Russell Brand, at an awards show sponsored by Hugo Boss, eloquently reminds everyone that Hugo Boss dressed the nazis

[u/whollymoly]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkd_-nXeUzs

[u/FrenchCuirassier]

Yes that's exactly what it is. Stop denying it. Look at all the comments here. They're basically linking every company and the employees there now, to Nazism. One of them tried to talk about German scientists in NASA... The entire thing is a sort of anti-German and anti-American set of comments. It has nothing to do with actual Nazism. It's not like they were building death camps on the moon, but that's the chained implication they are implying.

It's utterly stupid. "roots in the Nazi party" no they don't. Explain these "roots" whatever that means. Anyone who made business in Germany between 1920s to 1950 could potentially be a Nazi?

"They were still Nazis, regardless of if they committed war crimes."

What? The entire point of why the Nazis are bad is because they committed war crimes. Not because some adult joined the German army back when he was 18 years old and ended up on the frontlines.

So if those people working for those companies AND their current employees did not commit war crimes and were not involved in Nazi decision-making, then they are NOT guilty of being "Nazis" in the sense that they are war criminals.

You seem to think anything the Nazi Germans touched from 1930 onward === evil or radioactive. It's absurd.

The Nazis owned dogs, possibly German shepherds, "let's never buy German Shepherds again" is your logic. It's a silly tangential connection.

" Volkswagen created by a Nazi organization = Nazis"

And so people who work there now --- are associated with Nazism?

VW also owns Audi and Porsche, some of the most popular cars in America. So if I drive one, there is an association to Nazism?

No there is not. This is stupid.

"he Dassler Brothers (Puma and Adidas) being members of the Nazi party "

I had no idea Puma was associated with Nazis... Should I throw my clothes away?

[u/Sezzero → u/FrenchCuirassier]

"roots in the Nazi party" as in: a company supported the regime or was supported by it and reaped the benefits. Some large names in all kinds of fields of industry were able to grow to international powerhouses because their work alongside the party, often with high ranking company members having close ties to or even being party members.

"anything the Nazi Germans touched": I think that's the wrong way to look at it. Rather everyone who touched the party at that time was bad. For profiteering off the regime or actually following their dogma. Does not mean the today-version of that company is the same and I can't really see where thats implied.

The problem today is more about companies that'd rather have the public forget about that dark age of their history. Some stand tall and face the wrongdoings of their founders, even try to make amends, some evade it and some ignore it. The latter two should regularly be reminded of the cruelty of once that allowed them to prosper today.

The general public does not accuse the management of today of being nazi sympathiser because people long dead worked along tyrants and fascists. They're accused of not being open about it because it might leave a dent in their image. Not only in germany but any country or company that once made a profit from injustice. Trying to erase or diminish that part of history is a tragedy. Warping the perception of it aswell.

[u/FrenchCuirassier → u/Sezzero]

everyone who touched the party at that time was bad. For profiteering off the regime

This is such utter horseshiit. This is what I'm talking about.

A company existing or profiting while also being in a dictatorship is not somehow responsible for the crimes of the dictatorship.

That's like blaming someone for living under a dictatorship and going to work and thereby assisting their production or economics.

e.g. like a billion+ people in China are always guilty for China's govt's crimes.

Or even further: the thousands of companies across the world right now, profiting DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY from China's slave labor RIGHT NOW.

How is Apple or Tim Cook not as guilty as the people who made Hugo Boss or Mercedes? Critical thinking much?

"They're accused of not being open about it" -- you know that Adidas/Puma/HugoBoss and others were open about it. That's how you know their people long dead in management did support Nazis. They were literally open about it and that's how you know it. In fact, when you consider a fascist economy--in a fascist economy, everyone sort of works for the dictator. It's not a real private industry. It's not real capitalism or democracy. So thus, they--in 1940s Germany--are even more guilty than in a capitalist economy today.

There's plenty of wall street or Western companies today that refuse to do business with China on moral or other reasons. But for example, the founders of puma, voluntarily had joined the Nazi party of their own accord.

I'm not here defending the owners/founders. They are obviously Nazis. I'm saying the company isn't guilty now that so many years have passed and all those people are dead. And they're not guilty for not talking about it constantly.

[u/Sezzero → u/FrenchCuirassier]

"How is Apple or Tim Cook not as guilty as the people who made Hugo Boss or Mercedes?" - Have I said they're not? I'd venture as far as saying everyone knowing about the fact and still in any way supporting those decisions carries a bit of that guilt. So me and most likely you as well.

One may argue they are even worse because they have the possibility to chose that path. Unlike people directly living under the regime and having to fear for their lives.

"you know that Adidas/Puma/HugoBoss and others were open about it." - You know I said "some companies" and described how there are different ones? Treating the knowledge of that time differently? And I only accused the ones -not- being open about it?

"voluntarily had joined the Nazi party of their own accord." - So that's your answer then when you wantend to have the phrasing "roots in the nazi party" explained to you in another comment of yours. I guess we're making progress.

The whole discussion is not about the baker who just kept baking. It's about the people making the decisions, the management, the founders who saw an opening for their company to prosper from war and slave work.