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Derrogative nazi flag variations
Last modified: 2005-12-17 by antonio martins
Keywords: nazi | derrogative | nato | palestine |
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Introduction
These are usually protest flags loosely based on nazi
and/or related flags, adding to its typical design or symbols the design
or symbols of the flag or emblem of some other entity, usually to convey the
accusation that the said entity is somehow comparable to nazi regimes.
Usually found in political cartoons, protest rallies, etc. It may be
humurous.
António Martins, 01 Feb 2003
This is an interesting usage of the Nazi symbol,
an usage of which there are two main types:
- 1. Following the (abusive) identification of the word "nazi"
or (more frequently) "fascist" as a general purpose synonym of
“dictatorial” or “repressive” (or even as a simple
insult), the german flag of 1933-1945 is
widely used for mockery and protest against percieved oppressors.
- 2. The epithet "nazi" (and thus the respective symbol) is often
used to attack anyone opposing the interests of Israel or of Jewish people
in general, based on well known historical facts. This approach is not as
often reflected on flags as #1 above
(but see example).
In practice, this goes in two vexillographic directions:
- a. Red field with white disc bearing the arms, logo etc of
the targeted entity: I have seen a couple of these, including
hammer and sickle, megan David, crescent and star,
NATO logo, Microsoft logo,
European Union stars, dollar sign and
euro sign.
- b. Swastika(s) replacing any central item(s) of an existing
flag, or overall defacing it: I can remember seeing US flags with
stars replaced this way, Israel flags with blue swastika in lieu of
megan David, defaced Spanish and Basque flags (used
respectively by pro- and anti-ETA protesters), also Russian,
Indonesian, Chinese, Palestine etc.
It should be noted that both these vexillographic stratagies were (and
are) also (though lesser) used to express allegiance
to (neo)Nazism: Flags patterned after the german flag of 1933-1945, with
different symbols or colors, or with swastikas added or replacing something
on pre-existing flags, were and are quite a few.
António Martins, 11 Oct 2000
Derrogative NATO (nazi) flag
image by Željko Heimer and António Martins, 11 Jul 1999
The well-known cartoon flag showing the NATO
symbol in black on a red disc on a red flag. This one have been frequent
in the newspapers I’ve seen here in Russia.
António Martins, 11 Jul 1999
Derrogative Palestine (nazi) flag
image by Theodore Leverett, 10 Oct 2000
In demonstrations at Duke University (US), I saw a
palestine flag defaced with a black swastika on
the white stripe waved by pro-Israel demonstrators.
Theodore Leverett, 10 Oct 2000
It was clearly the intention of the refered Palestine flag with swastika
waved by pro-Israel demonstrators, to identify any percieved enemy of
Israel or of Jewish people with Nazis. And if anti-Israel demonstrators
react waving back any of the two nazi versions of the Israel flag described
above, the unaware outsider will see the same
symbol used by both sides to attack the other: «You’re nazi
because you want to exterminate Jews — here’s how your
flag should look like» and «You’re nazi because you sent army and police
against unarmed civilians — here’s how your flag should look like».
António Martins, 11 Oct 2000