The claim the Totenkopf is a purely Nazi symbol is grossly exaggerated. Here in Europe the symbol is a generic punk rock symbol, or rebellion and resistance. To show how far away from Nazi symbolism the Totenkopf is, you only hav to look at the imagery used by FC St Pauli, a militant anti-fascist football team from Hamburg whose fans are involved in grassroots antifascist and antinazi campaigns and physically oppose Nazis wherever they go. Their merchandise, flags, flyers, pamphlets, books etc are all decorated with the Totenkopf, and believe me you dont get any more anti-Nazi than them!

This is just another example of how Americans are so isolated from the rest of the world they believe what was true in the past or in their own country is true across the world and in all contexts. Its not! Get your head out your ass and keep up with what is happening in the streets in the modern world!

@Millerntor,

I wonder if you actually read the website. It doesn't seem that you did. No one is claiming that a skull is always a Nazi symbol. The footbal club that you mention has a pirate motif. No one has claimed that pirates who displayed the skull and crossbones were Nazis, or that holloween costumes imply a Nazi sympathy. However, the Totenkopf is often used by Nazis to communicate Nazi sympathy. Do you understand the concept of "context" at all? Apparently not. It is stated in the article that the meaning of a symbol depends entirely on the context. It is not clear that you understand English very well. In English the word "Totenkopf" is usually associated with a skull symbol used by Nazis. In German it just means skull. So some of the confusion on your part may be due to your misunderstanding of the use of the term in American English.

It seems clear that Schwarzenegger knows what the symbol can imply and wishes to allude to Nazism, if you read all the details of the several times that he has displayed that symbol in public. At the least he seems to be trying to provoke the people that have accused him in the past of having a Nazi political outlook. However, it is very improper for the Governor to be displaying any signals that can be mistaken as support of Nazism.

You also seem to harbor some prejudices against Americans, which is not uncommon todays among a certain small-minded segment of the population. I would suggest that it is you who needs to apply a little introspection. You need to calm down and get a grip on yourself. You don't know anything about me. I am far from isolated from the rest of the world. It seems to be rather you that does not understand the rest of the world outside your pre-conceived ideas.

Tristan