Thai Student Nazi Dress-Up Day Causes Outrage

[Payboy]

Did anyone ever figure out who all the people were on the big banner with the picture of Hitler, planes, and 9 people seig heiling? Looks like Osama, Thaksin, Mao... maybe Che? Bush?

Top line far left = John Lennon (A prominent Nazi)

Bottom line far right = David Beckham (Renowned for his fascist right foot)

Top line far right = Mr Bean (The cornerstone of the Thai education system)

Top row 2nd left = Mao

Top row 2nd right = Dubya

[FOODLOVER]

Did anyone ever figure out who all the people were on the big banner with the picture of Hitler, planes, and 9 people seig heiling? Looks like Osama, Thaksin, Mao... maybe Che? Bush?

Top line far left = John Lennon (A prominent Nazi)

Bottom line far right = David Beckham (Renowned for his fascist right foot)

Top line far right = Mr Bean (The cornerstone of the Thai education system)

Top row 2nd left = Mao

Top row 2nd right = Dubya

Bottom left= Osama bin Laden

Who ever did the poster did a great job accept for the subject matter of course.

Edited September 29, 2011 by FOODLOVER

[animatic]

Words fail.

[MaxYakov]

Did anyone ever figure out who all the people were on the big banner with the picture of Hitler, planes, and 9 people seig heiling? Looks like Osama, Thaksin, Mao... maybe Che? Bush?

[ Deleted the interesting piece of Thai school graphic art to save space ]

Top line far left = John Lennon (A prominent Nazi)

Bottom line far right = David Beckham (Renowned for his fascist right foot)

Top line far right = Mr Bean (The cornerstone of the Thai education system)

Top row 2nd left = Mao

Top row 2nd right = Dubya

Oh yeah Dupya. Didn't recognize him with the mustache and Nazi uniform and all. This banner is other than what it could be easily be mistaken for. Beginning to appear more like a statement of rebellion from authority as well as against militaristic governments and figures (Rowan Atkinson excepted, of course, or is he a closet Nazi?). Do I get a 'Duhhhhh ...' for this?

Edited September 29, 2011 by MaxYakov

[Somtamnication]

The pictures this morning on their website, are, ehmmm, still a bit non PC.

Nazi symbol AND THE WORD NAZISM still there, full of pride. And............. wait till you see what the yellows did.

The yellows!!!!

I love Catholic schools. Will move my family to them. So much fun.

Edited September 29, 2011 by Somtamnication

[FOODLOVER]

The pictures this morning on their website, are, ehmmm, still a bit non PC.

Nazi symbol AND THE WORD NAZISM still there, full of pride. And............. wait till you see what the yellows did.

The yellows!!!!

I love Catholic schools. Will move my family to them. So much fun.

Hmm, looks like yellows failed again.

[rubin]

Did anyone ever figure out who all the people were on the big banner with the picture of Hitler, planes, and 9 people seig heiling? Looks like Osama, Thaksin, Mao... maybe Che? Bush?

Top line far left = John Lennon (A prominent Nazi)

Bottom line far right = David Beckham (Renowned for his fascist right foot)

Top line far right = Mr Bean (The cornerstone of the Thai education system)

Top row 2nd left = Mao

Top row 2nd right = Dubya

Top line left Gaddafi probably?

[rubin]

I just wanted to ask those people who defend Nazis and those saying that history is a thing that no one needs. If those little kids would dress up like Usama Bin Laden's shahid terrorosits, with heads covered with scarfs, bodies wrapped into suicide bomber's belts and holding jihad black flags where would be written "Down USA, UK and so on", would you also say that 9/11 was already 10 years ago and it is fine for kids to be dressed like that?

[nocturn]

truth be told i am more offended by the sensationalistic and patronizing tone of the daily mail than i am by a thai girl with hitler's moustache

[nocturn]

I just wanted to ask those people who defend Nazis and those saying that history is a thing that no one needs. If those little kids would dress up like Usama Bin Laden's shahid terrorosits, with heads covered with scarfs, bodies wrapped into suicide bomber's belts and holding jihad black flags where would be written "Down USA, UK and so on", would you also say that 9/11 was already 10 years ago and it is fine for kids to be dressed like that?

i do not defend Nazi's, i just believe this i a tempest in a tea pot.

