The George Soros left, at play;
By day, Marc Garlasco was [Human Rights Watch’s] only military expert, the person that its Emergencies Division would send to conflict zones to investigate alleged war crimes. He wrote reports condemning the dropping of cluster bombs in the Russia-Georgia war, the alleged illegal use of white phosphorus by the Israeli army in Gaza and coalition tactics that he said “unnecessarily” put Iraqi or Afghan civilians at risk. An enthusiastic source of quotes for the media, he was incessantly on the phone to journalists.
But by night, Garlasco was “Flak88”, an obsessive contributor to internet forums on Third Reich memorabilia and an avid collector of badges and medals emblazoned with swastikas and eagles.
What? what? you mean someone on the left secretly wants to kill all the Jews? No, we do not condone violence [except against conservatives].
/channeling for T
Warren Kantsellit will surely want to photograph that collection.
This guy’s expertise and objectivity has been called to question many times…but his hobby…collecting artifacts is irrelevant.
Dammit I have a 1944 Walther P38…that doesn’t make me KKK/neo Nazi.
“The enthusiasts for Third Reich memorabilia who meet up in cyberspace make up a cosy little community. In one posting Garlasco put up a photograph of himself wearing a sweatshirt with an Iron Cross on the front, sitting next to his daughter. One of his internet buddies comments: “Love the sweatshirt… Not one I could wear here in Germany though — well I could but it would be a lot of hassle.””
Weren’t there some parents near Winnipeg who had their children taken away by the “authorities” not too long ago for doing the whole white supremacy thing. Not saying that this guy is doing the same, but this little one is associating the symbols that her hero is wearing, and in all likelihood model that “war memorabilia” just like him one day.
If only the left do-gooders would apply the same standards to themselves as they do to the rest of the poor masses…oh yeah, their motto is:
“Do as I say, not as I do” so it fits in well.
George Soros has the monkeys trained very well!
My old neighbour was in the Royal Canadian Artillery in WWII. He was a forward observer. He will be disheartened to know that some of the badges he liberated automatically make him a nazi sympathizer.
I’m sure that, if we were to look closely we would find other things he did in the night, because as we know, the Nazi nightlife was filled with all sorts of bizarre pastimes. (Not that here’s anything wrong with that!)
Ok I am not sure on this one, collecting Nazi memorabilia while working for HRW….bad judgment in choice of hobby for the optics of the organization? Sure, but implies Nazi sympathy? No
I am sorry I really do not see the conflict unless of course his work for HRW was filled with statements like “the only HR violation was that not enough Jews were killed in the conflict”.
This is simply one of those “looks bad, looks really bad” type situations. He probably should quit because for a HR charity these types of activities are frowned upon. Yet an University Professor who collects Nazi stuff is usually viewed as a open minded historical collector, yet we let them teach our kids.
So I ask, assuming that both have Nazi Sympathies, which is more likely to have a bigger impact on society?
Funny, eh. Just like so many politicians, who go and on with their anti-queer rants and eventually get dragged out of their own closets, these “human rights” types are ferreted out of their….crematoriums?
Assets:
I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees the irony.
What about Marc Garlasco’s human right to puruse whatever hobby he likes?
It’s just a collection of memorabilia and it’s a huge leap to imply he’s a Jew-hater.
But then, that’s yet another example of human nature’s ability to rush to judgement that has been so clearly demonstrated recently.
I’ve not examined the content of Garlasco’s forum postings, but I’d be hesitant to say that someone who collects Nazi military items is automatically a Nazi. That would be like saying that someone who collects guns is automatically a murderer, something the regulars here should understand is not true.
I despise Nazis as much as I despise communists, but the Nazis and their Prussian predecessors had the coolest uniforms ever invented, especially the SS.
I own plenty of old Eastern Bloc uniform items and currency. I consider them as relics of a failed system, not something to be admired. Same thing as confederate dollars.
the man is a scholar . . . and he gets fired for it.
http://www.amazon.com/Flak-Badges-Luftwaffe-Heer/sim/0979796946/2
Wonder what they would co to William Shirer
From the post:
“[Garlasco] is a keen gun-owner, a member of the National Rifle Association, had worked for the Pentagon and counted key members of the military as friends.”
