https://twitter.com/PhillipsPOBrien/status/1580251333009215488?s=20&t=WqNBC76ZkYse2KEGn97yEQ
What’s up with Nicaragua
The German military still uses the iron cross insignia?
Some quick googling suggests their government currently is allowing Russian military to operate in there, but I’ll be first to admit I don’t know much about that.
Yea I was doing the same. Looks like they’re pals.
Russian support has become more important to Nicaragua following withdrawal in late 2008 of US and European aid due to concerns about electoral fraud and handling of human rights and democracy.[12] In April 2009, Nicaragua dropped the requirement for Russian tourists to obtain visas.[13]
After Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine on 18 March 2014, the Nicaraguan government officially recognized Crimea as a part of Russia.[14][15]
On July 12, 2014, Vladimir Putin made an Official State Visit to Nicaragua. held a meeting in Managua with President of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega.[16]
Laguna de Nejapa, a volcanic crater in Managua, will host a GLONASS satellite site. Some Western media have speculated that it may be used for signals intelligence.[17]
In November 2020, Nicaragua opened an honorary consulate on the Crimean peninsula.
In June 2022, Russian state TV announces that the President of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega invited Russian Armed Forces to enter his country in the second half of 2022. State TV host Olga Skabeeva said: “It’s time for Russia to roll out something powerful closer to the American city upon a hill.”
Nicaragua abstained in the first UN vote on the invasion. Ortega must have got something he wanted.
Yes, the modern use of this symbol goes back to Prussian times 200 years ago but it has its origin in the 12th century.
I guess us Americans can’t really throw stones here but y’all ought to maybe phase the Iron Cross out or something.
The symbol is called the Black Cross. The Iron Cross is a medal that hasn‘t been awarded since 1945.
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Is there especially negative connotations associated with it? I see it as being similar to the US star insignia, or the UK roundel (bullseye). It’s not equivalent at all in my mind to a swastika.
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The Wehrmacht used the same symbol in WWII. Its use as a military medal in the form of the Iron Cross has a very mixed history with roots in the Prussian liberation wars against Napoleon but it most widely known for its use by the Nazis. It is also popular with Neonazis and other rightwing extremists as the symbol of the Bundeswehr and the Nazi medal look the same, so people cannot be punished for using it like using a swastika is in Germany.
The black cross has been the symbol used on tanks etc. of the Bundeswehr almost since it was founded in 1955, so I see why there is both a movement to get rid of it for it`s pre-Bundesrepublik-history, but also to keep it because of having used it for almost 70 years.
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relevant, maybe shocking news for our US friends (news from 2020)
It’s like what if the US Army had bases named after Confederate generals. Everyone would think we were crazy!
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The Iron Cross may have all sorts of historic uses, but when I see it tattooed on some guy at 7-11 I have a pretty good idea of what it means.
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When I see the swastika in a South Asian’s taxi I don’t get offended.