It show some serious shortcomings in the Thai educational system, but does not merit global outrage. It is like punishing a puppy, there is no point unless he knows what he did wrong and what he is being punished for.

As for your pathetic attempt at finding a modern parallel had they dressed up like Osama, it would not have bothered me one bit. i had a cat named Osama too, oddly he had a moustache like Hitler's.

What people don't seem to want to wrap their heads around is that hitler, che, bin laden etc, are simply visual icons, it is much the same when you see a thai in an obscene tshirt -- they have little clue what it actually means.

[nocturn]

Anyone seen this video:

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=ydRxCUZp8Bg

It's the popular Thai rock band Slur with their song "Hitler." Maybe this is where the students in Chiang Mai got their inspiration? Either way, it's part and parcel of the same thing.

I don't think it's fair to say that this is simply ignorance. As others have noted, adults had to have been involved, and some of them surely knew what they were dealing with. And the amount of research that those involved (kids or adults) would have had to do to create the costumes, banners, etc. pretty much guarantee that they would have encountered some evidence (photos, at least) showing the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime. That said, the level of ignorance about WWII/the Holocaust is definitely higher in Thailand than any Western country.

It also comes out of a desire to be "edgy." As anyone who's spent time in a Thai school knows, these sports days are basically an excuse for students to dress up in risque/outlandish costumes and have fun, which for them is a welcome respite from the strictness and conformity demanded of them other days of the year. The whole point is to be somewhat shocking. I was genuinely surprised the first time I saw the dance routines they do for these events, backed by a soundtrack of American pop rap with lyrics all about sex (and this is after the administration told us male teachers that we couldn't wear shorts to sports day because it would be too "sexy"). While Thai students probably don't quite grasp the full extent of the Nazi Regime's evilness and brutality, they understand that for one reason or another, dressing up like Nazis is a transgressive act, and that's the whole point.

In addition to ignorance and a desire to be edgy, there is the Thai fascination with uniforms, with iconography and flags, with pageantry and displays of power and discipline, with the rhetoric of us-vs.-them, ingroups and outgroups, all of which the Nazis had in spades. Since they don't really understand the context, Hitler comes across as simply a badass dude, a powerful man who evokes strong reactions in people, and he and the Nazis are therefore considered worthy models for a game of dress-up.

id say that is an excellent analysis

[globalmenace]

It's occurred to me more than once that unless you have a uniform, you're a nobody in Thailand. Martinets? Oh God yes...

[Kananga]

Now it is becoming clear you writing is simply for "self-gratification"

So sorry ... I believe Kananga took the entire supply of self-gratification yesterday with this:

Relax folks have to remember that 'Superman' here is afraid of only Kryptonite and Mods, so judge accordingly.

And there I was thinking he was afraid of the truth...

Kudos, Kananga!

Just pointing out the obvious to Captain Denial...

[Berkshire]

I just wanted to ask those people who defend Nazis and those saying that history is a thing that no one needs. If those little kids would dress up like Usama Bin Laden's shahid terrorosits, with heads covered with scarfs, bodies wrapped into suicide bomber's belts and holding jihad black flags where would be written "Down USA, UK and so on", would you also say that 9/11 was already 10 years ago and it is fine for kids to be dressed like that?

i do not defend Nazi's, i just believe this i a tempest in a tea pot.

It show some serious shortcomings in the Thai educational system, but does not merit global outrage. It is like punishing a puppy, there is no point unless he knows what he did wrong and what he is being punished for.

As for your pathetic attempt at finding a modern parallel had they dressed up like Osama, it would not have bothered me one bit. i had a cat named Osama too, oddly he had a moustache like Hitler's.

What people don't seem to want to wrap their heads around is that hitler, che, bin laden etc, are simply visual icons, it is much the same when you see a thai in an obscene tshirt -- they have little clue what it actually means.

I can't fathom how those like Rubin or others like him can possibly suggest that anyone is "defending the Nazis." I'd like to see some evidence. There are certainly those that are trying to put a fair perspective on this and I applaud them because it takes much more courage to do that than to simply recite the standard party line of the masses. And this lack of understanding regarding Nazi Germany is absolutely not a Thai thing, it's mostly an Asian thing. Being knowledgeable about something is not the same as feeling empathy. Case in point: Check out this article that just came out titled "7/11 Stores in Taiwan Pull Hitler Lookalike Items":

http://news.blogs.cn...tems/?hpt=hp_c2

"The ISECO, which is Israel's de facto embassy to Taiwan, since China does not allow its diplomatic allies to have official ties with the island, says that while it does not think the products were meant to be a show of support for anti-Semitic ideology, the cartoon figure does signify a lack of understanding of the Nazi party's history.

