"Cover Those Nazi Symbols, Please?"
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"Cover Those Nazi Symbols, Please?"
The New York Times releases a small disgusting detail about reporting in Ukraine
The New York Times just released a story called “Nazi Symbols on Ukraine’s Front Lines Highlight Thorny Issues of History,” about whether or not it means anything that some Ukrainian soldiers have been photographed wearing Nazi Death’s Head or “Totenkopf” symbols. One passage stands out:
In November, during a meeting with Times reporters near the front line, a Ukrainian press officer wore a Totenkopf variation made by a company called R3ICH (pronounced “Reich”). He said he did not believe the patch was affiliated with the Nazis. A second press officer present said other journalists had asked soldiers to remove the patch before taking photographs.
The institutional obstacles to getting clear information about the war in Ukraine are formidable, from embedding rules barring journalists from entering “red zones” (and requiring escorts in “yellow” areas), to casualties undercounted by officials on both sides, to open use of planted stories, to harassment of voices who go against official messaging. Journalists asking soldiers to remove Nazi patches is a new level of insanity. With the line between propagandist and reporter all but dissolved, how long before embeds are offered NATO uniforms? Who thinks this is a good idea?
"Cover Those Nazi Symbols, Please?"
This is the same American corporate press which will collectively wig out over a stage layout at CPAC that supposedly resembles an ancient Norse rune used as a Nazi symbol (https://archive.is/5w1iK), or flamboyantly accuse a staffer seen making the "OK" sign at the Kavanaugh confirmation hearing of utilizing "Nazi dogwhistles." (https://archive.is/xdvP7)
But a Totenkopf patch designed by a company named Reich is just an unfortunate coincidence of bad optics. Sure.
The Grandfathers of the nationalist movement in Ukraine that assumed power in the 2014 coup were Nazi era collaborators. This included forming SS units to round up Jews and fight the Red Army, and included two full divisions of Ukrainian soldiers who helped the Third Reich man the Atlantic Wall in France, where Ukrainian soldiers battled the D-Day landing forces on Germany's behalf. Yes, you read that right. Allied forces on D-Day fought Ukrainian troops who were part of the Third Reich. Today's Ukrainian nationalists are Nazi-loving and hate Russians for among other things "race mixing" and not remaining "true Slav's." Those are their ideas, not mine. No amount of MSM whitewashing is going to cover up why Ukrainian units have Nazi symbols or hide the fact that this current Ukrainian government and its thugs are fully fueled by hate and are brutally amoral.