NRA depicts Bloomberg as octopus, an anti-Semitic symbol

[Zandor]

A magazine cover by the National Rifle Association protesting Mayor Michael Bloomberg's campaign against guns is raising questions for its depiction of him as an octopus, which has a history of use as an anti-Semitic symbol.

The cover of this month's issue of the NRA publication America's 1st Freedom features an evil-looking cartoon of the Jewish mayor, with a headline warning: "Tentacles!"

The eight-armed sea animal has been used as the Nazi representation of Jewish conspiracy and control, and was referenced by Adolf Hitler in "Mein Kampf."...

http://www.amny.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--nraoctopus0418apr18,0,163505.story?coll=sns-ap-investing-headlines

[BlooInBloo]

1. Sigh. I'm never gonna be totally up on anti-semitic codes...

... I recall marvelling when I learned about "New York values" from TPM about 6 months or so back.

Those cwazee bigots.

[Kagemusha]

2. Heard about this last month, about when this article was posted...

I'd never heard of such a code before. But everyone insisted every right-wing bigot in the entire country knows exactly what it means and therefore this was completely premeditated evil.

Who am I to say otherwise.

[Solo_in_MD]

3. Doesn't the Flying Spagetti Monster look a lot like an octopuss?

Bloomberg's anti gun lunacy needs all the bad press it can get. I saw last week (?) that he has capitulated in Virginia and will not go fishing solo again. I am still hoping that the BATF goes after him and his minions for conspiracy to violate Federal gun laws.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

23. Nah. That Ridiculous Thing Looks More Like The Drawings Of A 3 Yr Old.

Unless ya meant if a 3 yr old tried to draw an octopus. Maybe then. :)

[Solo_in_MD]

25. Some are better than others. Seen this on some cars

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:FSM_logo2.svg

[slackmaster]

29. I have one of those on mine

:D

[Redneck Socialist]

4. I don't know from octopi, but...

Bloomburg manages to make the republican party look even worse than it already does.

[uppityperson]

5. octopus is anti-semitic symbol?News to me. What's a squid a symbol of?

[mike_c]

6. come on, the octopus has been used as a symbol of multiple connections...

...in lots of contexts, both appropriate and inappropriate. I think it's rather a reach to call it an "antisemitic symbol."

All in all, the one most abused is the noble cephlopod....

[pschoeb]

16. I have to agree

history of octopus

To portray business monopolies Harper Weekley 1900


British Imperialism octopus 19th century


Liquor Octopus during fight for prohibition


Japanese cartoon Russian octopus 1904


Nazi octopus, France 1940's


Standard Oil octopus

[slackmaster]

28. Interesting collection, pschoeb

I didn't know Hitler was Jewish.

:sarcasm:

[slackmaster]

27. To paraphrase Sigmund Freud

Sometimes an octopus is just an octopus.

[Cerridwen]

7. Here ya go - link to an image used in nazi propaganda

http://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/arts/ARTPROP.HTM

[billbuckhead]

8. The first Jewish president ought to scare reichwing bigots to death

It's pathetic they play the Hitler card against a Jew. That the popular billionaire Bloomberg wants Americans to have the same proven FREEDOM from gun violence that Europeans, Australians, Japanese, Canadians and Kiwi enjoy makes him a devil. Meanwhile David Duke has NRA leader Charlatan Heston's "white man" speech featured on his website.

[Cerridwen]

10. Do you believe we're having this conversation?

It's the 21st Century, fer cryin' out loud!!!!!

We're still discussing bigotry and prejudice? I swear, somewhere about 1968 we took a turn into the Twilight Zone and never looked back.

[TahitiNut]

15. An octopus? (Sheesh!) Hateful bigotry of the abysmally and pridefully ignorant.

As virtually any scuba diver will tell you, the octopus is a shy, benign creature - a wonder and joy for divers that find them, usually on night dives. As a matter of fact, in every one of my 100+ open ocean dives I felt that I was in the good company of creatures without the perverted and corrupt animosities the we humankind fall prey to. Sharks, moray eels, octopi, barracuda, and all manner of fascinating creatures offered a far more sensible and sane environment than I'd ever experienced in a corporate conference room.

[Cerridwen]

17. Medieval fear for the medieval mind?

That's what it sounds like to me. Flat earthers looking at a map of the world with the warning "There be monsters here!"

[pschoeb]

19. This cartoon is anti-semitic, but the octopus is of Churchill

for those who don't know.

[Behind the Aegis]

9. ...

David Twersky of the American Jewish Congress said he did not think the NRA was trying to be purposely anti-Semitic, but that it had nonetheless committed a blunder by not being aware of the symbol's hateful past.