"We were appalled to see the Hitler lookalike image being used, again, as a marketing aid and sold in Taiwan's 7-Eleven stores," ISECO representative Simona Halperin said in a statement Tuesday. "I find it tragic that once again people down the chain of marketing and promotion fail to recognize the meaning of the Dark Age in human history that the Nazi dictator represents."

Taiwan has a history of Nazi imagery popping up in public as a result of commercial use."

[taurus8]

In regards to the Swastika Symbol, in Asia as a Religious symbol, right. look closer and you see the symbol is reversed in Asia.That makes it another matter.

[Babcock]

Did anyone ever figure out who all the people were on the big banner with the picture of Hitler, planes, and 9 people seig heiling? Looks like Osama, Thaksin, Mao... maybe Che? Bush?

Top line far left = John Lennon (A prominent Nazi)

Bottom line far right = David Beckham (Renowned for his fascist right foot)

Top line far right = Mr Bean (The cornerstone of the Thai education system)

Good work! Puts a different slant on these students or whomever the creative elements were. Notice Mr. Bean's 'special' version of the Sieg Heil and that they have been given the famous mustache treatment - very stylish. I'm surprised that Bush the younger isn't among them. Earlier I had a flash that it could have been members of the school faculty, but I was pretty sure the kids would not have risked it (but probably considered it). Am too tired to pursue the remaining UBNs (Unidentified Banner Nazis). Lower left could be Bin Laden and not The Grand Mufti. Volunteers?

Top row then: from left:

John Lennon, Mao, George W, Mr Bean?

Bottom row from left:

Bin Laden, ?,Obama, Thaksin, Beckham.

Incidentally I know at the Sscred Heart Scholls in Bangkok they're all talking about the Chiang Mai school and they DO

learn about the nazis.

[Steely Dan]

In regards to the Swastika Symbol, in Asia as a Religious symbol, right. look closer and you see the symbol is reversed in Asia.That makes it another matter.

There is a pond close to the Potala palace in Lhasa which has the asian symbol lining the entire pond; they light up at night too making quite a disturbing display if you are aware of the similar Nazi symbol.

[rubin]

Probably it is not Mr Bean but José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero the Prime Minister of Spain ?

[Netfan]

Well, they are now getting more international coverage - should help with that "hub of international education" dream

http://www.cnn.com/2...html?hpt=hp_bn4

BTW, its not just Thailand having PC problems with Nazi images...

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/28/7-eleven-stores-in-taiwan-pull-hitler-lookalike-items/?iref=obnetwork

Edited September 29, 2011 by Netfan

[Kananga]

Top line far left = John Lennon (A prominent Nazi)

Bottom line far right = David Beckham (Renowned for his fascist right foot)

Top line far right = Mr Bean (The cornerstone of the Thai education system)

Good work! Puts a different slant on these students or whomever the creative elements were. Notice Mr. Bean's 'special' version of the Sieg Heil and that they have been given the famous mustache treatment - very stylish. I'm surprised that Bush the younger isn't among them. Earlier I had a flash that it could have been members of the school faculty, but I was pretty sure the kids would not have risked it (but probably considered it). Am too tired to pursue the remaining UBNs (Unidentified Banner Nazis). Lower left could be Bin Laden and not The Grand Mufti. Volunteers?

Top row then: from left:

John Lennon, Mao, George W, Mr Bean?

Bottom row from left:

Bin Laden, ?,Obama, Thaksin, Beckham.

Incidentally I know at the Sscred Heart Scholls in Bangkok they're all talking about the Chiang Mai school and they DO

learn about the nazis.

I think we may be looking at this a bit one dimensionally. Beckham clearly has Che's hair. John Lennon seems to be sporting Beyonce's when she was in Goldmember (another Nazi link?) and the bottom row middle is now obviously the love child of Obama and George Dubya.

Who says history has to be accurate as long as it's sanoooook?

Edited September 29, 2011 by Kananga

[Babcock]

Did anyone ever figure out who all the people were on the big banner with the picture of Hitler, planes, and 9 people seig heiling? Looks like Osama, Thaksin, Mao... maybe Che? Bush?

