April 13, 2017

Children’s book tells kids how great Mao was

Filed under: History by Orangemaster @ 5:37 pm

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Not long after a Dutch drugstore peddled a colouring book with Hitler and has it pulled in record time, a children’s book about Chinese dictator leader Mao Zedong has been published, aimed at children and that’s just fine, apparently.

As of this week, Dutch kids will have the opportunity to read about how much of a ‘great man’ Mao Zedong was, as ‘Let’s Read About Mao Zedong’ has been translated into Dutch as ‘Laten Wij Over Mao Zedong Lezen’. “Without understanding Mao Zedong, it will be very hard to truly understand the present China,” explained Lenard Wolters, founder and CEO of Dutch publisher Leonon Media.

The question is, are they going to tell Dutch children that Mao killed the equivalent of about three times the entire current population of the Netherlands? I’d bet if they did, kids will have nightmares for a long time. And if they ignore the atrocities he’s committed as the bloodiest dictator of all times, then they are lying to children and it’s propaganda.

Then a book about the good things Stalin did has to be next, right? I mean if Hitler and Mao have a book… Pol Pot? Mussolini? Franco? Mao Zedong is responsible for killing about 40-45 million people and possibly more depending on your source, by starvation, prison labour and executions.

I hope children learn the truth at some point.

(Link: globaltimes.cn, Photo by Adam Jones, some rights reserved)

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April 6, 2017

Dutch drugstore peddles colouring book with Hitler

Filed under: Art,History,Weird by Orangemaster @ 8:21 pm

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Ah yes, it’s truly springtime for Hitler.

A colouring book from Dutch drugstore chain Kruidvat, handed out with a specific condom brand, contains an image of Hitler making a Nazi salute and wearing a Swastika armband, in what has to be one of the oddest sentences I’ve written in a while, with the exception of the title of this posting.

The story started making the rounds after it hit Dutch social media and was quickly removed after being on sale for half a day by the chain, followed by some apologising and refunds. The colouring book also includes other historical figures such as Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein and Abraham Lincoln.

Why a condom manufacturer is handing out colouring book is beyond me. The book was printed in India, which incidentally is where the original symbol of the Swastika comes from, but how that connects in any way, shape or form to a dictator in a colouring book offered by a condom company remains a mystery.

Links: waarmaarraar.nl, bbc.com, Photo by Adam Jones, some rights reserved)

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February 14, 2017

Bookshop owner wins in court over Hitler’s memoirs

Filed under: History,Literature by Orangemaster @ 8:27 pm

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Michiel van Eyck, owner of the Totalitarian Art Gallery in Amsterdam has won his case against the Dutch Jewish Federation about selling a signed copy of Adolf Hitler’s memoirs, ‘Mein Kampf’.

According to the Supreme Court, Van Eyck was selling the book as a historical item and not to spread hate. While the sale of Mein Kampf is banned in the Netherlands under anti-discrimination laws, it can easily be found online and in libraries, making the ban absurd and outdated.

(Photo by Adam Jones, some rights reserved)

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January 16, 2015

‘Jesus and Hitler may offend, but Stalin is fine’

Filed under: Photography by Orangemaster @ 3:57 pm

Art student Dirk Hardy of Rotterdam’s Willem de Kooning academy has had two of his photographs censored from an exhibition at the town hall of Binnenmaas, South Holland. The mayor ‘vetoed’ a photograph of Jesus and one of Hitler, saying it could be offensive to some. However, a photograph of Stalin was no problem.

The exhibition entitled ‘Clay’ was a series of six images: Jesus, Hitler, Stalin, Napoleon, Tom Cruise and himself. The town suggested Hardy come with two other photographs to ‘fill in the gaps’.

Someone who thinks Hitler is offensive, but has no issues with Stalin doesn’t know their history at all. Although very different, Stalin is responsible for killing some 30 million people (yup, Jews, too) and Mao probably killed the most ever at around 78 million. Hitler comes in third with 17 million people killed. If you’re going to be a moron and censor Hitler, you also need to remove Stalin or else you’re an inconsistent, ignorant moron. And censoring Jesus is, as some Dutch friends would say, ‘a bit boring’.

(Links: imgur.com, Photo of Lenin in Ukraine by covilha, some rights reserved)

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January 15, 2014

Bookshop owner to go to court for selling Hitler’s memoirs

Filed under: History,Literature by Orangemaster @ 8:42 pm

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Michiel van Eyck, owner of the Totalitarian Art Gallery in Amsterdam was questioned by police for an hour recently on the sale of Adolf Hitler’s memoirs Mein Kampf.

You see, the sale of Mein Kampf is banned in the Netherlands under anti-discrimination laws. Sure, you can just score it online instead, which is legal and makes the ban absurd and not very useful.

Van Eyck feels that selling the famous memoirs is not inciting hatred, as he also sells books written by Stalin, Mao and the likes. He hopes to go to court to have what he feels is an outdated ban overturned.

(Link: www.amsterdamherald.com)

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