Nazi imagery as cool Thai fashion

[thailiketoo]

You are blaming it on education rather than accepting the fact that it is no longer important in the youth culture. The only place WWII is important anymore is on Thai Visa

Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it..

I could point out this is being posted in a country thats just become a military dictatorship, keeps pushing back and delaying even the idea of elections, is meddling in freedom of expression and setting up re-education camps, changing school curriculums, demanding uniform childrens haircuts, etc.. Some lessons in the over application of Uber Patriotism, and the dangers of shutting down free speech, might be quite timely here.

1. Spartans had to prove their fitness even as infants.

Infanticide was a disturbingly common act in the ancient world, but in Sparta this practice was organized and managed by the state. All Spartan infants were brought before a council of inspectors and examined for physical defects, and those who weren’t up to standards were left to die.

2. Spartan youths were ritualistically beaten and flogged.

One of Sparta’s most brutal practices involved a so-called “contest of endurance” in which adolescents were flogged—sometimes to the death—in front of an altar at the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia.

7. Spartan men were not allowed to live with their wives until age 30.

Do you get the point? Sparta and WWII are both ancient history to today's youth. It is not the youth that are out of step but you.

Edited December 25, 2014 by thailiketoo

[LivinLOS]

You are blaming it on education rather than accepting the fact that it is no longer important in the youth culture. The only place WWII is important anymore is on Thai Visa

Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it..

I could point out this is being posted in a country thats just become a military dictatorship, keeps pushing back and delaying even the idea of elections, is meddling in freedom of expression and setting up re-education camps, changing school curriculums, demanding uniform childrens haircuts, etc.. Some lessons in the over application of Uber Patriotism, and the dangers of shutting down free speech, might be quite timely here.

1. Spartans had to prove their fitness even as infants.

Infanticide was a disturbingly common act in the ancient world, but in Sparta this practice was organized and managed by the state. All Spartan infants were brought before a council of inspectors and examined for physical defects, and those who weren’t up to standards were left to die.

2. Spartan youths were ritualistically beaten and flogged.

One of Sparta’s most brutal practices involved a so-called “contest of endurance” in which adolescents were flogged—sometimes to the death—in front of an altar at the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia.

7. Spartan men were not allowed to live with their wives until age 30.

Do you get the point? Sparta and WWII are both ancient history to today's youth. It is not the youth that are out of step but you.

In all these examples they willingly did this to themselves yes ??

[thailiketoo]

You are blaming it on education rather than accepting the fact that it is no longer important in the youth culture. The only place WWII is important anymore is on Thai Visa

Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it..

I could point out this is being posted in a country thats just become a military dictatorship, keeps pushing back and delaying even the idea of elections, is meddling in freedom of expression and setting up re-education camps, changing school curriculums, demanding uniform childrens haircuts, etc.. Some lessons in the over application of Uber Patriotism, and the dangers of shutting down free speech, might be quite timely here.

1. Spartans had to prove their fitness even as infants.

Infanticide was a disturbingly common act in the ancient world, but in Sparta this practice was organized and managed by the state. All Spartan infants were brought before a council of inspectors and examined for physical defects, and those who weren’t up to standards were left to die.

2. Spartan youths were ritualistically beaten and flogged.

One of Sparta’s most brutal practices involved a so-called “contest of endurance” in which adolescents were flogged—sometimes to the death—in front of an altar at the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia.

7. Spartan men were not allowed to live with their wives until age 30.

Do you get the point? Sparta and WWII are both ancient history to today's youth. It is not the youth that are out of step but you.

In all these examples they willingly did this to themselves yes ??

I don't think that the infants thrown over the cliff or left out to die went willingly. Nor do I think the young men did not want to live with their wives. Nor do I think the young men who died by lashing wanted to die. So, in answer to your question, no they did not. It was some loony Spartan general who forced them to do all that stuff.

Edited December 25, 2014 by thailiketoo

[Tongdee]

That photo in the original post is evil, plain and simple. The owner of the bike should be educated about it or locked up if he really is a nazi. Lets face it, if he is going to the trouble of customizing a motorbike he will want the images to have meaning so he will do his homework. So I would assume he is a nazi and I would be offended seeing that.