…
“Garlasco himself apparently resented what he felt was pressure to sex up claims of Israeli violations of laws of war in Gaza and Lebanon, or to stick by initial assessments even when they turned out to be incorrect.
“In June 2006, Garlasco had alleged that an explosion on a Gaza beach that killed seven people had been caused by Israeli shelling. However, after seeing the details of an Israeli army investigation that closely examined the relevant ballistics and blast patterns, he subsequently told the Jerusalem Post that he had been wrong and that the deaths were probably caused by an unexploded munition in the sand. But this went down badly at Human Rights Watch HQ in New York, and the admission was retracted by an HRW press release the next day.”
Along with the disillusioned founder of HRW, this guy seems the sane one in the bunch. SDA is gloating over his downfall why?
The irony is in the persecution that this person gets from his leftist comrades who espouse policies not that different than the Nazis. Guilt by association of politically incorrect collectibles, now that’s tolerance any statist can aspire to.
Full disclosure, I have a 1935 7mm mauser in mint condition.
I am not so sure on this one either since I can say from experience that I collect stamps but that does not make me a postman.
I took a quick look online at his book, which he published under his own name, and it seems his interest is more academic and historical than it is fanatical and the book is not something your average skinhead would write.
A poor choice of hobby perhaps, but who am I to judge what a man collects for fun.
Collecting model airplanes does not make you a pilot, owning a model railroad does not make you an engineer and owning Nazi memorabilia does not make you a Nazi.
Although Mr. Garlasco has many obvious faults, he should be cut some slack on this.
I’m gratified to see many of the comments on this thread, which throw into stark relief one of the key differences I’ve come to expect between liberals and conservatives.
Many here, rightly, using logic and reason, and overlooking other abhorrent aspects of this fellow, that there is no reason to rush to any kind of judgment over this specific issue.
Liberals, however, will not hesitate to use the flimsiest of pretexts to cast their political foes in an unsavory light (e.g. Sask NDP and the Wall Arizona investment property “scandal”). As we’ve seen recently, they’re also not beneath fabricating events either (e.g. brick through the 30th floor window of a Democrat politician).
Granted, this is a generalization. In my experience, however, it will prove out more often than not.
At the very least, Mr. Garlasco’s hobby is very suspect.
I am with sasquatch, POWinCA and John Chittick in this and like many of the posters above in that I managed to pick up a few items of both communist and Nazi badge,medal and headgear memorabilia while earning the Queen’s shilling, but vehemently oppose both socialist ideologies. Let us judge the man not for what he collects, but for what he does.
In neo-nazi speak, 88 stands for the letters of the alphabet HH. Short hand for Heil Hitler.
Granted, the Flak88 was an actual gun, used by the Germans.
Draw your own conclusions.
Kate’s header on this post;
” The George Soros left, at play; ”
Sarc is the default. I think Kate meant nothing more than that.
I recall wandering through a flea market in Vancouver, (the largest) and coming across what looked to be skin-heads (well their heads were shaved) selling little tea-sets, with cups and saucers, bearing the swastika on them; they were apparently, the real thing. I recall another fellow who looked repulsed (and Jewish) and I know I’m gonna hear about that comment, saying “Can you imagine what kind of people drank out of those”? In this case I think he had a point, though just because you collect Nazi regalia is no reason to suspect that you are a facist.
Sorry – Make that “fascist”.
> I own plenty of old Eastern Bloc
> uniform items and currency.
I collect Soviet manufactured film cameras, my favorite being the Kiev 60 with a large complement of Arsat lenses. I even have adapters that allow me to use the Arsat glass on my Canon EOS digital bodies. I’m not a communist in the least, although I admit I’m starting to wonder about the federal Conservatives after having been witness to their last few budgets.
My now-deceased army uncle collected a few Nazi
memorabilia the honorable way – by shooting the German first
(they have long since been discarded).
Another article rich with irony. I agree with those who feel one can’t assume fascination with nazi memorabilia = nazi sympathies. Heck, I had a two disc collection of German WWII music that I bought at Sears of all places. (I also had several discs by the Red Army Chorus — amazing voices, beautiful Russian folk songs). But that hardly makes me a nazi or a communist. In fact listening to the music is an interesting study in the seductiveness of mass movements — and eerily chilling when the children’s voices are heard.
