Microsoft Loses the Swastika

[KenpoTess]

11:47 AM Dec. 12, 2003 PT

SEATTLE -- Microsoft said on Friday that its latest version of Office software inadvertently contained a font featuring two swastikas, and said it would offer tools to remove and replace the offending characters from the program.

The swastika, which was made infamous by Nazi Germany, was included in Microsoft's "Bookshelf Symbol 7" font. That font was derived from a Japanese font set, said Microsoft Office product manager Simon Marks.
"It was discovered by one of our customers a couple weeks ago," Marks said, adding that there was "no indication of malicious intent."

The Redmond, Washington-based software maker said that it had contacted various Jewish organizations about the font and said a utility would be immediately available on its website that would remove the characters from the system.

Microsoft said it will release other tools at a later date to remove only the offending characters.

A form of the swastika has been used in the Buddhist religion to symbolize the feet or footprints of the Buddha. The symbol, which was also used widely in the ancient world including Mesopotamia, Scandinavia, India and the Americas, became common in China and Japan with the spread of Buddhism.



Article here

 

[jkn75]

In some older Asian art work, it is surprising to see this symbol. It is such a symbol of hatred, it's hard to remove that meaning.

 

[pknox]

Originally posted by jkn75
In some older Asian art work, it is surprising to see this symbol. It is such a symbol of hatred, it's hard to remove that meaning.

True. It is often used in Buddhist iconography, where it is known as a Manji. It is also found in Hinduism as well. I have also seen it used in relation to Shorinji Kempo, which is not surprising, given the art's early religious connections.

However, if you look closely at the Buddhist version, there are subtle differences - the swastika is in fact a corrupted version of this holy symbol, constructed using its mirror image. For example, here is a Manji, from a Japanese Shorinji Kempo site:

And here is the all-too familiar swastika, made infamous by the Germans in WWII:

BTW, I know it's a bad picture, but I had a problem finding a good one. I'll take that as progress.

It is also often shown rotated 45 degrees, as on some of the Nazi medals:

Subtle, true. But different. Almost all Shorinji Kempo groups in the U.S. don't use the symbol, due to the negative connotations it now has, even though it is not the same symbol as the one used by Hitler.

Interestingly enough, in all of the Hindu versions I've seen, the symbol is identical to how Hitler used it. Makes me wonder if that's where he pulled it from, though I somehow doubt he was a big reader of the Vedas or the Bhagavad Gita. If he was, I think it would be fair to say that he didn't get the point.

 

[jwreck]

Why is it that we allow small segments of society to dictate the meaning of a symbol to us? As has already been pointed out, the swastika pre-dates Hitler by many years. Yet, because of his association with it, it is automatically assumed to be a symbol of evil and hatred. Why? Are people just too ignorant and lazy to learn the truth? Is it really that the conspiracy theorist are right and the jews rule the world? I think its a combination of laziness, ignorance, and shhep mentality.

 

[Rich Parsons]

Originally posted by jwreck
Why is it that we allow small segments of society to dictate the meaning of a symbol to us? As has already been pointed out, the swastika pre-dates Hitler by many years. Yet, because of his association with it, it is automatically assumed to be a symbol of evil and hatred. Why? Are people just too ignorant and lazy to learn the truth? Is it really that the conspiracy theorist are right and the jews rule the world? I think its a combination of laziness, ignorance, and shhep mentality.

The Conferatorated State of America have a really nice looking falg if you look at it in an abstract manner. A red field with a Blue X out lined in White, With thirteen stars in the Blue X.

The Red Field represents the blood already shead and the blood they were willing to shed. The White represents the peace they want, to be left alone to do what they want by themselves. The thirteen stars represents the thirteen states and Territories that were a part of the Confederation as well as the thirteen coloies that formed the first Confederated States of America for freedom to govern themselves.

Yet, there are people out there that fly this flag today, and use it in racist acts. There are peopel out there that want life to go back to the time of slavery, they all think they will have better jobs of sitting around and doing nothing while others do the work.

So, yes people always ruin it for everyone. Yet, as long as there are racists out there using these symbols, then there will be people who ask for them to not be displayed. For it makes it easier for the racists to spread their word, or their dogma.


The Skin head, originally were a bunch of teenagers who were straight edge. Straight edge are those young adults who do not smoke and do not drink and do not fight, except when attacked, and then they usually run away. Oh Yeah they also do not believe in sex as it is too easy to catch something. If you are engaged or married of course sex is ok then.

Yet, these were jsut kids who hung out and played hacky sack and rode skate boards.

Yet, now all skin heads are assumed to be Neo Nazi's running around because a few people shaved their heads.

Now do I believe that I should pay restitution to someone heirs for the acts of my great great grand fathers? No I do not. Yet, I do nto think it should be easy for people to propogate hatred.

Many the young boys who get involved are looking to belong, andas in large cities gangs become their extended family. Here the organizations become their extended family. They are accepted. A prime example of trying to counter this are organizations like Young Life. It is Christian backed and they do say a prayer before the events. The prayer is simple and like grace before a meal. And if you do not wish to follow along, you do not have too. Yet you can play Volley ball and Basketball. Yet, when the Catholics found out that many of their members were also their, instead of opening up their brand new gym on an alternate night to get their own kids bakc in and maybe some new ones. They opened up on the same night to compete and make people choose.

So, even the good guys do not always get it right, in trying to help and they end up ruining it for many if not all.

My Opinions, others have different opinions.
:asian:

 

[Makalakumu]

Originally posted by jwreck
Why is it that we allow small segments of society to dictate the meaning of a symbol to us? As has already been pointed out, the swastika pre-dates Hitler by many years. Yet, because of his association with it, it is automatically assumed to be a symbol of evil and hatred. Why? Are people just too ignorant and lazy to learn the truth? Is it really that the conspiracy theorist are right and the jews rule the world? I think its a combination of laziness, ignorance, and shhep mentality.

The swastika elicits an emotion that has been tied to fear and loathing thoughts. In the past it was used for something different and in the future, it will transform into something different. Yet the emotions the symbol brings will remain the same. That is the nature of symbols. Perhaps the christian cross will become a symbol of loathing in the future...it all depends on who takes control of the symbol.

 

[someguy]

"The Buddhist Symbol (backwards Swastika) from Shaolin Chan (Zen) represents the Buddhist heart, a symbol of good fortune and blessing. It also symbolizes the master key that opens the door to every science. The four arms express the succession of generations and the different stages of life (birth, life, death, and immortality) when it faces a clockwise direction. It also points to the four harmonies of nature when pointed clockwise. When oriented counter clockwise, it represents the counter to the currents of nature. It depicts the paradox of life itself - the fact that without death there is no life. It's the buddhist belief about the meaning between life and death within nature, meaning you have to understand death to know life. As realities change, there are always paradoxes. There are many paradoxes between war and peace: For example:

In wartime, we intentionally go into dark, dangerous places in bad weather. We would not enter such places under such conditions during peacetime and consider that action to be harmonious with reality. In wartime, killing is considered honorable and courageous. In peacetime, killing is considered criminal. Wartime preparation is supposed to ensure peace.

Understanding these paradoxes helps one to cope with his immediate reality more effectively. During the late 17th Century, the Shaolin warriors were in desperate struggle for their country, so the counter clockwise swastika was used."

This is from
http://home.vtmuseum.org/genealogy/hung_fa_yi/logo.php
Some times it was clock wise sometimes not. The meaning was differnt than the nazi's meant for the swaztica.