Unless he is a raving homosexual, then it is kind of OK because it is done in a camp, ironic way, but there are no clues that this is the case on the bike. I wouldn't do anything but I know at least one Jew that would attack him or at least break the bike.

It is not fashion it is a hate crime.

Certainly not a hate crime or any other kind of crime in this part of the world. The swastika is a reversed variation of a symbol that has been used in buddhist statuary for a thousand years +++

. As for locking up the owner of the bike?? for what??? its not gonna happen here. The bike likely belongs to a citizen here of the Kingdom who knows what is acceptable here & whats not

I am sure the bike would be vandalized in Isreal & other places in the west where it may or not be legally called free speech. Frankly if you are that easily offended by a decal on a motorcycle

perhaps you should go back to your mothers basement & play video games. I can get revved up over evil actions, violence, slavery, sadism, neglecting the needs of of child, cruelty to animals (including people) who don't have it comming. (that does not include people with decals on thier anything.) Corporations that poison our food with pesticides & pedel OTHER POISONS. So if he is a homosexual it is kina O.K. HHHHmmmmmmm I personally don't think homosexuals should get any kind of get out of jail free card that everyone else doesn't get, but you do??? HHHmmmmm so far I am as offended by everything in your posting as you are by a decal. Altho I am offended by your twisted morality and the belief that you have that you have the right to Judge a person by a decal on their motocyc . I certainly wont be suggesting locking you up or attacking you, as you have the right to believe what you want. As with everyone else Unless of course you did "break the Bike" in which case Thai police would have the legal and moral right to Judge you. That would be for an action, not a thought, belief, or cartoon.

Anyhow Merry Thursday Or are you offended by that to.

[mat999]

That photo in the original post is evil, plain and simple. The owner of the bike should be educated about it or locked up if he really is a nazi. Lets face it, if he is going to the trouble of customizing a motorbike he will want the images to have meaning so he will do his homework. So I would assume he is a nazi and I would be offended seeing that.

Unless he is a raving homosexual, then it is kind of OK because it is done in a camp, ironic way, but there are no clues that this is the case on the bike. I wouldn't do anything but I know at least one Jew that would attack him or at least break the bike.

It is not fashion it is a hate crime.

Certainly not a hate crime or any other kind of crime in this part of the world. The swastika is a reversed variation of a symbol that has been used in buddhist statuary for a thousand years +++

. As for locking up the owner of the bike?? for what??? its not gonna happen here. The bike likely belongs to a citizen here of the Kingdom who knows what is acceptable here & whats not

I am sure the bike would be vandalized in Isreal & other places in the west where it may or not be legally called free speech. Frankly if you are that easily offended by a decal on a motorcycle

perhaps you should go back to your mothers basement & play video games. I can get revved up over evil actions, violence, slavery, sadism, neglecting the needs of of child, cruelty to animals (including people) who don't have it comming. (that does not include people with decals on thier anything.) Corporations that poison our food with pesticides & pedel OTHER POISONS. So if he is a homosexual it is kina O.K. HHHHmmmmmmm I personally don't think homosexuals should get any kind of get out of jail free card that everyone else doesn't get, but you do??? HHHmmmmm so far I am as offended by everything in your posting as you are by a decal. Altho I am offended by your twisted morality and the belief that you have that you have the right to Judge a person by a decal on their motocyc . I certainly wont be suggesting locking you up or attacking you, as you have the right to believe what you want. As with everyone else Unless of course you did "break the Bike" in which case Thai police would have the legal and moral right to Judge you. That would be for an action, not a thought, belief, or cartoon.

Anyhow Merry Thursday Or are you offended by that to.

As far as I am concerned you are saying it is fine to paint your bike with hitler next to a swastika, and you know what that makes you don't you, yes I am judging you. I'm not reading the rest of your barely comprehendible post, learn how to communicate.

[mat999]

That page basically says the Thais are ignorant about hitler and need better history classes. I guess we have the same thing happening in the west but regarding the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot.

