Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone faced criticism from politicians and Jewish groups Saturday after being quoted as saying that Adolf Hitler “got things done.”
He was quoted as saying that democracy “hasn’t done a lot of good for many countries — including this one.”
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“In a lot of ways, terrible to say this I suppose, but apart from the fact that Hitler got taken away and persuaded to do things that I have no idea whether he wanted to do or not, he was in the way that he could command a lot of people, able to get things done,” Ecclestone was quoted as saying.
Ecclestone also said the West had been wrong to depose Iraq’s Sadam Hussein, saying: “He was the only one who could control that country.” The Associated Press
You see, stupidity is sometimes as helpful as intelligence. Banal stupidity, speaking nonsense for shock value or actually claiming that Hitler was just a smart and well-organized guy who got led astray by even creepier guys is particularly helpful, in the same way that having an accurate map of a field full of land mines is helpful.
Of course, Ecclestone also said once he thought women should dress in white “like all other domestic appliances,” so it isn’t like he was a surprise entrant in the recidivist thought sweepstakes. But coming up with an up-side to Hitler—just an efficiency expert with bad friends—pretty much takes him over the top.
And we haven’t gotten to his other gems, like “democracy hasn’t done a lot of good for many countries—including this one (England).” Or that the West had been wrong to depose Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, saying, “He was the only one who could control that country.” San Francisco Chronicle
Mr Ecclestone’s remarks are certain to embarrass F1 motor racing and revive memories of the alleged Nazi-themed S&M orgy involving the former motorsport supremo, Max Mosley.
Mr Mosley - son of the British fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley - last year sued the News of the World for breach of privacy after the newspaper alleged he had taken part in a concentration camp-themed orgy involving six prostitutes.
Tony Levy, chairman of the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission, said his words were “horrifying”. Melbourne Herald Sun
Instead, Mr Ecclestone endorsed the concept of a government based on tyranny.
“Politicians are too worried about elections,” he said. “We did a terrible thing when we supported the idea of getting rid of Saddam Hussein. He was the only one who could control that country. It was the same [with the Taleban]. We move into countries and we have no idea of the culture. The Americans probably thought Bosnia was a town in Miami. There are people starving in Africa and we sit back and do nothing but we get involved in things we should leave alone.”
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In 2008 he provoked uproar when he suggested racist comments directed at Lewis Hamilton on websites in the build-up to the Brazilian Grand Prix “started as just a joke”. However, he told The Times yesterday that he was deeply concerned when he saw fans “blacking up” to mock Hamilton, an act he described as racist.
Claiming he likes “strong leaders”, such as Margaret Thatcher, Mr Ecclestone suggested that Max Mosley, his close friend, the president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), would make a good Prime Minister.
Mr Ecclestone said: “I prefer strong leaders. Margaret Thatcher made decisions on the run and got the job done. She was the one who built this country up slowly. We’ve let it go down again. All these guys, Gordon and Tony, are trying to please everybody all the time.
A spokesman for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said: “Mr Ecclestone’s comments regarding Hitler, female, black and Jewish racing drivers, and dictatorships are quite bizarre. He says [in the interview], ‘Politics is not for me’, and we are inclined to agree.”
Stephen Pollard, Editor of the Jewish Chronicle, said: “Mr Ecclestone is either an idiot or morally repulsive. Either he has no idea how stupid and offensive his views are or he does and deserves to be held in contempt by all decent people.” Times Online