Top line far left = John Lennon (A prominent Nazi)

Bottom line far right = David Beckham (Renowned for his fascist right foot)

Top line far right = Mr Bean (The cornerstone of the Thai education system)

Good work! Puts a different slant on these students or whomever the creative elements were. Notice Mr. Bean's 'special' version of the Sieg Heil and that they have been given the famous mustache treatment - very stylish. I'm surprised that Bush the younger isn't among them. Earlier I had a flash that it could have been members of the school faculty, but I was pretty sure the kids would not have risked it (but probably considered it). Am too tired to pursue the remaining UBNs (Unidentified Banner Nazis). Lower left could be Bin Laden and not The Grand Mufti. Volunteers?

Top row then: from left:

John Lennon, Mao, George W, Mr Bean?

Bottom row from left:

Bin Laden, ?,Obama, Thaksin, Beckham.

Incidentally I know at the Sscred Heart Scholls in Bangkok they're all talking about the Chiang Mai school and they DO

learn about the nazis.

Perhaps they should put this up for the Turner Prize In England?

It's ironic enough and painted to an equivalent standard.

I'm pretty sure there was input here from the teachers

[F1fanatic]

One can only laugh and understand that the nazis are not thought of the same way here as they are in the West.

[Steely Dan]

Top row then: from left:

John Lennon, Mao, George W, Mr Bean?

Bottom row from left:

Bin Laden, ?,Obama, Thaksin, Beckham.

Incidentally I know at the Sscred Heart Scholls in Bangkok they're all talking about the Chiang Mai school and they DO

learn about the nazis.

I think I've located their syllabus material.

[rubin]

Well, they are now getting more international coverage - should help with that "hub of international education" dream

http://www.cnn.com/2...html?hpt=hp_bn4

BTW, its not just Thailand having PC problems with Nazi images...

http://news.blogs.cn...?iref=obnetwork

It's good this subject goes international 'cause nothing can advocate Nazism.

[Nisa]

Nazi chic in AsiaUniforms and other imagery related to Nazi Germany have been on sale in East Asia, where some consider it fashionable. Hong Kong and Japan have each witnessed a growth in the casual wearing of SS uniforms, as well as increased interest in White power music. Sometimes in East Asia, Nazi uniforms are used as part of cosplay. In South Korea, an area generally isolated from Nazi cultural influences during the Nazi era, Time magazine observed in 2000 "an unthinking fascination with the icons and imagery of the Third Reich."^[10] Nazi-inspired imagery was featured in various early releases from the Japanese bandThe 5.6.7.8's.^[11]

In some parts of the world,^[where?] World War II is not taught in schools as a battle of political ideologies, but as a conventional war. This type of education treats Hitler and the Nazi Party as charismatic and powerful leaders of countries during wartime, instead of war criminals as elsewhere. George Burdi, the former head of the neo-Nazi record label Resistance Records, claimed to have sold many CDs to Japan, because some Japanese believe themselves to be the master race of the East.^[12] In Turkey, Hitler's book Mein Kampf is an annual bestseller.^[13][14]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_chic

[Berkshire]

One can only laugh and understand that the nazis are not thought of the same way here as they are in the West.

I'm sure Bin Laden is viewed very differently in the Middle East than in the west. But I digress....

[uptheos]

Well, they are now getting more international coverage - should help with that "hub of international education" dream

That's good,

I'm sure PM Yingcluck will be most impressed with the staff at this school making her sound foolish.

[Nisa]

Hitler goes to Thailand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSYfB1cJhKE

Edited September 29, 2011 by Nisa

[Nisa]

Hitler's reaction to the Thai general election 2011

Edited September 29, 2011 by Nisa

[MaxYakov]

Well, they are now getting more international coverage - should help with that "hub of international education" dream

http://www.cnn.com/2...html?hpt=hp_bn4

BTW, its not just Thailand having PC problems with Nazi images...

http://news.blogs.cn...?iref=obnetwork

Thanks for the links. I see CNN was PC enough to NOT include the entire text of the good Director's (alleged) apology letter. They even took the liberty of correcting a glaring usage/spelling error in the extract they did disclose. What, even a [sic] would have been too embarrassing or is it a MSM thing (rhetorical question)?