The CPAC stage is in the shape of a Nordic rune used by Hitler's SS & white supremacists

[highplainsdem]

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

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[Fiendish Thingy]

1. This sure as hell better get some coverage on the news tonight...nt

[Hekate]

16. Write to your favorite viewer comment lines. Sometimes they need a heads-up.

Absolutely serious about this.

[highplainsdem]

2. ADL page on this rune:

https://www.adl.org/education/references/hate-symbols/othala-rune

[Harker]

64. Thanks.

As the ADL points out, "care should be taken to evaluate the symbol in thecontext in which it appears."

In this context, it's clearly a hate symbols.

[Mike 03]

3. Oh wow

Thanks to the alert people who spotted this.

If Paddy Chayefsky put what we are seeing in a screenplay for a political movie made in the 70s it would have been called daring, brilliant and biting satire. But this is just getting too real and too scary.

[greenjar_01]

4. Hmmmm

[Beakybird]

5. Oh my fucking God!

[alittlelark]

19. I said the same thing out loud when I saw it too

[ironflange]

37. I only said "holy cow" but the sentiment is the same

[rickyhall]

6. I am watching Sleepy Hollow tv series reruns on Hulu & evil demons used that very same rune.

Coincidence?

[AwakeAtLast]

34. I love that show!

Very underrated!

[electric_blue68]

53. Shame they cancelled it.

[Ilsa]

59. Is that only on Hulu?

I watched the last season and wished I had caught it from the beginning. I suspect the stories were becoming more "stretched" at the end of the series. I enjoyed the formality of behavior, and I like horror mysteries with historic settings.

[TlalocW]

7. Eh, I think this is a stretch

I mean, the typical Bubba and Bubbette going to CPAC are there to hate gays safely with others of like mind. Bubba's not going to nudge Bubbette and whisper, "Look at the stage!" and she's not going to get it if he did. While I'm sure there are infinite designs for a stage, that's probably a smaller number for practical "cool" stages for that particular space. Besides, what secret message are they sending? That they're racist fascists? Everyone already knows that.

TlalocW

[movingviolation]

13. The attending boobs in general might not notice,

but you just cannot convince me that the set designer was completely ignorant of the implication of the symbology.
All effectively affective designers are aware of the use of symbolism, color, proportion, and other psychological triggering mechanisms used in modern marketing.

[AnotherMother4Peace]

25. The boobs seem to be knowledgeable about these symbols - so I bet they know.

[Locrian]

69. yes

they LOVE this secret decoder ring type of crap.
They definitely know the symbols, or will love it when someone else clues them in

[dianaredwing]

70. Agreed

Anything that has been used in mass media as a symbol of hatred and ugliness is something that they all would know well.

[Brother Buzz]

15. On one level, you're correct, but....

it's a HUGE dog whistle for a boatload of miscreants.

[malaise]

21. And deliberately so

It's offensive on steroids

[hatrack]

17. Not at all - it's about showing that they don't care if we know what they are

It's all they have left, and this choice of design was deliberate. A stage is a stage is a stage, but somebody went out of their way to use this design

They've been pegging the needle ever farther to the right for decades now. And eventually, as with heroin addiction, you need ever-bigger doses of "FUCK YOU LIBTARDS!!!" to tickle the funnybones of the hateful inbred cracker voters they seek.

This fills that need, and then some.

[Hekate]

20. It's a dog-whistle for those with a penchant for such things, like our proliferation of militias...

Yes, yes it is.

[unblock]

23. If it were an isolated incident, maybe it could have been accidental

On rare occasions, a democratic politician or campaign somewhere will accidentally use some offensive symbol. It gets called out, someone has to apologize, maybe a staffer gets fired, and it's fixed and done.

But it's different when it's done by party or related organization that traffics in this sort of symbolism all the damn time.

Right-wingers have a long history of using offensive symbols then pretending it was unintentional or that they had no idea. Again and again and again and again.

These people are fascists and some of their members and supporters are overtly fascist and even overtly nazis/neo-nazis. So a nazi symbol is featured prominently and we're supposed to think it's an accident?

Please.

[lagomorph777]

30. I think you underestimate the level of commitment these pigs have to their sick cause.

I assure you, every one of the thousands of people who showed up on January 6th will know what that is.

[ZonkerHarris]

45. FYI, Nazi's know their symbols like you know a stop sign.

[uncle ray]

48. and plead complete ignorance when called out on it.

fuckin cowards.

[wnylib]

46. I'm betting that the average German did not

know the origin and meaning of the odal insignia on the collars of SS men, either. But it was there for people who did see it and did understand and identify with it.