We have many symbols used in the west such as Spartans and Trojans and Pirates that have nothing to do with the history of those symbols. They are logos of sport teams among other things. History is ignored by the younger generation in any country not just Thailand. You are blaming it on education rather than accepting the fact that it is no longer important in the youth culture. The only place WWII is important anymore is on Thai Visa.

It is important all over the world to all Jewish people, especially survivors. Plus people that feel sorry for what happened to them. It is just my opinion that hitler and a swastika together is a racist and is wrong, I am not going to start debating with you about pirates and other totally unrelated stuff.

[mat999]

That page basically says the Thais are ignorant about hitler and need better history classes. I guess we have the same thing happening in the west but regarding the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot.

We have school sports days playing dress up as Khmer Rouge mass murderers, torturers, etc for fun ?? Please enlighten me to where..

You know full well that is not what I meant, what you said is moronic because you know full well that I meant we are not taught about Pol Pot in school. Your just arguing for the sake of it.

[mat999]

mat99 if your referring to me I have been misunderstood as I said there is good reason that people should be able to do whatever they want (my first sentence). As a Jew who lost many family members at the hands of the Nazi's and other's who survived the concentration camps and live to tell me personally of the horrors I am definitely not a Nazi sympathizer.

Also wishing everyone a Happy Holiday!!

My sincere apologies. I am sorry, I got the wrong end of the stick. I am not able to delete or edit the post now but have requested it be removed. Happy holidays

[thailiketoo]

That page basically says the Thais are ignorant about hitler and need better history classes. I guess we have the same thing happening in the west but regarding the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot.

We have many symbols used in the west such as Spartans and Trojans and Pirates that have nothing to do with the history of those symbols. They are logos of sport teams among other things. History is ignored by the younger generation in any country not just Thailand. You are blaming it on education rather than accepting the fact that it is no longer important in the youth culture. The only place WWII is important anymore is on Thai Visa.

It is important all over the world to all Jewish people, especially survivors. Plus people that feel sorry for what happened to them. It is just my opinion that hitler and a swastika together is a racist and is wrong, I am not going to start debating with you about pirates and other totally unrelated stuff.

You are judging their culture by your own. People are effected every day by pirates. To some who were slain by the Spartans they might also feel sensitive. You expect all other cultures to be sensitive to the taboos of your culture. That might be the case in a perfect world but this is not a perfect world.

Thais don't really care about your culture. I'm sure you don't care about many taboos in the Thai culture.

It doesn't make you a bad person or Thais bad people. WWII is ancient history to Thai teenagers the same as the Greco Persian wars are ancient history to students at Michigan State University (Sparty).

The whole issue of Asian Nazi Chic has been discussed over and over again and it still bothers people who don't understand that it is no more than a fashion trend in this part of the world and not meant to offend anyone the same as sports mascots in the USA of ancient warlike cultures are not meant to offend anyone.

[CMBob]

The whole issue of Asian Nazi Chic has been discussed over and over again and it still bothers people who don't understand that it is no more than a fashion trend in this part of the world and not meant to offend anyone the same as sports mascots in the USA of ancient warlike cultures are not meant to offend anyone.

I agree that almost always it's not meant to offend but, in my opinion, that lack of intention to offend is not as a result of culture (although "greng jai" is surely a part of Thai culture) but is due to a lack of a reasonable education. I'm guessing you might agree that history of the two world wars ought to be somewhat known by everyone finishing high school.

[thailiketoo]

The whole issue of Asian Nazi Chic has been discussed over and over again and it still bothers people who don't understand that it is no more than a fashion trend in this part of the world and not meant to offend anyone the same as sports mascots in the USA of ancient warlike cultures are not meant to offend anyone.

I agree that almost always it's not meant to offend but, in my opinion, that lack of intention to offend is not as a result of culture (although "greng jai" is surely a part of Thai culture) but is due to a lack of a reasonable education. I'm guessing you might agree that history of the two world wars ought to be somewhat known by everyone finishing high school.

