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'Toy' panda may be result of Nazi plot to destroy Christmas in Alberta
A 'Nazi' panda bear that popped out of several 'Christmas crackers' managed to dampen the holiday spirit for several Albertan families over the holidays.
'Toy' panda may be result of Nazi plot to destroy Christmas in Alberta
by Don Domino
Calgary - Some Alberta families got a test in cultural symbolism over the holidays. According to CTV, when the families cracked their “Christmas crackers” at dinner, several of them discovered a little toy panda bear. But this was no ordinary panda bear. This one wears a small “military cap with a swastika-like emblem on it”, and what “appears to [be]… a military medal painted on his chest.” The bear also has its arm raised in what looks like a Nazi salute.
The swastika symbol has been widely associated with Hitler’s Nazi party in Germany ever since they attempted world domination in the 1940s.
Christmas crackers traditionally bring lots of party-fun for dinnertime at Christmas and New Years. Not this year for Lynda Tomilin from Calgary, however, who “was disgusted” when she saw the toy at her family dinner. Taking no chances, she quickly confiscated all unopened Christmas crackers from her family members and guests.
“Of course the girls were saying ‘Can I have one?’ But we said no,” she told the media.
Martin Walpert is president of Walpert Industries Incorporated in Lachine, Quebec, the company who profits from the crackers’ manufacture. He estimates that “no more than 10 swastika-bearing pandas” were produced in the Chinese factory where they were assembled. Still, novelty shops and party stores are removing the product from their shelves, and consumers are being warned about the cultural taboo disguised as a party toy.
Mr. Walpert “intends to ensure it doesn’t happen again”, said the corporate media, but he also defended the incident as a cultural misunderstanding. In Christian dominated society we are accustomed to the swastika symbolizing Nazism and anti-Semitism. But according to many non-Western religious beliefs like Buddhism and Hinduism, the swastika can symbolize prosperity, good luck or other positive meanings. The swastika’s origin is actually from the Sanskrit word for ‘well-being.’
The symbol has found its way into many cultures throughout history, many of them hundreds of years before Hitler tried to take over the world. There is evidence for example that several ancient Hindu, Celtic, and Germanic cultures used the swastika symbol, as did some central Asian and pre-Columbus American peoples.
Still, some believe the toy is inappropriate, especially one Jewish man, who appeared on CTV evening news on Dec 30. He found one of the swastika-bears during a Hanukkah celebration with his family. While he was shocked to discover the bear, he hopes it is just a misunderstanding and not the result of “sinister intentions.”
Whether or not the toy foreshadows another Nazi attempt at world domination remains to be seen. But for now the toys have been recalled, and parents like Ms. Tomilin can rest assured she won’t have to tell her children about the Nazis at least until they are sixteen.
For the CTV report go to: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1041275598599_67//
Edmonton Journal: http://www.canada.com/search/story.aspx?id=e0d62c89-b64e-4607-84e3-3396107535d5
by Don Domino
Calgary - Some Alberta families got a test in cultural symbolism over the holidays. According to CTV, when the families cracked their “Christmas crackers” at dinner, several of them discovered a little toy panda bear. But this was no ordinary panda bear. This one wears a small “military cap with a swastika-like emblem on it”, and what “appears to [be]… a military medal painted on his chest.” The bear also has its arm raised in what looks like a Nazi salute.
The swastika symbol has been widely associated with Hitler’s Nazi party in Germany ever since they attempted world domination in the 1940s.
Christmas crackers traditionally bring lots of party-fun for dinnertime at Christmas and New Years. Not this year for Lynda Tomilin from Calgary, however, who “was disgusted” when she saw the toy at her family dinner. Taking no chances, she quickly confiscated all unopened Christmas crackers from her family members and guests.
“Of course the girls were saying ‘Can I have one?’ But we said no,” she told the media.
