Whats with the skulls and the German worship?

[CLT65]

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

How many nations did it take to crush them?

Poor underdog Nazis. They were the toughest, most badas warriors out there, but all the other mean ol' nations got together and bullied them...

 

[MrRob96]

This thread was likely started with a very thin veneer over a political motivation to link gun owners with Nazis.

Trolls.

There's a significant amount of Bolshevik sympathy here, just look at all the replies you received. Don't worry, comrade.

 

[MrRob96]

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?

You're obviously a Nazi, Google has identified you as one based on your interests. Don't try to argue with the wisdom of big data.

 

[Idaho44]

Let's step back for a moment and remember that Hitler and his party were fervent anti-communists and were support by the 'intelligentsia' of the time. Therefore all of the marketing symbols they devised were meant to represent that anti-communist state of mind and are relevant today.

 

[CLT65]

By the way, my comment about toughness was not meant the way some apparently took it. Of course the German army was tough. They put us through a history-defining world war, didn't they? They were a hardened, seasoned fighting force that did an unbelievable amount of damage in short order. There was this mythology that they were undefeatable. Not true. They were defeated, so thoroughly crushed that the mere mention of their political ideology bring disgust and hatred 75 years later.

As to Nazis vs. Bolsheviks, Hitler vs. Stalin, Nazi Germany vs. Soviet Union; they were both evil. Fascism and communism may be ideology different, but their methods are the same- absolute statist control. Both are anathema to the traditional American ideal of freedom. You don't have to be a Nazi sympathizer to hate communism, and you don't have to be a pinko commie to hate fascism.

On a lighter note, I remember reading a similar thread some time back, don't remember whether it was here or on another forum. If this is your story, I apologize for stealing it. Someone posted about knowing an old-timer from the gun shows way back when decades ago. The gun show/gun shop dealer had a LOT of Nazi stuff: German guns and gear of all kinds, his specialty. He was also very clearly Jewish. The guy telling the story asked him one day why he had so many Nazi guns, being Jewish, and if it ever made him feel uncomfortable?

The reply? "Not a bit. They're all dead, and I've got their guns!"

 

[MrRob96]

Let's step back for a moment and remember that Hitler and his party were fervent anti-communists and were support by the 'intelligentsia' of the time. Therefore all of the marketing symbols they devised were meant to represent that anti-communist state of mind and are relevant today.

So who might complain about Nazi memorabilia being available in the US? Who might claim these symbols are more prevalent in the 2A community over things like the Gadsden flag, Betsy Ross flag, Washington's HQ flag, etc.

bubblegum, if only this puzzle wasn't so difficult, argh!

We should be as pissed off when we see the symbols of bolshevism as we are when we see the symbols of fascism. Yet I rarely see the "why all the sickle and hammers?" threads. Hell, we have people on this board with their icons displaying the other set of iconography that killed millions of people.

Both fascist and communist/socialist/Bolshevik ideologies are trash. Anyone that complains about one without the other has an agenda and is an enemy of the freedom we have.

 

[ma96782]

Also, when the normal excuses fail. There is always.......

"You don't know me. You can't judge me."

Aloha, Mark

 

[Enginerd]

I strongly disagree that all "wehr-aboos" are racists and there is a strong distinction between fascination and worship. I know this is a lot to ask, but set aside the vile political and racist ideology, and just look at the German military as a fighting force and I think that is what the vast majority of wehr-aboos find fascinating. Germany/Prussia has a rich military history and carried a professional military with lots of iconic and undeniably "cool" weaponry fighting to the very end against impossible odds.

How is this any different than the idolization of the Spartans? A society that existed on the backs of 20 slaves for every 1 citizen. A society built on infanticide.

 

[titsonritz]

We should be as pissed off when we see the symbols of bolshevism as we are when we see the symbols of fascism. Yet I rarely see the "why all the sickle and hammers?" threads. Hell, we have people on this board with their icons displaying the other set of iconography that killed millions of people.

But they are such a sweet crowd.

 

[tac]

But they are such a sweet crowd.
View attachment 698732

Somebody once said - 'Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.'

They can not possibly have the slightest conception of what it might be like to live under the jackboot of Communism.

I've been there, and see it at first hand, and walked around with enough of THEIR money in my pocket to buy a small house. And seen an ex-director of a university and his wife, retired, making little parts for train sets to get enough money to manage. And met a woman who was taking her first break away from work in 35 years. Seen the line outside a store that was almost half a mile long- people lining up to get a chance to buy a $25 Sony Walkman. And all that was in the BEST of all the Communist countries - the showcase that was the DDR.

 

[Knebel]

The Germans just had some great and intimidating artwork. I think thats what the attraction is.

