Is it just me, my anger has finally boiled over...

John Boteyga (no me neither) has just been awarded the GQ award for his BLM activities. (nothing wrong so far) Trouble is it's sponsored by Hugo Boss and here's a picture of him stood in front of their advertising blurb. Ok, why so angry?
Well, who exactly was Hugo Boss?
A founding member of the Nazi party and self-proclaimed white supremacist. He designed the SS uniform used to lure young men to join the SS and worn by slavemasters in concentration camps. he fulfilled his contract to supply the uniform by using slave labour in concentration camps. In 1999 a group action by survivors brought in New York led to an apology by the company owning the brand. At that point it should have been quietly allowed to have been re-branded as something else. But NO.
We are now being preached to by a group of people who find ever more tenuous reasons to destroy the link to our historical figures by people who either know nothing of history or are hypocrites and seem prepared to accept a dirty schilling to promote the name of a much more recent slave trader. Fair do's Colston was a slave trader, but Nelson, Wellington, Churchill? Should we boycott the upcoming Joshua fight because he's a Boss ambassador and the Boss website currently describes him as " a Hugo Boss man through and through" (whatever that means)
Ian Wright had the answer, we need to move on with a desire on everyone's part. He showed a good example of being the bigger man and doing so for the good of humanity. We can get to that point in the future and I sincerely hope we do. But when its seen as ok to keep alive a bad man's name (as long as it pays) that great day seems just that bit further away.

 

A hint of double standards maybe, but it won’t keep me awake at night.

 

I in the main agree with your views.
But to balance it up a bit

He died in 1948, but his business survived. In 2011, the company issued a statement of "profound regret to those who suffered harm or hardship at the factory run by Hugo Boss under National Socialist rule". A tad late ( sarcastically) in my eyes.

I Suppose they could have changed the name. Of the products. Would that change things. ?

We as a country supply/supplied arms to some of the most evil regimes. Now that does make my blood boil.

Britain boosts arms sales to repressive regimes by £1bn | Arms trade | The ...
25 Apr 2020 — UK arms sales to repressive regimes increased by £1bn last year compared with 2018

 

A reasoned response hooky fella. My point is two fold. First there has been a kind of baying lynch mob looking to erase people from history in an almost Orwellian fashion because of some increasingly tenuous link to the slave trade. But secondly here is a man who enslaved people on racist grounds within the lifetime of people who still exist. People are allowed to glorify his name and make it a cool, aspirational thing to shift aftershave, suits and (believe me, I know) overpriced watches. Nobody challenges this. I can't think why you'd want to airbrush Nelson or peel from history but leave Hugo boss intact.

 

They can tear down things. They can try to erase history. But that’s impossible. In my eyes.
I agree with your analogy. Not so sure about tenuous links. As they are quite well documented. For me history is there to learn from. Not abolish.
Germany has no Nazi memorials. But the history can’t be erased.

 

Agree. Your final sentence: That's a good saying actually.

 

But isn’t that part of the problem ,the way our history has been written /edited to exclude certain groups

 

No, but they don’t shy away from that period of their history. The Nazi parade ground at Nuremberg has a museum which is absolutely fascinating and terrifying in equal measures in how it contextualises and explains the levels of support the party gained in the 1930s.

Interestingly, most of the measures used in terms of extreme propaganda, deplatforming opposition and creating a false ethically righteous narrative are exactly like the last 9 months here.

 

Agree.
Also The concentration camps. ( although never been but talked to those that have) Have to survive as a constant reminder of mans inhumanity.The imperial war museum in London. Has/had an exhibition that was very thought provoking.

Yet Combat 18 is still around. wtf. is up wi some folk. Lock em up throw away the key.

Once went into Whitby after a race meeting.1970’s, Me and mi mate were outside a pub having a chat. ( Big lad big Wednesdayite.) 2 lads walking by giving it the Nazi salute.( not sure why. Probably p1ssed) Mate sez “come on lads show some respect.”
Reply “eff off what you going to do about it big lad”
He opened the pub door shouted to a whole bus full of jumpers. Young and old. (That these 2 two hats could then see.) “ Got an issue here lads. Nazi’s.”
couldn’t see em for dust.

 

Agree.

 

I don't think people are asking for history to be "rewritten" or airbrushed. Just to be told accurately and fully.

As for Hugo Boss. I actually didn't know that. And that will change my consumer choices in future. Sadly what it does show is that commercialism and consumerism only change when they have to. If the brand was failing, seen as out of touch, and losing revenues it would rebrand swiftly.

 

I'll have to tip my aftershave down the sink now instead of drinking it.

 

For me this is the exact reason, why History shouldn’t be erased, things should be kept to remind people and allow future generations to learn from the mistakes of their forefathers.

 

There are so many products built on the backs of others under extreme working conditions. CHINA TAIWAN etc. Do we boycott all products from those countries. How do we distinguish what we will buy. How many have bought products knowing they are fake and knowingly made in sweat shops. How many have bought products that pays towards terrorism. Unknowingly. Maybe we can get the companies to put. Their ethics on all products. Hugo boss is history but let’s not forget people buy from the Hugo bosses of today. Everyone draws the line somewhere.

 

Cross Mercedes, Volkswagen and BMW off your list as well.

 

Lucky I can't drive but I'll be more vigilant when booking a taxi.

 

And Skoda.
Not their fault as such but they manufactured armaments in the war after the invasion of Chzeckoslovakia (?????)

 

I'll cover my eyes when the ball is near the corner between the Ponte End and West Stand.

 

What about Mini? Now owned by Germans