US Marines posed with Nazi symbol in Afghanistan

I can't accept that soldiers were ignorant of the meaning behind that symbol. They probably thought it was badass and therefore cool. Fail, gentlemen. Big fail.

Originally posted by r3axion
What I don't get is why people are acting like this is something new and crazy.

click the link for full image since it cut the right side off.

files.abovetopsecret.com...

edit on 2-9-12 by r3axion because: (no reason given)

I suppose noone noticed before - presumably the USMC brass would have been left extremely red-faced if this was known to the wider public.

reply to post by duality90


So because you're offended, this should not be allowed.

I see.

reply to post by duality90


Err no...it's because no one cares.

Wow these men truly have no respect for the dead. In our modern society everybody knows what that symbol means, they might as well have just hiel Hitlered the flag.

reply to post by duality90
I wonder if the same symbol can be found before the Nazis. Hmmmm.

Originally posted by Nuker
Sigh.. I think everyone needs to chill out about all of this. "Oh boohoo, SS sysmbol".. Cry more. That's what is wrong with this world, everyone is too politically correct.

Political correctness is a pain in the bum - but is being alarmed by the use of the symbols of an organisation that vivisected men, women, and children political correctness? Mengele and his cohort were outdone in savage cruelty only by Unit 731 in terms of vivisection, which - for avoidance of doubt - as we know, involved strapping individuals to operating tables while they were operated upon and their organs were removed without anaesthesia. Children too, of course. How one can condone the use of the symbol of an organization which exacted some of the most perverse acts of brutality that have ever been recorded in history, I don't know.

I'm still not getting an answer to why people are so one track minded that they can't fathom the idea that these Marines are taking what is known as a symbol of hate and trying to make it NOT a symbol of hate. Is that so hard to grasp? We're not talking about the people that wore this symbol, just the symbol. The symbol itself didn't kill all those people.

Or maybe you'll just call me delusional and write me off.

reply to post by duality90


search in google....military posing with flags during WW2 there are pictures all over the place of american soldiers posing with nazi flags they took of DEAD nazis, US Marines on guadacanal, Okinawa, Tarawa, Iwo posing with the Rising Sun flag

How is any of that different then this. yea hey they obvisiously knew what SS stands for and means so the f*** what, im tired of people thinking that just because im a marine and other people are marines that were all dumb F*** most marines suprisingly are quite smart

and for the person who said they heard gangs get into the military they do, but not the marine corp if you have any gang affiliation you are disco'ed

Originally posted by r3axion
reply to post by duality90

 

Err no...it's because no one cares.

Glad to see you uphold the high standards that would be expected of a Marine. Epic failure.

Originally posted by caf1550
reply to post by duality90

 

search in google....military posing with flags during WW2 there are pictures all over the place of american soldiers posing with nazi flags they took of DEAD nazis, US Marines on guadacanal, Okinawa, Tarawa, Iwo posing with the Rising Sun flag

How is any of that different then this. yea hey they obvisiously knew what SS stands for and means so the f*** what, im tired of people thinking that just because im a marine and other people are marines that were all dumb F*** most marines suprisingly are quite smart

and for the person who said they heard gangs get into the military they do, but not the marine corp if you have any gang affiliation you are disco'ed

It's about the context man. That was celebrating victory over an enemy. I don't think you can reasonably extend such celebrations to nearly 70 years after it ended.

The question I'm asking is: is this really to be considered appropriate? the uniformed services are meant to exemplify pride and honour. Acts like this (as well as the taleban pissing video) definitely bring them into disrepute.

Originally posted by duality90

Originally posted by r3axion
reply to post by duality90

 

Err no...it's because no one cares.

Glad to see you uphold the high standards that would be expected of a Marine. Epic failure.

Which high standard (of yours) did I violate?

I guess we should wait for all the court martials to start rolling in for this absolutely heinous crime. (LOL)

Maybe you should join the Corps and show everyone what it's about.