"For them not to know this is really, really stupid," he said. "You take a powerful Jewish figure, and show him in a way that provokes traditional anti-Semitism, it's really unforgiveable."

---snip---

The Anti-Defamation League said although some may perceive the drawing as offensive, it did not believe the cartoon is inherently anti-Semitic.

"While the use of an octopus to connote anti-Semitism has been used by the Nazis and anti-Semites, and is still used today, it usually is accompanied with a very specific symbol" or other indicators that the magazine cover does not have, said ADL spokeswoman Myrna Shinbaum.

[SoCalDem]

11. Anti semitism is not gone.. It's just gone "underground"

just as any modern discrimination. Once it's against the law, it does not go away.. It just gets more "clever" and insidious.

I have a black friend who said that in some ways Jim Crow laws were better because at least then you KNEW who was the enemy..they had their "knives" right out in front..but once Jim Crow was over, they still kept the knives..they just stuck them in your back, after they smiled at you and said hello.

[Behind the Aegis]

13. We have a winner!

You (and your friend) are correct. Now, it is about nuance and "getting away with it" in plain sight. Though, I have personally found, most will eventually fuck up and expose themselves for the bigots they really are. As bad as those who "look for discrimination everywhere" are, the ones who don't ever look for it/see it, are just as bad, IMO.

[billbuckhead]

14. And the best "dogwhistlers" of them all is the NRA-"gun rights" movement

How about this golden oldie from the man who said he wanted to supply the rope for those who would lynch Al Gore.

"Now, I am not really here to talk about the Second Amendment or the NRA, but the gun issue clearly brings into focus the war that's going on.

Rank-and-file Americans wake up every morning, increasingly bewildered and confused at why their views make them lesser citizens. After enough breakfast-table TV promos hyping tattooed sex-slaves on the next Rikki Lake show, enough gun-glutted movies and tabloid talk shows, enough revisionist history books and prime-time ridicule of religion, enough of the TV anchor who cocks her pretty head, clucks her tongue and sighs about guns causing crime and finally the message gets through: Heaven help the God-fearing, law-abiding, Caucasian, middle class, Protestant, or—even worse—Evangelical Christian, Midwest, or Southern, or—even worse—rural, apparently straight, or—even worse—admittedly heterosexual, gun-owning or—even worse—NRA-card-carrying, average working stiff, or—even worse—male working stiff, because not only don't you count, you're a downright obstacle to social progress. Your tax dollars may be just as delightfully green as you hand them over, but your voice requires a lower decibel level, your opinion is less enlightened, your media access is insignificant, and frankly mister, you need to wake up, wise up and learn a little something about your new America...in fact, why don't you just sit down and shut up?"

<http://www.vpc.org/nrainfo/speech.html>

[bemildred]

12. "Sometimes a pipe is just a pipe."

Sometimes an octopus is just an octopus, a symbol of having ones tentacles into everything. It's stupid enough as it is.

[Tucson is On Fire]

18. Hmm. . .more intolerance from Charleton Heston's lunatic brigade

Why do these people have such influence and clout?

[billbuckhead]

22. Conned many liberals into thinking they're on the side of liberty

when in fact the vast majority of them want to kill liberals if they had a chance. It's some sort of "stockholm syndrome". We should adopt a tip from from Karl Rove and attack this alleged strength the reichwing has with the "working class" head on. Afterall they have a minority postion in the majority of America and an extreme minority postion vs the rest of the industrialized world.

[Alexander]

20. This reminds me of the 2000 race...

Where a poll was taken asking "Does the fact that Joe Lieberman is Jewish make you more likely to vote for Gore/Lieberman, less likely, or about the same?"

- Most respondents answered neutrally or positively.

The same poll then asked "Does the fact that Joe Lieberman does not believe Jesus Christ is the son of God make you more likely to vote for Gore/Lieberman, less likely, or about the same?"

- Most respondents answered "less likely".

I'm far from a Holy Joe supporter, but it was obvious lots of people, particularly in the South where Gore needed his home state, weren't going to vote for a ticket with a Jew on it, no matter how much they may have agreed with Lieberman on the issues.

I hope Gore will choose Feingold this time around, and that anti-Semitism doesn't hurt the campaign.

[Gold Metal Flake]

21. The octopus is also the symbol of the BFEE.

So, whatever.

[madrchsod]

24. i`ve got the book! ------"the octopus"-----

anti semite? symbol hell that`s an understatement. the book has details on every well known american jew in the 1930`s...
there`s no difference between the nazi`s and the nra..

[slackmaster]

26. So much for the theory that the NRA always sides with Republicans

:nuke: