted toward foreigners and homosexuals. Much of the hate for blacks is reserved for the clan. At heart, they're just confused people who consider themselves patriots who rationalize their actions with the Nazi agenda and see sentiment in the brand. Just my 2C, and for what it's worth if you don't like it, that's the amazing thing about our country - we can agree to disagree and having different political beliefs doesn't have to be a war of words.

EDIT: removed relating Germans liking Hitler to Pro-Trump Americans. Didn't articulate the point correctly, I don't think they are one and the same. Rather, I think the branding is what I find similar.

There are a bunch of articles that are pretty interesting reads (if you can get past some of the liberal bias) that discusses the punisher skull and it's prevalence with the alt-right.

 

[Siglvr]

I not only don't understand it, I have an even deeper wonder at people who put a swastika tattoo on a visible body part.



For myself, I have a couple of Heer Daggers I prize. They've got Swastikas and the eagle on them and are part of history and are appreciating works of art which I won't soon part with. I've stood in Hitlers bunker (Rocky Nest) that the US blew sky high. I've also worked side by side with both ex-SS Colonels and forearm tattooed holocaust survivors, they all tend to be good folks, and nothing like the folks getting tattoos on their foreheads or necks in prison.

Dagger



Similar but different. The first one of these I saw in a shop window in West German had gold filligree wire in the handle grooves. I was all but broke at the time and could only drool. Turns out German Army Officers would customize them. Although I appreciate and respect folks who refuse to collect such things, I'm not of that mind. I can see someone not liking my collecting it. Regardless, if I see one with gold wires, I'm likely a buyer.



Titsonritz, we had the same dentist!

 

[wewaits]

As a veteran I don't think the flags of our defeated enemies deserve a place in our country. I once knew a guy who displayed both the confederate flag and the swastika on his wall but had an issue with people flying the Mexican flag, we have fought and defeated all three flags at issue but he couldn't see the lack of equanimity. I really don't have an issue calling people out when they support an enemy of the states by flying a flag based on the hatred of another race, if you fly nazi flags expect to be confronted, that's the whole reason they have them, for attention. The punisher logo is another one I don't really understand, it is a symbol from a comic book about a vigilante that thinks vigilantes are far from a good role model but people still put the emblem on their guns, go ahead and try explaining that to a jury when you've used it for self defense. People want to belong to a group and if they can't put a veteran sticker on their window they may as well pretend to be hardcore operators.

 

[tac]

...and the British Army......................

 

[Spitpatch]

This was my dentist growing up.

View attachment 698695

Is it safe?

 

[Doomtown]

@wewaits I was at the range a year or so ago and the guy on the lane next to me was running a tacticool AR platform complete with IR laser and all the trinkets. His groupings were abysmal, definitely a new shooter who had no business having a couple grand in 3rd party parts on his rail. Anyways, we left about the same time and he walked up to a jacked up Jeep Wrangler with an Orygunian sticker and a Punisher sticker on the back window . To each their own I guess, but if you're going to do it at least shoot well.

 

[titsonritz]

His groupings were abysmal, definitely a new shooter who had no business having a couple grand in 3rd party parts on his rail.

Says who? His cash, his choice. This is still America isn't it?

 

[Doomtown]

Says who? His cash, his choice. This is still America isn't it?

Says my opinion. Last I checked that's covered in America too pal.

 

[wewaits]

Says who? His cash, his choice. This is still America isn't it?

It is still America which grants one the right to say whatever they want about someone who puts a bunch of expensive crap on a rifle he can't shoot. Rights go both ways.

 

[Spitpatch]

"If the Nazis were really so tough, how come they ended up so completely, thoroughly crushed at the end of the war."

Losers of war (and those crushed by it) are quite often the "tougher" of the opponents.

Example: The Northern Plains tribes, recognized widely (then and now) as fielding "The finest light cavalry in the world."

Numerous other examples abound. Losing a war can occur (and usually does) due to factors that have very little to do with "toughness".

 

[Siglvr]

Well, since tacticool jeep dude was at the range throwing lead here and there he was trying to get his groups better at least

 

[titsonritz]

Says my opinion. Last I checked that's covered in America too pal.

You're entitled to it and opinions are like....

 

[Doomtown]

Well, since dude was at the range he was trying to get his groups better at least

I agree completely. Really, just giving the guy a hard time. I've got buddies who do the same and I'll rag on them in good spirit. Some others around here take it a bit too seriously it seems.

 

[Doomtown]

Well, since tacticool jeep dude was at the range throwing lead here and there he was trying to get his groups better at least

To expand on this just a bit. I'm not an amazing shooter, I know it, I need more work - especially outside beyond the short indoor ranges. One thing I noticed about his setup though, just from briefly seeing it when I was sweeping some casings, was that he was running a flip up rear sight, magnifier, red dot, and fixed front iron. He was staring down the tube measuring up every shot and he was all over the place. My first instinct was he put the stuff on the rifle and never zeroed it. Heck he probably had the red dot blasted so high he could barely see the target.

I'll add, I also believe a shooter will eventually learn and adapt to what they have. I'm not normally one to say people can't or shouldn't modify early on, it is in fact their right to do so. I just think sometimes you can go so hard on it that it becomes a major detriment to skills development. EDIT: which is why I still run mill-spec triggers. Until I'm good enough with that I'm not upgrading.

 

[SavageGerbil]

I'm seriously curious. I get these stupid ads now for apparel and junk because of buying firearm related stuff from various vendors. What't with all the skull and German military symbology? Patriot this... Warrior that..Reaper this...Operator that... Yes, all must be accompanied by stupid skull and bones. Same for German crap. Waffen this... Axis that... Panzer this.... Being from Eastern Europe I'm often actually glad a horde of peasants armed with barely serviceable rifles took a giant collective crap all over The Waffen... Seriously, study WW2 history enough and Germany military becomes a lesson on what not to do. So what's with the worship?

The Nazis had many problems, but local PR and advertising weren't one of them. I tend to bubblegum in the opposite direction...why did the Nazis have to taint all the cool stuff. Skulls, lightning bolts, runes of all variety. They picked stuff for appeal and cool factor, and that's the reason they're still prevalent today.

This is looking at it from a general position. The nimrods that actually have love for the Nazis really aren't worth mention. They're morons. I'm always dumbstruck when someone rants patriotism, then throws the solute from an army that we mobilized nationally to defeat.

 

[shibbershabber]

@Doomtown

Theres nothing wrong with nationalism, national unity, industrial revitalization, etc.

There were a lot of good things going on back then.


The problem was that it was all built on racial superiority, imperial conquest, anti-semitism, eugenics, suppression of civil liberties, etc.


Which of course are the key differences between Nazism and America First/MAGA

Differences that are intentionally overlooked for purely political purposes

 

[ma96782]

There are plenty of examples of HATE throughout history.

Probably, just a matter of how far back you wish to go. We (you, your people, put in your own race/identity) are (were) probably GUILTY of something, somewhere, along the line.

Aloha, Mark

 

[CamoDeafie]

The Empire did nothing wrong (Star Wars joke)

 

[ma96782]

The Empire did nothing wrong (Star Wars joke)

Rrrrrright.....and......

"Just Following Orders"

LOL.

Aloha, Mark