Also:

 

[EHJ]

A Mauser 98 was my first hunting rifle...
I love my old Walther PP. Still carry it.
I also covet an old Sig p220.
My favorite car is an old VW bug as old as I am.
I am a 6 1/2 foot tall Norwegian son of a German great grandmother...
I appreciate German craftsmanship.
My avatar is the armory mark of Hamburg Germany.
Not a fascist. Not a fan of the little guy with the funny mustache.

 

[raftman]

This thread was likely started with a very thin veneer over a political motivation to link gun owners with Nazis.

Trolls.

There's a significant amount of Bolshevik sympathy here, just look at all the replies you received. Don't worry, comrade.

Nah, most folks here treat these ideologies (Nazism and Bolshevism) identically. They're actually more similar than they are different.

For example, my attitude towards the two is certainly the same. While both are historically fascinating and I understand why someone might want to own a piece of these histories (I've owned both Mosins and Mausers myself, for instance), I am also quite aware that anyone that actually adheres to the ideologies in question is no friend to individual liberties.

 

[Doomtown]

@Doomtown
Differences that are intentionally overlooked for purely political purposes

For sure. There are massive differences not worth writing a haphazard essay about, but I do believe there are similarities in the branding and how political leaders can rally citizens behind a message focused on nation-first and I specified that. I'm not so much talking about the tangible affects of Nazi Germany, more over how Hitler and the top 1% in his corner managed to do what they did with the overwhelming support they received. It's very tactful propaganda and if you don't think Trump, the GOP, and the entire MAGA movement doesn't have similarities in how that's achieved then that is also something conveniently overlooked for political purposes. And to be fair, I believe that goes either direction when you're talking about government and the people we elect to "run" it. You can read into my statements and make presumptions about my personal politics, but I won't posture behind a keyboard and debate with you - it's not worth the time, would achieve nothing, and we're both better off focusing on something positive instead. Cheers!

 

[Wombat of Doom]

@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

Lest we forget, 1930s America was deep in the throes of many of these same ideals. The simple fact is, Germany took what they learned from the US and took it much further down the same pathway. WWII and the cold war gave us a rightful fear of socialism. Let's just point out the national socialists were socialists.

The holocaust gave us a rightful fear. We saw the darkness. However I would say as a culture we never looked in the mirror after the Holocaust and saw how we were in many ways going down the paths that led to the Holocaust.

 

[CLT65]

Speaking of fascism, we have fascists in Salem. One party rule, no tolerance for dissent...

 

[Fieryotaku]

I strongly disagree that all "wehr-aboos" are racists and there is a strong distinction between fascination and worship. I know this is a lot to ask, but set aside the vile political and racist ideology, and just look at the German military as a fighting force and I think that is what the vast majority of wehr-aboos find fascinating. Germany/Prussia has a rich military history and carried a professional military with lots of iconic and undeniably "cool" weaponry fighting to the very end against impossible odds.

How is this any different than the idolization of the Spartans? A society that existed on the backs of 20 slaves for every 1 citizen. A society built on infanticide.

I agree both the Athenians and Spartans despite being idolized as warrior symbols were pretty bubblegumed up in some regards by todays standards but they were cool strong warriors so everyone forgets that part.

 

[GWS]

This was my dentist growing up.

View attachment 698695

Good Lord
My childhood dentist could palm a basketball and had the hairiest knuckles

The Germans just had some great and intimidating artwork. I think thats what the attraction is.

Also:

View attachment 698738

Oh brother
Maybe have the communist T-Rexes riding in American and British made trucks, tanks and planes. Eating American provided food brought to the front on trains pulled by American-made locomotives and fueled by gasoline and diesel made in the refineries America supplied.
And for thanks, they interned American planes, and pilots stole the designs (Like the B-29) and only supported the effort in Asia when Uncle Joe saw the opportunity for a land grab in Manchuria and China after Japan was defeated.
Russian soldiers were indeed tough and brave but their leadership was as corrupt, evil and despicable as the Nazis. Possibly moreso.

 

[EHJ]

Russian soldiers were indeed tough and brave but their leadership was as corrupt, evil and despicable as the Nazis. Possibly moreso.

Stalin was demon-spawn from hell. Always was.
Talk about a deal with the devil...

 

[Fieryotaku]

Stalin was demon-spawn from hell. Always was.
Talk about a deal with the devil...

View attachment 698756

unfortunately it was a deal needed to win the war. I am still pissed the Japanese pretty much got off scott free for their arguably worse human experimentation and cruelty. They mainly got of free because we took their research and data in exchange for pardon Shiro Ishii in particular got off free despite his leadership role in the experiments including sowing another persons limbs to a living persons torso to see if they would grow and purpously infecting people with plagues and then vivisecting them while pregnant and other things to vile to write. They also took women from their captured nations and forced them into prostitution for the military often beating them till unconsciousness then killing them when they were no longer usable. What pisses me off even more is unlike Germany they largely do not admit to any of the war crimes they committed even going so far as to threaten sanctions on other countries when they place memorials to honor the victims.