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- Kythas, on 07/07/2009, -0/+55The Iron Cross had great historical significance. Just because Hitler was awarded one during World War I was no reason to abandon it. Doing so cheapened the award for all soldiers who had received it since its inception, and abandoned the heroism and sacrifice for the rank and file German soldier who was doing his duty for his country.
- GeorgeStone2, on 07/07/2009, -1/+54A bit of a shame that they ever got rid of it at all.
Sure it got a bad name after WW2, but still... It's traditional. - whatthefu, on 07/07/2009, -1/+39Good for them.
- Leminnes, on 07/08/2009, -1/+31This is something that needed to be done. Germany is no longer what they were, neither in leadership nor ideals, so they should be able to give their distinguished members of their military awards. Especially for acts of bravery.
- sb66, on 07/09/2009, -1/+25Nazis were total bastards of course; but you have to admit they had some pretty cool looking uniforms.
- inactive, on 07/09/2009, -0/+18Read a ***** book, the Iron Cross is a German tradition, not a Nazi one
- kernel16, on 07/09/2009, -0/+17Well when you hire Hugo Boss to design your uniforms, that's the result...
- Leminnes, on 07/08/2009, -2/+17You are a nasty, nasty man. We should gas you before you cause any more agony to us.
- TheHIV, on 07/09/2009, -0/+15I always loved the design of the Iron Cross. Its such a shame that the primary association with it is with the Nazis.
- lwhassell, on 07/08/2009, -0/+13I don't see why they needed to change the medal's design? Hell, it doesn't even look like iron anymore.
- omgItsJon, on 07/09/2009, -1/+13Actually genius it predates WW2. That's what he was referring to when he called it traditional.
- inactive, on 07/09/2009, -1/+12It's not talked about much, but to be honest, Hitler did deserve his Iron Cross from WW1. He was a big help to the war effort and was pretty seriously injured in the line of duty.
His later years obviously out-shadow his soldier years but they still happened. - SavageIndustrie, on 07/25/2009, -2/+11That looks amazing! I would be honored to wear that if it were presented. Good for these guys!
- scarredup, on 07/09/2009, -0/+9Agreed. Hitler received his Iron Cross for honorable service to his country during World War 1. It shouldn't be stigmatized just because he later became a disgusting mass murderer and a tyrant who destroyed his own country.
- norwegianlegion, on 07/09/2009, -1/+10Can't we properly hate the Nazi leaders, war/fear profiteers, and general complacency/fear without demonizing their culture, their people, and without giving Germany a negative connotation? Who is in the wrong now?
Before you say: "Well the German people didn't do anything to stop it!" I have few letters for you: A) Think about how hard it would be for you to try to off Obama. Exactly. Paranoid Hitler probably tried even harder to keep himself safe, and surrounded himself with people who benefited from him staying alive. B) People still tried. C) You try putting yourself in a culture where less than unwavering support of Fascism risked you being put in a Concentration Camp, and then consider hiding Jews in your attic. D) Many people still tried, and died.
Come to think of it, I would love to see a movie of the German perspective, kind of like a yang to Band of Brothers. The moral crisis, the conflicted sense of duty and humanity, the influence of propaganda and fascist culture, the fighting of an impossible war, what it would feel like being lead by the largely strategically incompetent Hitler, the hopelessness of the last years, seeing those that have to retreat instead of good ol' American boys marching across Europe.
But it's funny how we always demonize the losers. The British, The Confederates, The Japanese, The Germans (x2), hell, we even root for the Romans and The Huns because they win! Some say patriot, some say terrorist. God is always on your side and always against your enemies.
Patriotism and Nationalism are (or should be considered) synonymous with faith: glorified and willful ignorance. Grow a pair and dare to color outside the societal lines. - Digg32539, on 07/09/2009, -0/+8They should have stuck with the original design.
- WordsnCollision, on 07/07/2009, -1/+8Will the Blue Max be next?
- ByteGuerilla, on 07/09/2009, -0/+7They didn't get rid of the Iron Cross, they just didn't have any military medals for anything other than service itself after WWII since they couldn't go to war and were occupied by Russia and the West for a spell. The Iron Cross medal actually got redesigned after WWII to replace the swastika on it with oak leaves, but it never got awarded afterwards.
The Iron Cross as an emblem was used for the Wehrmacht in WWII, and then immediately after WWII it was used for the Bundeswehr. It never got expunged from Germany. The news about this award is more about Germany starting to award military action medals once again, since they've seen increasing deployment and thus action overseas, than the reinstatement of a symbol used by the Nazi war machine. It could have been an Iron Smurf and it would be the same debate, albeit a little more hilarious. - vinod1978, on 07/09/2009, -0/+6I can't believe that this is the truth - but it is! Learned something new...
- HerrWolf, on 07/09/2009, -0/+6Many forms of the Swastika are still used today, in places where it has some religious meaning.
- copypastry, on 07/09/2009, -0/+6Nazis were snappy dressers.
- SmokenJoe, on 07/09/2009, -2/+7Take away a nations freedom and tax them to death and bad things happen. We have treated defeated nations better sence WWI but the blame really needs to be spread a little to the nations that were exploiting them. Treat people like rats and that is what they will act like.