Originally posted by Echo3Foxtrot
I'm still not getting an answer to why people are so one track minded that they can't fathom the idea that these Marines are taking what is known as a symbol of hate and trying to make it NOT a symbol of hate. Is that so hard to grasp? We're not talking about the people that wore this symbol, just the symbol. The symbol itself didn't kill all those people.

Or maybe you'll just call me delusional and write me off.

I see what you mean, but I just don't think most reasonable people would see a person trying to bring a better image to the Swastika (or whatever you want to call it - the standard or flag of the Nationalist Socialist republic). Certain symbols, through historic association, have an undeniable connotation associated with them - and I think for a while longer at least, the swastika and the double sig will continue to be taboo in public. Keep in mind folks, this nation still has a fair number of holocaust survivors living. It's not some forgotten memory from several hundred years ago.

reply to post by duality90

some of the most perverse acts of brutality that have ever been recorded in history

Well, while you are right there.. I could go on about Communism, but I won't, I'll just leave it as it is.

Originally posted by r3axion

Originally posted by duality90

Originally posted by r3axion
reply to post by duality90

 

Err no...it's because no one cares.

Glad to see you uphold the high standards that would be expected of a Marine. Epic failure.

Which high standard (of yours) did I violate?

I guess we should wait for all the court martials to start rolling in for this absolutely heinous crime. (LOL)

Maybe you should join the Corps and show everyone what it's about.

edit on 2-9-12 by r3axion because: (no reason given)

Does one really need to have 'good' and 'bad' defined in the UCMJ?

reply to post by duality90


they are exemplifying pride and honor, pride they are taking a photo of their unit, you are truly blowing things out of proportion here i honestly don't understand you can take offense to them taking this picture with a SS flag, this isnt stomping on the dead, it isn't slandering anything its a simple picture

how is this picture different then any from any other war where they hold up a flag from a defeated enemy for a picture

Originally posted by Nuker
reply to post by duality90

 

some of the most perverse acts of brutality that have ever been recorded in history

Well, while you are right there.. I could go on about Communism, but I won't, I'll just leave it as it is.

edit on 9-2-2012 by Nuker because: (no reason given)

? I was never defending the use of the Hammer and Sickle. You are quite correct in your assertion actually, but because the deaths were not quite as malicious as those in the holocaust, history has perhaps not given them as much attention as they deserve.

Originally posted by duality90


Does one really need to have 'good' and 'bad' defined in the UCMJ?

I eagerly await your elaboration on how these Marines have violated the UCMJ

Originally posted by caf1550
reply to post by duality90

 

they are exemplifying pride and honor, pride they are taking a photo of their unit, you are truly blowing things out of proportion here i honestly don't understand you can take offense to them taking this picture with a SS flag, this isnt stomping on the dead, it isn't slandering anything its a simple picture

how is this picture different then any from any other war where they hold up a flag from a defeated enemy for a picture

Because it is clearly being used as a symbol of pride, and because it is not being used to show mastery of an enemy defeated in battle. If this were 1944, it would be considerably more understandable.

Would you admit that the use of the flag of nazi germany would be reasonably likely to offend people? I doubt that would be forgiven as an attempt to 'make it stand for something nicer'. Some things deeply offend people.

I think in many ways the Holocaust has shaped Europe in many ways which have been vastly different to the US - over there, it all still is actually in living memory. As a result, Europe is almost fanatically (and as someone who studied law, even I will admit this can be seriously frustrating at times) committed to human rights, Europeans tend to be extremely distrustful of giving their government wide powers over policing, and people are still very sensitive to such imagery. As many on ATS will well know, public display of such symbols is still a triable offense in many nations.

I concede it is possible they weren't aware of the negative connotation or bad taste of their actions, but I surely can't be the only one who can see why this is inappropriate for a military organization to use.

Originally posted by r3axion

Originally posted by duality90


Does one really need to have 'good' and 'bad' defined in the UCMJ?

I eagerly await your elaboration on how these Marines have violated the UCMJ

Entirely possibly under Article 134 actually (the 'catch-all' provision).