Actually I think it is beyond the reasonable expectation that Thai students should know anything about a European war that was over 70 years ago. It would be like me knowing about the wars in the Qing Dynasty. I didn't study the Qing Dynasty in high school did you?

[CMBob]

A European war? Given Thailand was part of it, one would at least think that high school history ought to teach some of it. Let's see, about 7,500 Thais (civilians and military) died during World War II, about 270,000 Burmese died, somewhere between 10-20 million (yes...million) Chinese died, etc., etc. And then there's the mass extermination of jews and other civilians by the Nazis. And it's your opinion that Thai students shouldn't know anything about that? I very strongly disagree.

[thailiketoo]

A European war? Given Thailand was part of it, one would at least think that high school history ought to teach some of it. Let's see, about 7,500 Thais (civilians and military) died during World War II, about 270,000 Burmese died, somewhere between 10-20 million (yes...million) Chinese died, etc., etc. And then there's the mass extermination of jews and other civilians by the Nazis. And it's your opinion that Thai students shouldn't know anything about that? I very strongly disagree.

I don't think the Burmese are relevant to Thais in fact most Thais really don't like them. Few if any Thais died as a result of Hitler. Thais died in the Franco Thai war that they started and in the invasion of the Shan States that they also started.

It has been my experience that almost no Thais are aware of the Franco Thai war, 1940 that the Victory Monument commemorates. If they don't know about that it is really a stretch to think they should know about anything that happened in the 2nd World War in Europe.

For Thailand to become aware of WWII they would have to become aware of the Franco Thai war and the Thai invasion of Burma. I don't see Thai history people wanting to teach that. I don't think the Japanese high school students spend much time on the Bataan death march or the Bridge over the River Kwai.

And frankly I can think of a lot more things that are important to change about Thai education before an education into the specifics of WWII in Europe. I think the 45 million Mao killed in the Great Leap Forward is far more important for the current generation of Thais.

[junglechef]

As an American who went to school in one of the best government school systems I am hopeless under educated in history of both the US and World events. BUT (to get back closer to topic) I can recognize the faces of the most famous and infamous figures in history and have an idea of what they did and stood for. Even with teaching one's own history, rewriting as some consider it, I doubt there are many school cirriculums that praise Hitlers actions.

[thailiketoo]

As an American who went to school in one of the best government school systems I am hopeless under educated in history of both the US and World events. BUT (to get back closer to topic) I can recognize the faces of the most famous and infamous figures in history and have an idea of what they did and stood for. Even with teaching one's own history, rewriting as some consider it, I doubt there are many school cirriculums that praise Hitlers actions.

I think you are missing the point. Kids don't learn about Hitler in school. It is an Asian fashion statement that is learned about in clothes shops. It is called Asian Nazi Chic. Try google.

If one wants to improve Thais education why not with some courses about totalitarian dictatorships that killed 4 times as many people only a few hundred miles away - China. Mao killed 45 million Asian people. How many Asian people did Hitler kill?

I don't think it is news to anyone that if you are not Thai - Thai people really don't care about you. Asians maybe a little above Farang but that's not saying much.

After all what is the message education is trying to get across in this instance? Totalitarian dictators that kill millions of people are not good. Mao is a badder example closer to home with some recognizable facial characteristics.

[spidermike007]

There is no active neo-Nazi movement in Thailand.

Hitler's face and Nazi symbols are used as macho decorations, they don't represent a political party, overt or covert here.

That is the reality in Thailand.

If you were here in the late '70s you will remember the ubiquitous face of Che Guevara in Alberto Korda's famous 'Guerrillero Heroico'. The stickers were everywhere, even on the mudflaps of ten-wheelers. At that time, Communist insurgents controlled large parts of the North and Northeast. Most of the Lao and Cambodian border regions were no-go areas; they were just outside of Nan and as close to Chiang Mai as Samoeng.

The face and ideology represented a clear and present danger to the established order in those days.

No such thing exists now... it's just radical chic.