I'm curious about why you downplay the obvious. It is neither normal nor accidental for a stage to take a distorted shape that just also happens to be a Nazi symbol. Is it just too bold for your mind to wrap around the idea that it is real and intentional?

[TlalocW]

50. No, because I'm a web programmer

And I work with a lot of designers - really good designers, and I need more than my two hands to count all the times they've made phallic symbols (and other stuff) in a background or in a graphic and not realized it. And even if they honestly meant it to be that - and I admit that's a real possibility - they already say stuff just as bad.

TlalocW

[wnylib]

54. And yet....

You can be sure that there are people in the CPAC leadership who DO know what the stage design symbolizes since there are neo Nazis among them. Even if the design came about accidentally, they still chose to go with it.

The fact that they already say things just as bad and that the design reflects the poltical nature of the things they say is too much coincidence for me to believe that it is not intentional.

[drmeow]

58. I agree that it is very

easy to inadvertently do stupid things like that when you are focusing on something else - like when Drake University tried to rebrand itself as D and then launched a promotion/rebranding to highlight the advantages of attending Drake with the bold new logo of D+ (which I suppose is better than if their name had started with f).

However, in this case I personally don't think it is accidentally, at least not wholly. There are design styles that fascists gravitate towards - the Nazis and the Soviets often had similar artistic and architectural styles. Straight lines, hard angles and edges, etc. I don't think someone necessarily selected that symbol for the stage but I do think they were trying to achieve a certain look and feel and likely had a subconscious memory of that symbol along with other similar looks and symbols.

[FlyingPiggy]

60. That is a pretty elaborate coincidence. Where there is smoke, there is usually fire

[movingviolation]

8. Between the Odal Rune shaped stage and golden trump big boy statue...

I'm left to wonder why they just don't clone hitler.

[rickyhall]

11. They did but can't figure why he has orange hair.

[movingviolation]

14. He's like a degraded xerox of hitler.

[rickyhall]

18. Xerox. I remember the smell.

And that scene from Fast Times at Ridgemont High

[Dreampuff]

36. That golden statue is absolutely ridiculous

Even though it isn't actually made of gold. There's a story about bad in the Old Testament and it seems to fit this time in history, doesn't it?

[moondust]

9. No accident.

I'm pretty sure NOBODY would accidentally stumble upon that design and decide to use it rather than some other, simpler stage design.

[Withywindle]

52. yeah it's not a natural stage shape at all

Somebody put a lot of work into that. No way is it a mistake of any kind.

[highplainsdem]

61. Can't recall ever seeing any other stage in that shape.

[dem4decades]

10. Have they started saluting Herr Trump yet?

[Celerity]

41. for over 5 years now

'Hail Trump!': Richard Spencer Speech Excerpts

[Grokenstein]

68. Remember when Ingraham pulled THIS $#!%?

and the trumpologists said, "naw, y'all crazy"?

[Celerity]

77. that is a straight up stiff arm nazi salute, and she is so white power

[madaboutharry]

12. Much to the horror and consternation of Norwegians.

These Nazis need to stop stealing the symbols and emblems of decent people.,

[underpants]

22. Reminds me of Hydra too

Just saying for a friend.

[frazzled]

24. Not just some accidental stage design

Flag of the Volksdeutsche 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen.


Insignias of the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen and the 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland.
The rendition of the Odal rune with wings or feet (serifs) was the emblem of ethnic Germans (Volksdeutsche) of the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen operating during World War II in the Nazi Germany-sponsored Independent State of Croatia. This rendition has been used by the Neo-Nazi Wiking-Jugend in Germany, and in South Africa by the Anglo-Afrikaner Bond, the Boeremag, the Blanke Bevrydingsbeweging,[5] and the Italian neo-fascist group National Vanguard. This particular rendition has no historical significance outside of Nazi Germany. Because of its Nazi associations, Strafgesetzbuch 86a bans any usage of the Odal rune as with most other symbols if used in a Neo-Nazi context.

Another version with arrows on the end was used by the 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odal_(rune)

[Azathoth]

26. Once upon a time it might have been accidental

But definitely not in the age of the Trump/alt-right GOP.

[gldstwmn]

27. We got some big problems.

It's not over people. They will try again.

[dweller]

28. It's not the first time

Remember America first t-shirts?
https://www.fastcompany.com/90524067/new-trump-campaign-tee-says-america-first-but-nazi-symbol-is-front-and-center

✌🏻

[highplainsdem]

32. I remember:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213685802

[Celerity]

43. and

[AKwannabe]

29. Fuck

That can’t be coincidence!

There is no bottom!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

31. Who is surprised by this?

trump supporters are all Nazis

[Iggo]

33. No way. It's just the OK sign. Nothing to worry about.

[Kid Berwyn]

55. As if they'd believe the Big Lie!

Next thing people will say they’re trying to overthrow an election!

