[tomxor]

yup, easy way to distinguish is the 90 deg angle... AFAIK only the Nazi one is 45deg. If it's 90deg it's in reference to one of the many uses in Asian cultures and religions. This really aught to be taught next to WW history in the west to ensure people properly contextualise it's use when they encounter it in the wider world.

[ziml77]

It's pretty fucked that this isn't taught. It's not like it has to be some deep dive into the significance of the swastika in Asian culture either. Even just a couple lines in a textbook about it would be far better than nothing

[Tade0]

Where I come from neo-nazis often try to refute allegations of spreading totalitarian ideology (punishable by a fine or up to two years in prison) by saying that they were actually referring to the original meaning.

Of course nobody is buying it, but such cases are nevertheless often dismissed.

[mhh__]

Better than nothing but it's kind of thing people who would appreciate it would find out anyway, I feel i.e. I'm fairly well read culturally/historically but I've never really studied it formally, and I think I wouldn't be as interested if I did.

I'm curious what sticks if you are led to rather than spontaneously learning.

[lifthrasiir]

Unfortunately both Nazi and Asian cultures (among others) have used all possible orientations (left/right-facing and 0/45/90 degrees) throughout the history, making the distinction much harder. To this end Asian countries realized that it is much easier to not use swastika than to educate people. South Korean maps for example used swastika for Buddhist temples but now use pictorial symbols instead.

[eklavya]

That’s really really unfair. So first west fucked up our symbol and now west won’t educate itself about the actual symbol? Swastik is such an ingrained part of my culture and religion, can’t just give it up.

[lazide]

Of all the terrible things the Nazis did, this is probably one of the least terrible ones. shrug

[Delk]

You shouldn't.

IMO it's kind of understandable, at least on the individual level, that people don't know. I probably didn't know until I first travelled to Asia. However, it doesn't take a genius to realize that a map (or whatever) in an Asian country probably isn't full of Nazi symbols, or that there's probably some kind of an explanation for them.

[tomxor]

That may be so, but it would only make 45deg ambiguous - i.e 90deg can still reliably be identified as not-nazi.