I think the article points up the absurdity of the leftist worldview — the need for rigid orthodoxy, the inability to define boundaries, the inability to tolerate or even comprehend any deviation from the orthodoxy. One can just see Garlasco’s bosses tossing in bed at night wondering if he’s truly “one of us” or if, heaven forbid, he may think for himself and have a bit of a quirky hobby to boot. Conservative’s and libertarians would/should shrug it off as, “Weird hobby; as long as he’s on the straight and narrow in his work — vive la difference.”
Kinda off-topic, but did anyone notice the link on the right about the Queen’s decision not to attend the Halifax tattoo during her visit later this year? Apparently, the organizers thought that the 12 step staircase was too steep for the 83-year old monarch to ascend, and denied her access to the stage. The Queen, who still rides horses, and regularly uses the much larger staircases at Bucks Palace, was not amused, and cancelled her appearance.
Good on ya, Liz. Tell these perpetual nannies where to stuff it.
I’ve got a Nazi pennant with blood stains on it and a Luger. Does that make me a Nazi or the son of a brave man who went ashore on the first wave at Juno. Not getting rid of them either.
How can a Iron Cross be wrong? The Iron cross was in use before WWII. I could be judged to unhealthy like for guns and Landrovers, both used by nasty 3rd world dictators to subdue their populations
I feel that the most important “fact” in the article was how the HRW delt with this matter
this collector would appear to be some what right leaning, being a member of the NRA and all
the HRW found it politically expedient to divest themselves of some one they didn’t understand, and who may embarass them. And so violating that person’s “human right”
Awfully nice of some of you to give him some benefit of the doubt. You might want to consider that his internet name, Flak88, is based on the 8th letter of the alphabet, H, as in HH, as in Heil Hitler, but that’s just a bit of wit on his part I’m sure.
Just to add to this, owning nazi memorabilia does not make anyone a nazi sympathizer, but his login name does point us in the direction. 88 is a special number to the aryan nations crowd, it stands for HH (Heil Hitler). So a login name of Flak88 points to nazi sympathies.
Rick
File that one under Not News……………………………
Another Washroom Lurker ?
Rick. The Flak 88 was an anti aircraft gun, later modified for anti-take duties, used by the Nazis in WW2.
Flak is a German short form of Fliegerabwehrkanone, meaning anti-aircraft gun. The weapon had a diameter of 88mm. Hence, Flak 88.
The name, Flak88, being used as a modern day internet handle means nothing. It would certainly be a stretch in logic, to be charitable, to argue it is suggestive of Nazi sympathies.
Err…anti-TANK duties….
Agreed Colin. Again, given the context, it’s pretty hard to draw any damning inferences. The dual purpose 88 was one of the most dreaded weapons in the wehrmacht and luftwaffe arsenals, so using it as a blog handle, while conducive to speculation would hardly be pointing very strongly in any particular direction. The rule of charity would, I agree, require that we cut him some slack on this one.
I don’t know about cutting him too much slack. Yes,being a collector does not make one a devotee of that particular cause.BUT,if your job is to monitor human rights abuses,and you collect memorabilia from one of the worst ever,it does bring your judgement into question.
Yes, true, but he wasn’t a gun collector, but a memorabilia collector. He wasn’t collecting his favorite gun.
From a personal point, I have about 15 books on the third reich. I have 100s of mysteries, 60+ on whiskey, and 50+ for Dungeons and Dragons, and anyone who walked into my library only saw the Third Reich books. Their eyes were drawn to them, for obvious reasons. So, after many accusations of being a skinhead, I split them up. a couple here, a couple there, so that they were not a group. That was what it took for a computer geek to avoid the Nazi label. This guy worked for a human rights NGO. How could he NOT get nervous around the items?
People,..his handle is Flak 88, and he wrote one of the definitive books on collecting the badges that the crews of said gun wore.
If anyone can point to anything this man has said that is pro Hitler, anti-Semitic or racist, please feel free to do so…
I collect military artifacts from the first and second world war, and have my grandfathers German Cross in Gold award document, personally signed (not auto pen, by one Mr. A. Hitler)for actions in North Africa.
I don’t goosestep down the street, and I would suggest that the vast majority who collect these items don’t either. Who collects this type of item?..read the post count here, are you shocked so many are interested in this field?
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/index.php