Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Something about Marc Garlasco of Human Rights Watch Up-Date
Up-Date: Kattie Coon has informed me that Flak 88 stands for a certain type of gun used by the Germans in World War II. She sent this link http://www.battle-fleet.com/pw/his/Flak_ww2_Anti_Aircraft_Gun.htm. That is undoubtedly the right symbol. I however, still stand by my final conclusion.
On this blog when I write about Israel and Middle East issues often in the comment section someone will refer to information that Human Rights Watch has given about Israel. Usually it is bad and most Jewish and pro-Israel people will argue with the information. The person who has done most of this work for HRW is Marc Garlasco. He is a military analyst who has worked for the Pentagon. It now turns out that he also is an obsessive collector of Nazi military memorabilia even to the point of wearing some of their stuff.
On one forum devoted to Nazi military memorabilia Garlasco refers to himself as Flak 88. 88 is often used by neo-Nazi groups and symbolizes Heil Hitler. While I know this from my own research into racist and anti-Semitic groups, here is a section from Wikipedia about the Symbol.
“Eighty-eight is used as code among Neo-Nazis to identify each other. H is the 8th letter of the alphabet, so 88 is taken to stand for HH which in turn means Heil Hitler. For example, the number is used in the song "88 rock'n'roll band" by the neo-Nazi group Landser. The late convicted Order terrorist David Lane wrote "Fourteen Words" and 88 Precepts, and the numbers are often found in combination (1488, 14/88, etc.). This form of the number has inspired the naming of the groups Column 88, Unit 88, and White Legion 88.”
Because HRW is used so much when any one writes about Israel I have decided to link to some of the articles including the New York Times and Garlasco’s own explanation. The subject can be further explored by using the links found in the articles.
Marc Garlasco - Is HRW's Anti-Israel Investigator A Nazi-Obsessed Collector? Mere Rhetoric
Rights Group Assailed for Analyst’s Nazi Collection - NYTimes.com
HRW's Garlasco, taking it easy
Responding to Accusations this is by Marc Garlasco.
The Latest Human Rights Watch Bombshell This one because you can see Garlasco's car with the plate Flak 88.
My thoughts are that Garlasco at the very least is a very foolish and arrogant person to indulge in such an obsessive and creepy subject while working as a Human Rights worker. Or at the very worst he is indulging his own inner dark thoughts with both his collecting and his work.
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5 comments:
Personally Viola, I think your obsessive ignorance and denial of all wrongdoing perpetrated by the State of Israel is pretty creepy. But, of course, that's just my opinion.
You sure did go off on quite a dissertation on the meaning of “88”. I’m sure glad I don’t take what you write at face value. I wonder how much attention you paid in your mind to the possibility that “Flak 88” really refers to the 88mm anti-aircraft gun used by the Germans (and Marc Garlasko’s Grandfather) during WWII ( see: http://www.battle-fleet.com/pw/his/Flak_ww2_Anti_Aircraft_Gun.htm ). A simple Google search would have turned that one up. You should also look into what Marc says about his Grandfather too.
Is collecting military memorabilia creepy in general? I think it is. Does it prove anything about bias in reporting? Absolutely not.
You ought to be ashamed of yourself for the kind of yellow journalistic, smear job, propaganda you have put forth here.
What a sorry half story, and hence a false story, you have written here. (Thanks for that great line Viola!)
Kattie,
Huntsville, Al
Kattie you are undoutedly right about the symbol 88 and Garlasco. That is something I did not no anything about. And it was easy to connect my knowledge of what that means to racists groups when it was found on a forum for collecting Nazi war metals.
But I do not accept anything else you have said and find your comments over the top.
Viola,
It's interesting to me to discover how little research you are likely to do when you already have a preconceived notion of what the truth is. It's this kind of bigotry and bias on your part that I find more distasteful than Marc Garlasko's interest (you called it obsession) in German (not just Nazi) military medals and weaponry (he is of recent German ancestry and a weapons expert after all).
It was a trivial matter to turn up a reference to "Flak 88". All I did was type it into my search engine and there it was, right on top. This does say a lot about you in particular, much more so than about Marc Garlasko.
Of course you would think my comments are over the top. I would expect that from you, but that doesn't make them false. On the other hand, your sorry half story is indeed false and you still choose to leave your original "Flak 88" analysis posted. Why? Why no apparent remorse for your personal smear job on Marc Garlasko? Do you really think your “Up-date” is sufficient or rightly Christian?
Sure, the guy has what you and I consider to be a "creepy" hobby, but what does that prove? Garlasko has made it quite clear that he believes that the Nazis were the worst sort of war criminals. That, to me, says a lot more about him than his German medal collection does.
You, in the past, have been heavily criticized for having referred to some people as being or being like Nazis. This time I think you’ve gone way over the edge, and you owe us much more in the way of proof or, lacking that, a clear statement of repentance.
Kattie
Huntsville, Al
Viola,
What is in a phrase? What spins facts into gossip, innuendo, and character assassination?
See how the facts get twisted:
"he [a military analyst] also is a collector of WWII German military memorabilia"
The Smithsonian, by the way, also has a fine collection of German military weapons and technology. They were quite advanced for their time and were in fact the prototypes for much of the American arsenal of today.
Facts. Unbiased. Value neutral. Not particularly odd. People collect stamps, shot glasses, pistols, coins... Military guys collect hard to find military toys. Specially military experts.
Now read your phrase and see how two simple words turn fact into character assassination:
"he also is an obsessive collector of Nazi military memorabilia"
Add the word "obsessive" and substitute "Nazi" for "WWII German" and you have turned a professional military man who also devotes his life to protecting widows and children into an evil monster.
Didn't Jesus say that it is not what we touch that makes us unclean, but what we say reveals the true nature of our hearts?
"For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart."
88 (meaning "hugs and kisses")
Lynda
Lynda,
I have been busy visiting with a daughter and grand daughter but I want to reply to your comment, in particular this:
"Add the word "obsessive" and substitute "Nazi" for "WWII German" and you have turned a professional military man who also devotes his life to protecting widows and children into an evil monster."
There is a reason for using the word 'obsessive' and 'Nazi.' in the remarks I and others have made. I will be linking to a couple of other links that will hopefully help you understand.
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