Mystical Angels

My friend wants to "rehabilitate" the Nazi swastika and use it as a symbol of life, right?

I told him that in the name of this symbol, some of the most evil and barbaric atrocities in recorded history were commited, and that he could be putting himself in physical danger. How do I talk him out of it? For the record, he is a liberal/progressive and detests everything Hitler and his ilk stood for. he finds the swastika mystical and fascinating. I told him most people are not smart enough to dig where he's coming from and he'd best chill out with that idea.

Public Comments

1. big mistake. The swastika will forever be associated with the attrocity of Hitler.
2. He will be looked at as crazy by anyone in western culture. Maybe he should move to the orient where it's still a symbol of peace and balance in some places (the original meaning before Hitler). Does he realize some 100 million people died during World War Two?
3. he should start with rehabilitating Auschwitz, I am sure he will find the experience mystical and fascinating. He is not very smart, is he ? does he have a moustache and dark hair ?
4. It originated as a symbol of peace in India (I think it was India). The nazis stole it and mutated it to their own evil purposes. I don't think many in the Western world would be happy with a swastika in any form. It represents too many bad things.
5. Hitler hijacked the swastika and used it for his own evil purposes. It existed in eastern religion before the Nazis ever came to power, so technically it's always been a symbol of life and peace. The nazis turned it into a hate symbol. If he's willing to risk the social consequences then that's his choice.
6. I can see where he's coming from, the swastika is a very interesting symbol. But it has been permanently ruined. Perhaps move to places where people are Jainists, because their symbol is also a swastika.
7. I remember learning in school that it used to be a symbol of peace in Asia. But I believe it was a backward version of the swastika. I think you're right, people won't accept it.
8. Rather than use the swastika I have a better idea... most native american tribes of the algonquin stock have always viewed a backwards swastika (zz versus the ss swastika) as an extremely good luck symbol. Also it is used still today among some of the more Traditional tribes. So let your friend know that, that could be used for the icon of his movement. Plus it is backward and he could use that as a symbol of hitlers movement being reversed and meaning the opposite of hitlers repression. btw I am a traditional kickapoo and we have always revered the backwards swastika as a good luck symbol.
9. He'll be grilled by everybody for using that sign!
10. It was originally an ancient symbol but it has a lot of bad meanings associated with it. However the most evil atrocities in history were not committed by Hitler, it was actually by Stalin. 30 million people murdered and we sided with him.