Of disturbing comparison on subways -- hitler|obama... sorry, what?
So I was sitting on the train today and there was a man standing smack-dab in the middle of the aisle. He was medium-height; sandy-blond hair; glasses; paunch; tapered jeans; and old-looking sneakers. He was wearing a sweater that read something along the lines of, and I paraphrase.... eep! I knew I should have written it down! Let me describe it. The sweater had a picture of Barack Obama and Adolf Hitler, side-by-side, mirrored postures: mid-speech with right arm extended. The Hitler picture's backdrop was obviously a Swastika in dark red. The Obama picture backdrop had the symbol he used in his presidential campaign, the rolling horizon, the rising sun, set in American flag colors.
And the text beneath the images read:
Hitler said good speeches too; and he had his own symbol!
Okay, honestly, seriously? What a loaded and simultaneously thoughtless comparison.
It was interesting to me because it was clear that so many people were discomfited by this shirt. The couple behind me were talking about it in hushed tones, and every few seconds, the man (part of the couple) would raise his voice and say things like: "That's ignorant. That kind of shit makes me angry." The woman would agree. But neither of them said anything to the man directly.
The man was making a very deliberate political statement -- who knows if he believed it or not. He stood in the center of the vehicle, in clear view of everyone, with the hopes of provoking something -- thought, discussion, arguments, something. His posture was defensive for most of it, too. I also saw him moving onto the next car after a train stop and positioning himself in exactly the same way. As soon as he left, the car exploded with people talking and commenting (lots of disgust and anger, rightly so, imo) about the sweat shirt.
It was rather sad for me. I really wish that I'd had thought to ask him some questions, engaged with him on this because it really disturbed me and ordinarily, the best way for me to overcome my lack of comprehension is to engage, and share my perspective, and try to understand another person's perspective. Is that naive?
The sweater also pissed me off. And I'm not an Obamaphile, I'm not American, I don't have any impact or violent opinions on the domestic American political establishment beyond women's rights, gay rights, immigrant rights, human rights, and international policy.
Y'all are voting this week, and the Democrats are in a tight spot, and many people are fucking up majorly, and I keep seeing thoroughly disturbing political adverts on my television. That's the extent of my meager knowledge, apart from newspapers and such. Educate me please.
So friends, what even is this? How do you feel about this? Is this a common thinking that I'm just not aware of, that happens a lot here?
Also, one thing for me to take home, how bizarre to be in a country where people can wear such incendiary or at least provocative, insulting statements on their clothes and not get arrested, killed, tortured... that's free speech for you. I may not agree with what's being said, but I'm quite jealous that it's even option here. Where I come from, not so much.
*All political views welcome, this isn't a debate for me, more like an education as I know nothing. I'm just very curious about it all.
Last question: what the HELL is going on in this country, the world, whatever?