Martin Walpert is president of Walpert Industries Incorporated in Lachine, Quebec, the company who profits from the crackers’ manufacture. He estimates that “no more than 10 swastika-bearing pandas” were produced in the Chinese factory where they were assembled. Still, novelty shops and party stores are removing the product from their shelves, and consumers are being warned about the cultural taboo disguised as a party toy.
Mr. Walpert “intends to ensure it doesn’t happen again”, said the corporate media, but he also defended the incident as a cultural misunderstanding. In Christian dominated society we are accustomed to the swastika symbolizing Nazism and anti-Semitism. But according to many non-Western religious beliefs like Buddhism and Hinduism, the swastika can symbolize prosperity, good luck or other positive meanings. The swastika’s origin is actually from the Sanskrit word for ‘well-being.’
The symbol has found its way into many cultures throughout history, many of them hundreds of years before Hitler tried to take over the world. There is evidence for example that several ancient Hindu, Celtic, and Germanic cultures used the swastika symbol, as did some central Asian and pre-Columbus American peoples.
Still, some believe the toy is inappropriate, especially one Jewish man, who appeared on CTV evening news on Dec 30. He found one of the swastika-bears during a Hanukkah celebration with his family. While he was shocked to discover the bear, he hopes it is just a misunderstanding and not the result of “sinister intentions.”
Whether or not the toy foreshadows another Nazi attempt at world domination remains to be seen. But for now the toys have been recalled, and parents like Ms. Tomilin can rest assured she won’t have to tell her children about the Nazis at least until they are sixteen.
For the CTV report go to: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1041275598599_67//
Edmonton Journal: http://www.canada.com/search/story.aspx?id=e0d62c89-b64e-4607-84e3-3396107535d5
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I had to spend about an hour just before New Years with a couple from Isreal on one side of me on the couch, and a pro-Palestinian Libertarian from Chicago across the table! They went at it, on and on and on.
The interesting thing was that the Israeli couple made a lot of sense, until they pointed out - with a smug smile and a shrug - that as long as the curfews are in place, the suicide bombings have stopped.
At that point I realized how sick they are - not their fault - just that anyone gets sick in the position the whole region is in. And it was sad to see that two people who are highly educated and claiming to not align with the government, can still be essentially blind to what they are doing. They're good good people, but look what happens to the best of us. What a nightmare.
The Chicago guy made a comparison between the ghettos in Poland and they grew angry, saying no Jews blew anything up . . . until after. But apparently that 'after' part was supposed to make all the difference.
The other thing was that one of them had served in the military and he started to go on and on about how the 'rocks' aren't like small stones but can kill! And come from slings! And all the children have guns and so they have to be shot, otherwise . .. The pro-Palestinian guy grew infuriated, saying no rock, no matter how large, is any match for a rifle or any gun, and the other Isreali appeared to back down, or change the subject.
Also offensive was how the Israelis said nothing of the excessive numbers of civilian deaths - esp when the guy brought up the missiles into apartment buildings - and would then conveniently claim, then, to be against the government.
And when the conversation started, he'd asked "Is Israel safe?" and they defended how safe Israel is compared to the US in terms of numbers. That their civilian deaths are such a small number. But then they have nothing to say of the large numbers of Palestinian civilian deaths.
And they had to add things like how the Israelis were trying harder for peace, and how Israel will probably have a larger piece of land in the end.
It's amazing, what this does to people.
The Israelis were also smug about how 'restrained' the army was being, and constantly saying that it was huge violent crowds of thousands, from which gunman shoot from within. So what choice is there? "If the army wasn't showing restraint," they said, almost proudly, "there would be hundreds killed, and not just one or a few every day."
The guy from Chicago kept trying to compare between the 'cowboys and indians' in the US, and the Israelis kept saying that the native americans have all been assimilated and that the Palestinians are too established for that to happen. It was sort of an ugly viewpoint, like it came from a book, rehearsed. They also had a whole set of arguments, also highly rehearsed, about Northern Ireland and a couple of other places.
It was pretty bizarre, also sad, if not horrific.
Of course there's no Nazi conspiracy - lighten up a little!