5 Comments
User's avatar
Pierre's avatar

I appreciate and share your sentiment on commemorating civilian victims, whoever they might be. With that being said, both-sides-ism is really not appropriate here, and rather than argue it, let me ask you whether you would find it appropriate to showcase the Russian and Ukrainian flags side by side.

Expand full comment
Garret O'Connell's avatar

I came to say the same. While well-intentioned, you can't commemorate victims of an active genocide. Any gestures need to be aimed at stopping that, and displaying the aggressor country's national flag is a symbol of direct support for its government.

Expand full comment
Maurice Frank's avatar

I guess the sentiment behind it is as follows: The German establishment isn't going to abandon its neurotic, basically unconditional support for Israel any time soon. That's going to take a lot more introspection about that it actually means to have been the country responsible for the Holocaust. So, in the mean time, at least it could acknowledge the humanity of the Palestinian people through a gesture like this.

Expand full comment
Pierre's avatar

I basically agree with you. But symbolic, largely insincere gestures from the German government would help no one except to give its members an undeserved feeling of moral superiority, something they already have plenty of.

Expand full comment
Maurice Frank's avatar

You're probably right. It's never going to happen anyway.

Expand full comment