So where to start with one? Can we blame the overall apathy of the Thai education system? A lack of historical knowledge or perhaps it is all just a mis-understanding?
Well, it is a lot of misunderstandings, educational apathy and a lack of real, meaningful contact with the outside world.
The swastika was adopted by the Nazis in the 1930s as a readily available symbol to be able to rally around. Say what you want about the Nazis but you have to give them credit where it is due and in design, propaganda and right down to the snazzy uniforms worn by the SS (designed by Hugo Boss – you did know that – right?) they were very good at propaganda and marketing.
The swastika though was not though a new symbol, it had been in use for millennia in the Far East and it was the Nazis that more or less brought it to Europe for use. In the East it a symbol pertaining to good luck and movement.. So in the East it never has got the bad press that the symbol has got in the West.
And that little fact is what messes up the whole system… resulting in this:
Most people in Thailand they have never had very much exposure to the whole Western Front War of Europe circa 1939-45. Even several generations later anyone in the West can quickly identify the symbols but not so readily in the East. In the East the swastika is nothing more than a symbol of good luck. The swastika in black on red and white just looks plain wonderful to the average person here… there is no historical connection at all. Hard to believe but true…
But where does this all come from? It comes from a lack of education in most of the schools to anything outside of Thailand. To say they are insular is a bit an understatement. Really, I don’t think outside of the International Schools anyone knows anything about western history, but they do know their Thai history, of which I know very little. So it does go both ways… although I can point out Russia on a map and I am still waiting to be beaten at that one…
I was driving along with a younger Thai teen who was wearing a swastika shirt and asked him if he knew what it was he was wearing. He really had no idea, to him it was just a lucky symbol. After I explained the whole WW2 thing to him he assured me he would burn it when he got home. And he did, there was no offense in what he was doing. He was actually innocent in his actions. He actually turned a bright red as I explained the historical significance.
And that really is what it is all about. The people just don’t know, they were not taught very much about it and really have no idea. And truly not one Thai person I have talked to means any offense at all… Of course it is picked up by western media and they are off to the front page with it… But there is no malice in their actions.
Nazi uniform designed by Hugo Boss and made with slave labour…
Lets be honest, the Nazi uniforms look great, designed by Hugo Boss and all, and compared to say Canadian or Brit uniforms at the time, well… very sleek compared to the rather utilitarian and drab…So someone who does not know about history and cannot read English, looks for a snazzy idea for a uniforms on the Internet… and guess what they come across – and guess what the kids are dressed in next week for the school teams… Outrage ensues and yet it was innocent… Should someone be outraged when they see a swastika in Thailand? Yeah, maybe deep down but take it with a grain of salt and don’t go ballistic. Getting outraged will not help at all.
So what can you do when you see this in Thailand? I would say just explain to the people what it was all about and try to educate them in a gentle way and once enough people here know, well it will probably just go away to the trash-bin of history – where it all belongs…
But enough about hatred and events from long ago, watch the video below and tell me if it is not inspiring. We can talk about hatred and inhumanity all day, but love and hope and faith in man is a much better deal.Interestingly enough it was Charlie Chaplin’s first speaking role and fits in here quite well…
