Hitler look-a-like 'stars' in graphic German AIDS campaign

For the much we might dislike him, Hitler is by far the most and best known man in the entire history of mankind and our efforts to keep him in everybody's mind as the most feared "Satan" does not but fuel the interest in his work, his life and his will. The more we mention him, the more validity and moral stature he gets to his followers, whom today surpass by extreme far whatever number of Nazis there were in Germany during WWII. Worst part is they are not located in a single country o region, but distributed all over the world. The more we talk about this guy, the more famous and more powerful his legacy becomes. We have made Hitler better known than God, with all the risks such entices. It is about time to let history pass and memories die.

Leave the dead alone.

Mark, I lived through the Blitz (I'm aged 76), and the less I see of that damned Austrian corporal (I could use other words, but HaAretz's censors wouldn't approve), the happier I am. The advert simply makes my flesh crawl. Evil, procreating. What next???

There have been quite good ads for condom use and aids prevention in Germany (for example: "Football is a game, aids is serious."). But the latest ones I also find quite weird. Maybe it is supposed to be really shocking. But actually, I also fear it could backfire somehow, maybe on people who carry the disease. They might have a new campaign maker with a somehow reptilian taste.

and if that means using a picture of the worlds worse mass murderers then so be it. Howeever, how many of them have actually heard of Hitler, Stalin and Saddam Hussein? Let alone recognise a picture of them? The most effective advert would be to turn out a youngster their age who caught AIDS through sexual activity, unfortunately it seems to be taboo among our political elite to admit kids have sex, with each other, often without protection.

whoever thought of this style of advertising is sick in the head. This can backfire badly... what if someone adds the star of David on the woman's forehead, would that be considered funny? what if others start using the face of every person, man or woman, they don't like for something similar? This reminds me of the Benetton ads years ago which had lost every concept of taste and dignity. There must be a limit on how low people can get.

Nazi propaganda used to show cartoonish Jewish men ravishing young German girls. Today it is a caricature of Hitler in the position once reserved for the Jew. Interesting to see which German character traits continue and how they change. Nevertheless, it's certainly attention-grabbing, and I don't see the harm in it.

SEC (America's Security and Exchange Commission) caught Madoff...

While Israel did not intend conquest in 1967, it happened. And that accidental war, which no nation in the region sought, changed everything. There were those who sought to set up a few strategic outposts, trip wires if you will, to give depth to Israeli defenses within the 'occupied territories.' Within a decade there developed a movement to turn accident into conquest, and create 'facts' on the ground which would lead to annexation of 'Judea and Samaria.' Thus for over 40 years Israel was trapped into endless war and far more suffering and death that it had seen during the previous 20.

Anyone who experienced the avocations of war by the neocons in 20002-2003 and even later must remember how the US was creating a base in the mideast, one with it's own supply of fuel, and from which the US would dominate the region. Yet, in the end, did we keep Iraq? No question that conquest was the intent of our leaders at the time. The Bush Government had a plan for the mideast, which started with establishing a base in Iraq, and using it to invade and conquer Iran and Syria. Still, have we kept Iraq? Douse our current status of forces agreement say we will remain dominating the region and with suzerainty over Iraq? No, America is sworn to leave Iraq, and they are happy we shall leave. In contrast, Israel did not seek conquest in 1967. Because of lies provided by the Soviet Union, Egypt and Syria were led to believe Israel would attack them. And because of their response, Israel did - reluctantly - attack them. Israel did not seek conquest, but it happened.

Yes, calling attention to AIDS is important as part of public education and prevention. But blurring sex and sick murderous politics seems the lowest form of sensationalism. It would be shocking enough to show real people whose lives were altered tragically by failing to abide by the known prentative measures. Personally I am repelled by seeing a Hitler look alike in the sex act, ditto Saddam and Stalin. Yup, it got my attention, but not sympathy for the cause. rethink the campaign.

If an HIV positive person knows he/she is diseased and has unprotected sex anyway, the term murderer is certainly appropriate.

People have some very strange fantasies indeed. Personally I would stick to facts and figures about death from AIDS. They're frighening enough!

Why connect AIDS with racism, anti-Semitism, Nazism? Hitler had a very limited sex life and probably never married and had a family because of sexual problems.

Demonstrates that Germans have moved on.

At 2 million plus deaths a year, it's well on the way to overtaking their death tolls. Comparing other evils to Hitler is only offensive when they are disproportionately small.

In this stupid campaign picture, Hitler looks like the Germanic god Wodan in a painting of Franz von Stuck "Wilde Jagd" (Wild Hunt). Stuck's masterly work was created about 1889, the year of Hitler's birth.