Yeah, that's a swastika. It's also a US Navy barracks but apparently we were all blissfully ignorant of this "fopar" if you will, until Google effin' Earth came along. It was fine for 40 years but now that anyone can pull up their browser and see satellite images within seconds, our Naval branch is run by a bunch of frickin' Nazis.
"I'm concerned about symbolism," he said. "This is not the type of message America needs to be sending to the world."
Well that's all well and good but aren't we like 58 gazillion dollars in debt right now? Isn't the Navy fighting a war at the moment? Surely there must be better ways to spend that money while at the same time sending a better message to the rest of the world. Can't 600 g-notes feed the entire country of Chad for like 6 months?
This whole thing just reeks of insecurity to me.
Dave vonKleist, host of "The Power Hour," a Missouri-based radio-talk show...
And that about sums that up.
Posted by: Assman | September 27, 2007 at 11:36 AM
Why don't they just look at it for what it is?
"The term is derived from Sanskrit svasti, meaning well-being. The Thai greeting sawasdee is from the same root and carries the same implication. Archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates from the Neolithic period. It has long been widely-used in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It is also a symbol in the modern Unicode and is often imprinted on religious texts, marriage invitations, and decorations. It is used to mark religious flags in Jainism and Buddhist temples in Asia."
Americans are obsessed with their freaking image. Maybe they could paint a big happy face over the entire roof.
Posted by: Eli | September 27, 2007 at 12:14 PM
Maybe they could paint a big happy face over the entire roof.
I was thinking a big middle finger would work.
Posted by: Art Vandelay | September 27, 2007 at 12:17 PM
It's not like this is the first time it's happened. I can remember hearing many years ago about a realization that a nursing home looked like a swastika when viewed from above. It's a pretty basic shape and when you continually add wings to a building, it's no surprise that it ends up that way.
I guess we're just lucky that Indiana Jones hasn't come through and destroyed the barracks during one of his Nazi-defying archaeological adventures.
Posted by: Craig | September 27, 2007 at 01:34 PM
Americans are obsessed with their freaking image.
Which would explain the desire to keep fighting a fake war indefinitely because we can't look like we "lost" it, but still fails to explain why we elected Jim Varney to the presidency twice.
Posted by: Assman | September 27, 2007 at 01:56 PM
Jim Varney! I actually let my kid watch an Ernest movie via On Demand. I love the imagery of Bush = Ernest.
Posted by: Schmoopie | September 27, 2007 at 02:19 PM
Which would explain the desire to keep fighting a fake war indefinitely because we can't look like we "lost" it, but still fails to explain why we elected Jim Varney to the presidency twice.
Damn, you know how to scratch a guy where he itches.
Posted by: Art Vandelay | September 27, 2007 at 02:42 PM
Americans are obsessed with their freaking image.
"Which would explain the desire to keep fighting a fake war indefinitely because we can't look like we "lost" it,"
And it would also explain the desire of some to stop being friends with Israel, stop enforcing UN sanctions, stop upsetting those nice dictators and stop offending those radical Islamists, because we just can't have European doucheholes disliking us.
Posted by: Jack Klompus | September 27, 2007 at 05:16 PM
because we just can't have European doucheholes disliking us
Did you invent "douchehole" specifically for this occasion?
Posted by: Assman | September 27, 2007 at 05:22 PM
"And it would also explain the desire of some to stop being friends with Israel"
I think you got it backwards here because if they wanted to stop being friends with Israel they would say, "Hey! douchehole jewboy why don't you check out our cool Navy barracks over here- ha,ha,ha,ha..." You know Dick Cheney would go for that- remember that hunting outfit he wore to the Holocaust memorial in Germany, or maybe Poland, a couple of years ago. Now that guy doesn't give a fuck.
Posted by: | September 27, 2007 at 05:37 PM
"Did you invent "douchehole" specifically for this occasion?"
I certainly didn't invent it, as I've seen it used elsewhere before. But it's like a hybrid club. Sometimes you need the power of "douchebag" and the accuracy of "asshole" all with one swing.
Posted by: Jack Klompus | September 27, 2007 at 05:39 PM
Navy, Navy Uber Alles!
Posted by: J. Peterman | September 27, 2007 at 09:43 PM
So will there be a no-bid construction contract to make the alterations? Does Haliburton have a remodelling division?Maybe we need some private security contractors to guard the site, too.
Posted by: lattalayne | September 28, 2007 at 09:05 AM