Thank you. The swastika, or a symbol that is inverted, but similar, was used for thousands of years by the Hindus, prior to Tiny Adolf co-opting it, as a symbol of his murderous regime. So, many do not consider it offensive. The Thais who use it are not neo nazis, nor are they haters. They are just doing it as something that is hip or cool. Nothing is meant by it. Frankly, I find it more offensive, when thin skinned westerners get huffy over this, than the use of the symbol itself. Get over yourself. Who cares? It is just a symbol. I think the intent is often more important than the symbol. I am Jewish, and find a lot of Jews to be very, very thin skinned. About symbols, criticism of Israeli policy, etc. No room for discussion. No room for criticism, or I am labeled a Jew hater. That is very weak behavior. They are very easily offended. I am sorry, but really men are not easily offended by silly stuff like this. Water off a ducks back. Live and let live. The holocaust was a terrible thing. It was heinous. It was foul. But, it happens a long time ago. A few young Thais using the swastika is not going to encourage another holocaust.

[LivinLOS]

That page basically says the Thais are ignorant about hitler and need better history classes. I guess we have the same thing happening in the west but regarding the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot.

We have school sports days playing dress up as Khmer Rouge mass murderers, torturers, etc for fun ?? Please enlighten me to where..

You know full well that is not what I meant, what you said is moronic because you know full well that I meant we are not taught about Pol Pot in school. Your just arguing for the sake of it.

And you now full well that there is a clear difference between being ignorant something that happened.. And celebrating something that happened..

Them being ignorant of the holocaust (and even many of the KR and Pol Pot) is a shame but understandable.. Them celebrating nazisim isnt not the same.

[LivinLOS]

The whole issue of Asian Nazi Chic has been discussed over and over again and it still bothers people who don't understand that it is no more than a fashion trend in this part of the world and not meant to offend anyone the same as sports mascots in the USA of ancient warlike cultures are not meant to offend anyone.

I agree that almost always it's not meant to offend but, in my opinion, that lack of intention to offend is not as a result of culture (although "greng jai" is surely a part of Thai culture) but is due to a lack of a reasonable education. I'm guessing you might agree that history of the two world wars ought to be somewhat known by everyone finishing high school.

Actually I think it is beyond the reasonable expectation that Thai students should know anything about a European war that was over 70 years ago. It would be like me knowing about the wars in the Qing Dynasty. I didn't study the Qing Dynasty in high school did you?

World wars.. Japan in Thailand.. The Kanchanaburi railroad and the Hellfire pass.. The Burma Campaign.. The Stillwell road.. How that lead to the 93rd regiment of the KMT settling just north of here in DMS..

This all happened right here.. This all was part of it.. Its just as much interconnected history of this country as it is so many others. And it happened just 2 generations ago.

[thailiketoo]

The whole issue of Asian Nazi Chic has been discussed over and over again and it still bothers people who don't understand that it is no more than a fashion trend in this part of the world and not meant to offend anyone the same as sports mascots in the USA of ancient warlike cultures are not meant to offend anyone.

I agree that almost always it's not meant to offend but, in my opinion, that lack of intention to offend is not as a result of culture (although "greng jai" is surely a part of Thai culture) but is due to a lack of a reasonable education. I'm guessing you might agree that history of the two world wars ought to be somewhat known by everyone finishing high school.

Actually I think it is beyond the reasonable expectation that Thai students should know anything about a European war that was over 70 years ago. It would be like me knowing about the wars in the Qing Dynasty. I didn't study the Qing Dynasty in high school did you?

World wars.. Japan in Thailand.. The Kanchanaburi railroad and the Hellfire pass.. The Burma Campaign.. The Stillwell road.. How that lead to the 93rd regiment of the KMT settling just north of here in DMS..

This all happened right here.. This all was part of it.. Its just as much interconnected history of this country as it is so many others. And it happened just 2 generations ago.

No one in the events you mentioned wore a Swastika or had a photo of Hitler on the wall.

BTW the Stillwell or Ledo road was not in Thailand was it?

And the things you mentioned are 70 years old. Why would they be included in Thai grade school or high school history?

