Chinacartimes, the website that monitors the Chinese car market, put its finger on a disturbing new trend in China: Cars adorned with Nazi paraphernalia.“Some Chinese like to dress up in period military costumes and stick WW2 era German military insignia all over their motors,” reports Ash Sutcliffe, the owner/operator of the site.
There is a burgeoning market in China for these odd accessories, if Taobao, China’s take on eBay, is an indicator. On Taobao, Sutcliffe found “quite a selection of Nazi era automotive stickers ranging from Imperial Eagles to straight up Swastikas and everything else in between.”
While some of these stickers could get you in jail in Germany, China is known for its unburdened handling of Third Reich symbolism. One of the most famous examples is China’s logo for China’s top brands, which reminds some of the insignia of Nazi-Germany’s infamous Schutzstaffel. Let’s just say that Chinese products carrying that logo might have problems finding buyers both in Germany and Queens. The Chinese administrators resisted urges to change the SS symbol. This year, it will be phased out, but not because of possible Aryan associations: After the milk powder scandal, no new “China Top Brands” were selected.
It’s an issue all over Asia. When I familiarized myself with the neighborhood of our second home in Japan, I was shocked to see on the map that I was surrounded by Nazi sympathizers. Some of the toniest Tokyo real estate sported swastikas. They pointed in the wrong direction, but what do they know. Much to my relief, I was told that it is an ancient map symbol for a Buddhist temple. Wenn das der Führer wüsste!
Curiously, the yellow Waffen-SS car not only sports an incorrect Heer (army) eagle rather than the SS variety, but the head is pointing the wrong direction.
Clearly, you’ve not seen a Chinese fake Rolex. The level of accuracy with their reproduction skills with the banner is about on par for them ;)
New trend of cars and limousine taxi cab is growing much rapidly, which is so good for the people of china.
I encourage them much more to grow this trend at its peek.
As you discovered Bertel, the swastika is an ancient symbol in Asia. You can find it in temples and on motorbike helmets and all over the place from India to Japan. It is a good luck symbol and represents eternity.
I realise that what you show here is the Nazi variant (the Nazies copied the swastika from Asia as their symbol), but given how little Asians know about European history most of the Asian people who buy/wear these things probably do it in line with their own tradition, not knowing anything about Hitler or Himmler.
Some Asians might have seen a movie or war game where the Nazi swastika or the SS runes appear and copied it thinking it looks cool, without a second thought to the meaning of these things.
I have seen the Nazi flag as a t-shirt in Asia, which makes me wonder what Israelis on holiday think when they see it.
Surprising, considering what the Nazis allies in the pacific (Japanese) did to the Chinese.
The Chinese have not forgiven the Japanese. But they are concerned about what happened in China. The war in Europe was far away.
In my experience, most Asians have never heard of Hitler.
Perhaps it is work considering that many Chinese, about 250,000 were saved from the Japanese by Nazis – in particular John Rabe, so perhaps there isn’t the negative connotations a european might associate with the third reich.
I note that the Chinese also saved many Jews by giving them Visas (IIRC, it was the Chinese ambassador to Austria who did this).
Shanghai apparently used to have a sizeable Jewish community.
I will say this: if you visit the streets of Hong Kong or talk to the youths (“youth in Asia” but that’s another topic), you’ll find a general sense of apathy or even ignorance about what Japan did (many HK youth idolize Japanese celebrities and wear Japanese flags) – so I wouldn’t be too surprised if it turned out that many don’t really know (or care) what the Nazis did.
@Polar Bear.
Well, how many Americans know of Stalin other than just some Russian and not a man who systematically murdered more human beings than Hitler?
Or maybe you’re just pronouncing Hitler wrong – saying it “Hi-tu-la” might help.
But really, this is really not much different from western youth thinking Japanese stuff is cool while not being aware of the symbolism. The Rape of Nanking? In which hentai movie did that happen?
@Signal11
While that sort of thing usually ins’t be horribly common knowledge, when I went through U.S. Public education it was discussed at least a few times. Not to say everybody’s aware, but there’s at least a bit of value placed on it. I think how available that sort information is helps a lot “over here”.
“I note that the Chinese also saved many Jews by giving them Visas (IIRC, it was the Chinese ambassador to Austria who did this).”
Spot on, the Gentleman’s name was Ho Feng-Shan. Just to further add to the mix, let us not forget Chiune Sugihara who was a Japanese diplomat who similarly issued visa to Jews (and others).
Interestingly, the swastika, being a symbol of Nazism like the “stahlhelm”, those things preceeded the Nazi era.
What’s more interesting, the red symbol on American President Lines shipping containers oddly resembles the Nazi eagle. If I was without a conscience, I would sneak up to one of those trailers and paint a red circle under the red eagle, put suitable black lines in all the right places and violá: a WWll-era Nazi insignia, or close enough to it to be convincing!
Another interesting fact is on one of the old “Man From U.N.C.L.E” TV series episodes, Illya Kuryakin is shown wearing an American indian headdress with swastikas pointing left all around the headband!
I guess WWll never gets old, but shouldn’t the world move on? Plus the fact that Stalin killed more people than Hitler could dream of.
Something like over 60 million people died. To me, as “cool” as the German military uniforms were and I guess still are, they weren’t the only ones responsible for the butcher’s bill.
Nothing to joke about.