[WarGamer]

35. to add additional info...

It's the symbol for the 7th Volunteer SS Mountain Division which consisted of volunteers from across modern day Central and Eastern Europe.

[SayItLoud]

38. Ask Bibi in Israel

How he feels about his buddy tRUMP being part of this.

[Jetheels]

72. And the Jewish trump supporters. I don't get how they're able to overlook blatant nazism.

I met up with some friends the other day in the park. Gay married. They like trump. Hate Biden. It’s all so baffling. Oh, and I talked with someone in Michigan. They still don’t believe in masks. We’re bitching about how the governor ruined small businesses.

[colorado_ufo]

39. When I saw them setting up the CPAC name and star on a red background, it immediately reminded me of

Russia. Then the "golden (and fatted) Trump calf." Now this.

[Aussie105]

40. Stands to reason.

Both the historic German Nazis and the current American Nazis were/are desperate to find some legitimate and heroic anchor for their evil intent in past mythology.

What 'better' than Nordic symbolism?

Bent minds will like it, sane people will go . . . . nah, that's a bridge I'm not prepared to cross.

May Thor strike them all down!
Today would be nice!

But at least with them all gathering like that, it makes it easy to identify who the bent minds are.
Just photograph them, identify, publish their names please FBI!

[BobTheSubgenius]

42. Oh. Gee. What. A. Surprise.

The world keeps getting weirder and weirder. And not in a good way.

[Aussie105]

44. Nah, just America!

Some bent mind fringe dwellers might see this and have second thoughts about which way they want their world to move to, I'm hoping.

It's a deranged hate fest, not a political 'let's have a chat!'.
Can the local police or FBI go in and break it up? I will accept any reason for them doing so.

Those Jewish space lasers would come in real handy right now. Alas!

[TNNurse]

47. I feel sure that the majority of the people there are too ignorant to know this.

But someone who was in on the planning certainly did.

[Grasswire2]

49. Remember the Third Reich motif of the stage at Mt. Rushmore.

It's a theme.

A feature, not a bug.

[smirkymonkey]

51. They aren't even trying to hide it anymore.

They are actually celebrating the fact that they are a full-fledged right-wing, nationalst, neo-Nazi, racist hate group. It's fucking sick. I don't even think the actual Nazis were this blatant.

[Oldem]

73. That was my reaction, too. They're advertising themselves

to the world. They're proud of who they are. It reveals the same arrogance as the people in the coup attempt who shouted their allegiance to white nationalism and called themselves patriots. Anybody who doesn't get the point now is blind or self-deluded. It's no more accidental than the golden statue of dump or the Nazi salutes.

This is a fascist orgy. I'd hope that cooler heads would prevail when the convention is over, but there are few cooler heads left in the repug party. It has devolved to the worst version of itself, a version that has always been there but is now gleefully flaunting its true nature.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

56. The Radical Republican Reich, formerly the Republican Party, is a threat to the U.S.

[dianaredwing]

71. Why didn't we make naziism illegal at the end of WWII?

Just curious. I do a lot of research and have never come across this question. Seems like the best time to ban something is when most of the country/world agrees that it is bad.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

76. Such a ban would run into the 1st amendment.

I don't know how you could craft such a law when peaceful assembly and free speech is guaranteed. The only thing illegal would be the violent action that Nazis love.

[Hortensis]

57. Bill Kristol said the TPAC spirit's now closer to that of a Munich beer hall

with cult of personality and authoritarian spirit than the previous fringey mix of "Star Wars bar," t-shirt vendors and Republican pols they used to joke about. He was hedging his public description of the Trumpzi (my word) spirit, but did say he found it chilling and scary.

[keithbvadu2]

62. "racial purity"

"racial purity"

"...as well as the SS-Rasse- und Siedlungshauptamt, which was responsible for maintaining the racial purity of the SS.[10]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runic_insignia_of_the_Schutzstaffel#/media/File:Odal_rune.svg

[dlk]

63. Their in your face fascism is nauseating

[housecat]

65. Make all repubes own this. Use it in campaign ads and show them on Faux news

[Roc2020]

66. This is the GOP now

at least they have stopped hiding it.

[Harker]

67. Madison Square Garden, 1939.

The appropriation of Nazi symbolism (and behavior) is not new here.

[Oldem]

74. The Odal rune means

heritage; inheritance, inherited estate." (Wikipedia) CPAC and the repug party are advertising that they mean to take the country for the "heritage; inheritance, [and] inherited estate" of whites. It is their heritage and legitimate inheritance that is endangered by a looming multi-racial majority. CPAC is staking out its claim to racism.

[Ferrets are Cool]

75. Tell me it's not eerily similar....