Indy Media Watch

My lack of high-school Latin resulted in an inability to translate "Alea iacta est" without turning to Google. It means "the die is cast" and is the name of an Australian blog which (besides kindly linking to me under unkind circumstances) has made a rather interesting point about the new Pope. I haven't said much about the Pope yet as it's too early to have an opinion. That hasn't stopped plenty of people expressing theirs despite not even knowing what the guy looked like until a few days ago. Alea iacta est had this to say:

You've thrilled to the exciting Bush=Hitler, laughed at its comic sequel Howard=Hitler, cheered during the action-packed Schwarzenegger=Hitler, and been disappointed in the satiric follow-ups Bracks=Hitler, and Optus=Hitler.

Now get ready for the greatest of all: Pope Benedict XVI = Hitler!!!!.

Really, this is becoming the most tiresome meme ever. Not everyone who was in the Hitler Youth or the Germany Army during WWII was a Nazi.If that were true then nearly every German (and Austrian) male over the age of seventy would have to accept this slur.

Let's get a few things straight about the new pope.

1) We are talking about three years in the life of a 78 year old - three years from 14 to 17.

2) He was compelled to join the Hitler Youth, just as he was compelled to join the Germany Army.

3) There is no indication ANYWHERE that he had ANY beliefs that mirrored Nazi ideology.

4) All of this tells us nothing except that he was an ordinary eighteen year old German who did what he was told as did nearly everyone else.

The most annoying thing about this, is it that it trivalises the very real, and very serious issue of resurgent anti-semitism,especially in the Middle East, where the notorious "Protocols of theElders of Zion" is making a comeback, and not just in dank, dingy bookstores..

(It's not just the middle-east either, "Indymedia", ostensibly an alternative to the mainstream media, is a cesspit of anti-semitism these days.)

It's an interesting world where you can talk about the "Fundamentalist Zionist lobby [that] controls media and politics in the US and Australia", and escape any kind of punishment at all, but be a fourteen year old boy who was forced into a organisation against your will, and themoonbats will attack.

Now that's sad.

Yes. Yes it is.