War is evil but sometimes you need to defend your self no nation has found a cure yet. The cross is silly make it look like the original. The new one looks like one pinned on a politicians chest. - TheHIV, on 07/09/2009, -0/+5I... umm... what?
- feellife, on 07/09/2009, -0/+4I think the swastika is a pretty symbol and the various traditional religious meanings behind it are usually positive. I see nothing wrong with reclaiming the swastika as a symbol of good. Why let the douches from a different time take it away from us?
- verkon, on 07/09/2009, -1/+5Hate to see germany being pussyfied. Come on god dammit, get back to your as-kicking roots! Who gives a ***** what USA thinks.
- inactive, on 07/09/2009, -1/+4In short;Yes. Not everything revolves around Western Civilization.
- yan89, on 07/09/2009, -0/+3The German Bundeswehr (Federal Armed Forces) have the iron cross as their decal.
- kingatrock, on 07/09/2009, -3/+5uh oh, on the article page some germans are saying "real germans" this and "GDR is not real germany" etc.. next its "pure germans" etc. I can understand patriotism but if you lose 2 world wars and foster arguably the world's greatest monster as your leader.. expect some changes. They should redesign it though, too cheap looking.
- Barrysk, on 07/09/2009, -0/+2Hitler received his Iron Cross for heroism. The officer who nominated him for the Iron Cross was Jewish.
- BotchaMcCoola, on 07/09/2009, -0/+2They are too smart now for killing wars. The just fight away with economic might. No stinking dead bodies, bomb craters, or mountains of debris to clean up and replace.
- vinod1978, on 07/09/2009, -0/+2In Hinduism the "swastika" means good fortune, luck and well-being. it's called svasti and has nothing to do with Germany or Hitler, and if you ever go into a Hindu temple you'll see it all over the place. I'm assuming many other religions/countries use it as well.
- sotose, on 07/09/2009, -0/+2Don't mention the war!
- ByteGuerilla, on 07/09/2009, -0/+1I did it once but I think I got away with it!
- URnotheonly1, on 07/09/2009, -0/+1did u see which way that birds head was facing?
- thatgreekguy, on 07/09/2009, -1/+2all quiet on the western front.
- ByteGuerilla, on 07/09/2009, -0/+1And have never stopped using it, even after the War. Not that I think they should have, it's just this article seems to think that after the War the Iron Cross was expunged from Germany, when it totally wasn't. Even the Iron Cross as a medal wasn't expunged, it just stopped being used since they didn't have anything for which to award since they couldn't go to war and were occupied by Russia and the West for a while. This is more about Germany reinstating military medals than reinstating the Iron Cross. It could be about awarding an Iron Smurf medal for all it matters.
- DulcetTone, on 07/09/2009, -1/+2Germany has to get back on that bicycle and start killing again.
- acherion, on 07/09/2009, -0/+1If you read the article properly, they're calling it an Honor Cross. AFAIK honor isn't particularly associated with any color.
- Pinkertinkle, on 07/09/2009, -1/+2Can they get some oak leaves with that? How about some swords and diamonds too?
- BotchaMcCoola, on 07/09/2009, -0/+1Still it is a militaristic twist of the Christian Cross, which is appropriate if it is true that the Knights Templar first came up with it.
- BotchaMcCoola, on 07/09/2009, -0/+1I think you had better try to catch up with the times. There is no way they would give up all the income from the US for the military bases alone. Who has the better rail and road transportation systems, medical system, builds better cars and solar panels, etc. than the US? In WW2 we went in and killed their militarist morons and left smarter people in charge. Now let's see, who won WW2 again?
- spoon088, on 07/09/2009, -0/+1I don't see anything politically correct about changing medals. Ban any medal Hitler himself created and awarded, not stuff that existed way before. That's like banning the swastika because of Hitler when it's a symbol used for thousands of years is many cultures, including Buddhism.
- Half-Fast, on 07/10/2009, -0/+1I served in (West) Germany in the 80's in the Army and met a lot of German soldiers. Never disliked a single one. It's been a long time since the Nazis although no excuses should ever be made for their actions.
Let them move on and acknowledge the bravery of their soldiers and the tradition that goes with the award which existed long before Hitler. - inactive, on 07/09/2009, -0/+1Brown is the colour of honour.
- inactive, on 07/09/2009, -0/+1They did, it was called the punk movement and it happened 30 years ago.
keep up. - vinod1978, on 07/09/2009, -0/+1To be fair to yawncircle - have you guys ever seen German porn?
I ***** you not (pun intended), their porn is the raunchiest porn ever with ***** & piss in every 3rd scene. - inactive, on 07/09/2009, -0/+1So does that mean the rebel flag can be brought back without accusations of racism?
- failtrain, on 07/09/2009, -1/+1I got home late tonight. Victoria cross :(
- BotchaMcCoola, on 07/09/2009, -1/+1Very well said. Perhaps you may like my observation that WW2 can be viewed as rescuing Germany, Japan and Italy from their military dictatorships. Now that so many militarist genes have been replaced by smarter people they are prospering perhaps better than the US.
- inactive, on 07/09/2009, -1/+1I know nothing of Germany's current politics. All I remember is what happened in two world wars trying to take over Europe and eventually the world if they had their way. Why they even have any kind of army is beyond me. Track record. Enough said.
Mark, Toronto, Canada
Why do people like this exist..... -
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