Thailand does not come off well in WWII (causalities of Thai freedom fighters - 2 or maybe 3) why would they want to talk about it? Does British or American history emphasize the less palatable aspects of the history of both of those countries?

Thailand lost 2000 civilians to WWII that by any measure is a very small level of involvement 70 years ago.

Would a Brit or American have a family member lost in WWII? Probably. Would a Thai? Almost never.

But don't trust me. Ask a Thai what the Victory monument is for. Ask them if they have any idea that the Swastika is of Hindu origin. Ask any Thai who won the war France or Thailand? Thai would say, "We had a war with France! No way."

Thailand has a long and varied history and Farang are but a flyspeck on the windshield of Thai life; with all the interesting things Thai people have done we are not really worth mentioning.

Edited December 26, 2014 by thailiketoo

[LivinLOS]

No one in the events you mentioned wore a Swastika or had a photo of Hitler on the wall.

But they were all interconnected and happened here..

Secondly we are not just talking general public.. we are talking educators.. are you seriously trying to say the history teacher at sacred heart shouldnt be expected to know, and understand, history ???

I have said over and over.. Simple people making a dumb choice.. Well its offensive but down to ignorance and stupidity.. Or going for shock value.. But educators doing the same thing ?? Allowing such a thing to happen and not using the process as a point of education.. Thats simply unacceptable.

A punk going for shock value.. Meh.. Is what it is.. Dumb but not unusual.. A teacher failing to understand.. Isnt a teacher who should be in work.

[thailiketoo]

No one in the events you mentioned wore a Swastika or had a photo of Hitler on the wall.

But they were all interconnected and happened here..

Secondly we are not just talking general public.. we are talking educators.. are you seriously trying to say the history teacher at sacred heart shouldnt be expected to know, and understand, history ???

I have said over and over.. Simple people making a dumb choice.. Well its offensive but down to ignorance and stupidity.. Or going for shock value.. But educators doing the same thing ?? Allowing such a thing to happen and not using the process as a point of education.. Thats simply unacceptable.

A punk going for shock value.. Meh.. Is what it is.. Dumb but not unusual.. A teacher failing to understand.. Isnt a teacher who should be in work.

What you fail to understand is; it is your history, not their history. WWII did not effect Thailand. It was 70 years ago. 50 years ago was the Vietnam war. Thai soldiers went to Vietnam and fought and died with their American allies. The Vietnam war did not effect Thailand. I fought in Thailand and Vietnam during that period of time and my uncle landed on the beaches of Normandy on D Day. It is my history. I know all about it. Thais know about wars where they still had elephant charges.

The history of WWII teaches that the Germans are bad people (50 million killed). The history of the Great Leap Forward (45 million killed) teaches that Chinese are bad people. Which is more important for Thais to learn?

Edited December 26, 2014 by thailiketoo

[LivinLOS]

WWII most definitely was Thai history.. Huge effects.. Throughout the region..

And yes I expect educators (less so general public) to know about them both and their implications..

An ignorant educator should not be employed as one.

[DeaconJohn]

WWII most definitely was Thai history.. Huge effects.. Throughout the region..

And yes I expect educators (less so general public) to know about them both and their implications..

An ignorant educator should not be employed as one.

For Thais, WWII meant the Japanese presence here, not the Germans.

That is what the old people living today remember and tell stories about.

The Nazis were and are irrelevant to them.

That is living history as it is handed down by their elders.

What some teacher tells them in school matters much less.

[thailiketoo]

WWII most definitely was Thai history.. Huge effects.. Throughout the region..

And yes I expect educators (less so general public) to know about them both and their implications..

An ignorant educator should not be employed as one.

WWII had little effect on Thailand. Few civilian causalities, little property destroyed, not much infrastructure improved.

Tell me one huge effect? I wrote before 99% of Thais don't know what the Victory Monument is for.

Vietnam war; much larger effect because of giant steps forward in commerce and infrastructure yet few Thais know anything about it.

Thais are taught ancient history with far greater detail. The USA student is not taught about native American genocide nor is the British child taught about famine in the colonies. It's life. Countries don't like to air dirty laundry.

