Hammer and Sickle: As Offensive as the Swastika?

[giblets]

Continued from this thread. When Albert Speer announced his departure on yet another quest to join the USMC, I proclaimed that I would bet my avatar that he would succeed this time. Ben took up my offer. Naturally, I won, and for the spoils of victory I requested that he use a rather fetching hammer and sickle avatar. To make things short, Ben argued that this was the equivalent of asking someone to use the Nazi flag as an avatar. But what do you think?

[SlowwHand]

I don't care for either one, but I don't care for the Swastika more.

[MrFun]

Continued from this thread. When Albert Speer announced his departure on yet another quest to join the USMC, I proclaimed that I would bet my avatar that he would succeed this time. Ben took up my offer. Naturally, I won, and for the spoils of victory I requested that he use a rather fetching hammer and sickle avatar. To make things short, Ben argued that this was the equivalent of asking someone to use the Nazi flag as an avatar. But what do you think?

The Russian communist government forcibly expelled hundreds of thousands of Germans after World War II, and was responsible for millions of deaths through collectivization of farms, and the gulag system.

Comparing the horrors of the Holocaust under Nazi Germany with the horrible crimes of communist Russia though is kinda pointless though. Can't we just agree that both governments were inhumanly cruel?

[Egbert]

Ben should make good on his wager by using the Hammer & Sickle for a few weeks.

[Alexander's Horse]

The Swastika is totally offensive and you should change your avatar Gribbler, not funny.

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Swastika is actually illegal in some countries, and you could have issues in theory if someone bothered to connect this account with your real life person and you lived there. Hammer and sickle on the other hand - no issues of that sort.

[Alexander's Horse]

someone probably will report him if he keeps that avatar

[kentonio]

Swastika is actually illegal in some countries, and you could have issues in theory if someone bothered to connect this account with your real life person and you lived there. Hammer and sickle on the other hand - no issues of that sort.

Gribbler's American though, isn't he? The only issues it could realistically cause would be to any German/Austrian posters who had it on screen as a random cop wandered by or whatever.

*EDIT* Just checked and the list is longer than just Germany/Austria..

Germany
Austria
Poland
Hungary
Lithuania
Brazil

With punishments ranging from jailtime to fines. Seems pretty wildly unlikely that anyone would be charged for just having it on screen, but might lead to some awkward questions.

[Krill]

Gribbler's American though, isn't he? The only issues it could realistically cause would be to any German/Austrian posters who had it on screen as a random cop wandered by or whatever.

*EDIT* Just checked and the list is longer than just Germany/Austria..

Germany
Austria
Poland
Hungary
Lithuania
Brazil

With punishments ranging from jailtime to fines. Seems pretty wildly unlikely that anyone would be charged for just having it on screen, but might lead to some awkward questions.

I'd love to see someone in Germany try to prosecute an individual for going to a forum that had a picture of a swastika. The whole scenario is quite retarded.

[Krill]

Continued from this thread. When Albert Speer announced his departure on yet another quest to join the USMC, I proclaimed that I would bet my avatar that he would succeed this time. Ben took up my offer. Naturally, I won, and for the spoils of victory I requested that he use a rather fetching hammer and sickle avatar. To make things short, Ben argued that this was the equivalent of asking someone to use the Nazi flag as an avatar. But what do you think?

I say we ban Ben for the next 25 years for breaking his agreement. And change his avatar to one where Jesus is raping babies.

[Docfeelgood]

[kentonio]

I'd love to see someone in Germany try to prosecute an individual for going to a forum that had a picture of a swastika. The whole scenario is quite retarded.

It is, but there's potential for suspected association with neo-nazis and so forth. As I said, it seems most likely that it'd just result in some awkward questions.

[Krill]

It is, but there's potential for suspected association with neo-nazis and so forth. As I said, it seems most likely that it'd just result in some awkward questions.

Look at it this way. I email a random person in Germany (public official with a publicly available email address) a question or two, and in the second or third email I place a swastika.

I've not broken the law because I'm not subject to German law whilst in the UK, and there is no EU law governing this. But the German official has broken the German law by receiving an email and looking at something a none-German national has sent him?

I understand the point about Neo-Nazis but the implementation is not enforceable.

[Sava]

the swastika is worse
grib, you are ignored until you get rid of it

[Sava]

I don't need to know the second he stops using it. Flying a swastika is worse than anything I've ever seen BK do. BK's actions with regards to the bet speak for themselves. There's no reason to make a point with a Nazi avatar.

Maybe I'll check grib's profile next week to see if he's taken it down.