mercuriosity, posts by tag: taiwan - LiveJournal (original) (raw)
I saw a scooter with a Nazi flag sticker on it today...which is at least the second one I've seen here in Taiwan. And I can honestly say I'm baffled.
I'm aware of the swastika as a symbol of Buddhism and other religions, but this is definitely not it. Which leaves two possibilities: 1) the sticker-putter doesn't realize what the symbol stands for, or 2) the sticker-putter endorses what the symbol stands for. The second option barely makes any sense, given the setting, but I'm finding it hard to believe the first option. While thinking about it, I began to wonder: Was I insulting Taiwanese people by thinking they might be ignorant of such a potent symbol of World War II? Or was I being Euro-centric by assuming that people the world over would necessarily recognize the symbol and attach the same historical importance to it as people in the West?
Any thoughts, O wise flist?