Thais will never be taught anything about WWII. They were on the wrong side. Might as well get over it.

They don't know who the Nazis were and will never know; it has no relevance to their culture.

There is no Nazi movement in Thailand and never was and never will be. Communist maybe but not Nazi.

[northernjohn]

WWII most definitely was Thai history.. Huge effects.. Throughout the region..

And yes I expect educators (less so general public) to know about them both and their implications..

An ignorant educator should not be employed as one.

Are you suggesting an ignorant educator is some one who knows nothing about what bothers you. That is no more related to him than you are to Cortez.

Edited December 26, 2014 by northernjohn

[LivinLOS]

WWII most definitely was Thai history.. Huge effects.. Throughout the region..

And yes I expect educators (less so general public) to know about them both and their implications..

An ignorant educator should not be employed as one.

For Thais, WWII meant the Japanese presence here, not the Germans.

That is what the old people living today remember and tell stories about.

The Nazis were and are irrelevant to them.

That is living history as it is handed down by their elders.

What some teacher tells them in school matters much less.

And when said teacher.. Sanctions the kind of sports day rally I put the pictures up of earlier.. They are too ignorant to teach.

[LivinLOS]

WWII most definitely was Thai history.. Huge effects.. Throughout the region..

And yes I expect educators (less so general public) to know about them both and their implications..

An ignorant educator should not be employed as one.

Are you suggesting an ignorant educator is some one who knows nothing about what bothers you. That is no more related to him than you are to Cortez.

Your saying that an educator in history doesnt need to know and understand history ??

As an educator.. It most certainly is 'related to him'..

[LivinLOS]

Tell me one huge effect? I wrote before 99% of Thais don't know what the Victory Monument is for.

The japanese invading, and effectively colonizing them !!

Declaring war on the allied powers.. Joining the losing team in the great game so to speak..

[thailiketoo]

Tell me one huge effect? I wrote before 99% of Thais don't know what the Victory Monument is for.

The japanese invading, and effectively colonizing them !!

Declaring war on the allied powers.. Joining the losing team in the great game so to speak..

If the Japanese had invaded you might have a point; however they didn't. In exchange for a favorable negotiation of the Franco Thai war Thailand agreed to allow the Japanese to transit Thailand and attack Singapore.

The Japanese paid the Thais for everything throughout the war and in no way colonized them. The Thais were Japan's only voluntary ally during WWII and almost no causalities especially among the Japanese resistance (2 maybe 3 died).

You are right they joined a losing team but didn't pay for it. Little reparations and no convictions in war crimes trial. Hence, no effect that's why no Thais know anything about it and what little they do know is wrong but tell me where is the Hitler and Swastika stuff in your Thai history lesson? Many Nazi come here?

Thais are not acquainted with your history and you are not acquainted with theirs. They are knowledgeable about a very small bit of their own history hence they can't be insulting. They don't have the knowledge that an insult would require. The few who know they fought a war in the 1940's think they won by looking at the Victory monument.

I'm sure the Greeks who fought at Thermopile would be insulted with the mascot for Michigan State's football team. But, trust me. The boys who play football don't have a clue about the battle so they could not mean any ill will by their mascot.

Edited December 26, 2014 by thailiketoo

[LivinLOS]

If the Japanese had invaded you might have a point; however they didn't. In exchange for a favorable negotiation of the Franco Thai war Thailand agreed to allow the Japanese to transit Thailand and attack Singapore.

What are you talking about..

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

The Japanese invasion of Thailand occurred on December 8, 1941. It was fought between Thailand and the Empire of Japan.

They bombed the airport.. Attacked all down the peninsula.. They attacked with Army, Navy and Air force..

At the time of the ceasefire, Britain and the United States regarded Thailand as Japanese-occupied territory.

On 14 December, Phibun signed a secret agreement with the Japanese committing Thai troops in the Malayan Campaign and Burma Campaign. An alliance between Thailand and Japan was formally signed on December 21, 1941. On January 25, 1942, the Thai government declared war on the United States and the United Kingdom