The swastika is also an ancient Native American symbol representing the four winds and the four corners of the Earth. Prior to W.W. II the U.S. Army’s 45th Infantry Division wore a unit patch featuring the swastika. Shortly before the U.S. entered the War this patch was replaced with a different design featuring the Thunderbird (another Native American symbol).
That is pretty dickish. Hey guys, we killed your tribes and all but isn’t our new symbol neet?
Dickish?, I always thought it was the umbrage that was out of line. Use of a symbol by a military unit or sports team is a compliment and sign of respect. I could understand complaints about about incorrect use, or use of stereotypes, but I think most of the noise came from people who simply hated sports and the military.
The whole “Stalin killed more than Hitler” has been proven to be a load of crap, it was a myth propagated during the Cold War to villify the Soviet Union. It’s something like 11 million civilian deaths at the hands of Hitler’s people, and for Stalin, around 1 million in gulags, less than a million in the “Great Terror” trials and executions, and then 5 million due to the great famine of 1930-1933, when grain was sold in an effort to pay for the rapid industrialization of the Soviet Union. Some Ukranian nationalists claimed the famine targeted them specifically as a way to eradicate a potentially troublesome populace, more likely than not it turned out this way because most of the grain in the Soviet Union was grown in the Ukraine, thus they suffered the most. Holodomor proponents conveniently forget the many deaths due to famine happened in the Don steppes near Volgograd, where grain is also grown in large quantities, as well a Kazakhstan
The more you know.
As Zackman says, “… (the Germans) weren’t the only ones responsible for the butcher’s bill.”
Stalin may have killed fewer people, but multiple millions dead don’t make him a saint, either.
This isn’t the place for an extended debate, but you if you’re going to throw around snark, then maybe you should footnote it that the lower number is the minority view. Most modern estimates place the number between 4-10 million, not including the famine, which I was.
The more you know right back atcha.
We know China is important to GM. It’s a shame they continue the dilution of the super sport trim in this way as just another appearance package…
Is that symbol going on all the VW joint ventures in China? Part of the world domination (part III).
Oh those zany Chinese.
Asians seem to have a weird fascination for violent symbolism. I remember a few years ago when an American entrepreneur made a nice pile of money by selling clothes full of bullet holes to the Japanese. The dude would go down to Goodwill and buy up a truck load of ratty old jeans, baseball caps, jackets, etc. He would shoot said articles of clothing with various types of firearms, and attach the spend cartridge casing to the freshly shot clothing. He couldn’t shoot ‘n ship the stuff fast enough.
There’s always been an enduring fascination with the Third Reich in America too. The fathers of the Boomer Generation fought in WWII. My dad served in the Pacific and harbored a deep hatred of the Japanese but always expressed admiration of Germany (not the Nazis). The German military always had “cool” stuff from uniforms to Panther tanks and Stuka dive bombers that impressed those of us who grew up in the 50s and 60s. Segue to the VW Beetle.
Don’t see the cool factor about Panthers and Stukas. They were very much like today’s German cars: overengineered and very unreliable. The Russians handed it to them pretty good because their much more simple but rugged designs were better suited for the warfare they were fighting.
I find it funny that “over-engineered” can meanings, much like “inflammable.”
Hitler personally pushed through the developmental of many high tech, impressive and intimidating but ultimately impractical weapons. Some of the efforts paid off – like the ME262 fighter but many others turned out to be huge wastes of brainpower and resources. I guess that’s one of the perks of being an evil dictator with lots of brilliant engineers at your disposal.
I believe it, look at all the money kids here spend at American Eagle for jeans with friggin holes in them. Back in my day, you’d been laughed at if you came to school with a hole in your Levi’s. Crazy youth!
It appears that multiple civilizations had something to do with that symbol. I thought I remembered indians and googled it before I got to Joe McKinney’s comment. There is some thought about them having a common source but that’s hard to believe. A German archaeologist came across them in some ruins and supposedly they related to the hammer of Thor. Germans went bonkers over them because of Aryan connection.
I bet we can come up with a lot more stories if we just google. But Hitler and his goons hijacked the meaning whatever it was before. When I see them I never have good thoughts. Ref Hitler and Stalin, even with all the evil they used up there is still plenty left. Pol Pot may have exceeded them in deaths per capita. We seem to have an infinite capacity for that.
Bertel, be sure to check out the Hitler Clothing Store in India. Style is everything!
Yeah but they have Mao on the bills.
Also, never forget!
There is no denying that most of this looks really badass.
Strange I was thinking about this this morning because of that Hitler store.
Nazi iconography is attractive. It’s made that way on purpose to appeal. Hitler and his cronies were not stupid. All of their images are bold, with strong primary colours, straight lines, rigid borders and easily reproduced. And if they didn’t create it, they appropriated it. As long as you’re ignorant of its representations, it’s gorgeous.
Really, the author was “shocked”, I hope that this Oprah like faux naivety doesn’t continue. Who cares. shocked.
Every idiot knows that the reich lifted it from Tibetan culture. The Nazi party look and the their symbols created the most enduring brand of all time, why would it “shock” you that people like it? Most of the dumb asses here watch things like execution videos, porn, jackass type stuff- you are an on line “journalist” if anything it “shocks” me that you pretend not to know about stuff like this.
Step your writing game up- banish the words cheers, shocked, stunning from your writing and maybe you can get a paid job.
Also read a book or two, expand your brain.