Swastikas and Red Stars

History is not an exact science, knowledge about things and events of the past is not only added to and refined, but its perception may change in relation to the evolution of society as a whole. The chroniclers of ancient times often wrote along the monarch desire, otherwise they risked their neck.

History is not an exact science, knowledge

about things and events of the past is not only

added to and refined, but its perception may

change in relation to the evolution of society as

a whole. The chroniclers of ancient times often

wrote along the monarch desire, otherwise they

risked their neck. Those who then set about

writing down about events that occurred during

the reigns of monarchs who were already dead

and therefore harmless, in turn often committed

errors or fabrications for the simple reason that

they had few sources or had favorites they did not

want to disgrace, and vice versa. First half of the

16th Century Czech chronicler Wenceslaus Hájek

from Libočany could tell a story about such an

approach... In his time, he too had limited sources

of information and usually interpreted what little

he found in his own way. He was not alone in this,

and he was by no means the last. Like medieval

or ancient rulers, modern despots like to alter

history in their own way. Some time ago, on one

of the (a)social networks (primarily set up to

increase the reach of human narrowness and

smallness, I think), I noticed a reel by a lady of

about 50 years of age who took umbrage at the

fact that some historical events are now spoken

and written about differently than she was taught

in school. She used the word “unbelievable”

about twenty times, probably because of her

weak vocabulary due to her poor education. The

person in question obviously lives in the belief

that history is an exact science, which is of

course nonsense. Unfortunately, in our country

still dragging a lot from the communist era,

the communist interpretation of history, which,

well beyond the work of Wenceslaus Hájek of

Libočany, resembles the fairy-tale Chronicle of

the so-called Dalimil (early 14th Century ), still

greatly influences the worldview of not only the

older generation. Like a mental cancer, the lies

that were drilled into our heads by our teachers

spread from our parents and grandparents to

the younger generation. If we add to this the

weakness of contemporary education, then it is

no wonder that we still have the heroic Soviet

Union, which was insidiously attacked by the

Nazis and then saved the whole of Europe, and

hence the world, from their tyranny. No, that is

not the case, dear children, the Soviet Union was

only saving its own ass and extinguishing what it

had helped to set on fire with great initiative, in

order to then ruthlessly exploit it all in a race for

the World ruling. Under the sign of the red star,

people have died quite needlessly both by the

hand of their enemies as well as their own leaders’.

As many as 17 million people were killed during

the Russian civil war that followed the Bolsheviks’

(i.e. Communist) seizure of power and nearly

1.5 million people were killed during the “Great

Purge” by which the Communists settled their

accounts and got rid of uncomfortable “elements”.

All in all, some 12 million people were “terminated”

during the Stalinist purges. Until the monstrous

communist ideology was embraced by Mao Tse-

Tung to dispose of an estimated seventy million

people in various ways, the Soviet Union was

the leader of the “hit parade” of mass murders

crimes committed directly under the flag and

state symbols of the country. And in both cases,

the red five-pointed star, which in terms of

symbolism of atrocities is equaling the swastika,

played a role. However, while the swastika lost,

the red star won, at least in the eyes of those

who adopt as their interpretation of history the

lessons of the Communist Party’s point of view.

And that is why today we have laws that seek to

erase the swastika from history, while the red

star can continue to shine cheerfully, even as

a symbol of the most heinous atrocities whenever

and wherever.

Today, we have to cope with legislation that

tries to erase the Nazi symbol from history in

the preparation of plastic models somehow.

Swastikas have to be deleted from paint

schemes, boxarts and decals, even in the form

of small symbols of aerial victories, which the

Allied fighters of the time certainly didn’t paint on

their planes to promote Nazism. In other words,

the legislator de facto misses the point of his

own work.

To be honest, I am not in favor of banning the

use of Nazi symbols provided they are used solely

in connection with the depiction of historical

events, just as I am not in favor of banning the

red five-pointed star. I’ve yet to see a symbol,

no matter what it is, do evil on its own. Evil on

this planet is perpetrated solely by humans,

and those who wish to perpetrate or promote it

will not be stopped by any legislation. Turning

a blind eye to history is strikingly reminiscent

not only of Wenceslaus Hájek from Libočany,

or that versifying joker we call Dalimil, but

especially of communist comrades who wrote

history textbooks so that everything would fit

into a predetermined ideology. And this is a very

dangerous development. Personally, I am very

curious if the letter “Z”, the symbol of newer

Russian atrocities, will be measured by the same

yardstick as the swastika. I don’t know about

you, but I probably can’t do without it, it is a quite

useful letter …

SWASTIKAS AND RED STARS

Text: Richard Plos

INFO Eduard122

Červenec 2024