"Luftwaffe Kickstarter canceled" Topic

Paint company Scale 75 announced the cancellation of this kickstarter campaign on Facebook. link

Here's the announcement for the non-FB folks:

"Dear friends:
We at Scale 75 have realized that our new Kickstarter campaign has caused much commotion and concern.

We would like to clarify that Scale 75 condemns the cruelties of Nazism and the violence of conflicts committed throughout history.

In this campaign we only wished to provide a historical reference to part of World War II history. A history book with an accurate portrayal of an axis campaign and its pilots.
Because of of your appreciated and candid feedback, and our sensitivity towards our community, we are going to close the Kickstarter campaign.
Please accept our apologies. We have never intended to offend any persons or communities. We hope that the response from certain parts of the community would be reciprocal, and they can withdraw the insults, offences and serious threats that we have received in the last hours.

Scale 75 is a company that values the community, its supporters and opinions of all. We appreciate everyone who had a voice in reaching out to us. We realize our mistakes, and we are reacting. We have made the best decision we feel for all and will remove the campaign from Kickstarter

Thank you"

Can't help but think these have been increasingly inevitable.

WOW!

"Political Correctness" (I use that term very loosely, since it's just silly) is now resulting in companies not producing history books?

Your gaming days out in the open are numbered, if the extremists find out about your hobby.

The snowflakes are winning – our days are numbered.

Soon, we will have to talk in code, use strange handshakes when meeting each other, and hide our hobby away in dark corners.

Someone once said – though I forget whom – those who do not study history are doomed to repeat its mistakes.

Scale75 is in a European country. Their experience with WWII, Nazism and Fascism undoubtedly makes them more sensitive to reminders of the horrors of the war. Statements employing silly, nonsensical, and meaningless terms such as "snowflake" and "political correctness" are rather demeaning and ignorant.

People want to be willfully ignorant about historical events that actually happened and you reserve your ire for people who call it out?

The people who actually lived through these events have allowed historical books discussing the events for more than half a century. Would they not have more sensitivity than generations 2 or 3 times removed?

Naming stupidity isn't ignorant- tolerating it is.

People want to be willfully ignorant about historical events that actually happened and you reserve your ire for people who call it out?

Really my friend? And yet you offer no proof of the alleged willful ignorance.

Scale75 wrote: "Because of of your appreciated and candid feedback, and our sensitivity towards our community, we are going to close the Kickstarter campaign." This does not amount to willful ignorance and certainly should not "incur" anyone's wrath or ire. My point is that it is their decision to make and applying silly modern American terms such as "snowflake" and "political correctness" is truly the source of the ignorance here.

Last time I looked there have been plenty of Europeans writing books about, producing models of and making movies and documentaries about WW2 without anyone getting upset about the horrors of war. What was this company offering that was so offensive? It looks, from the photo, like a reference book and some shelf models or I'm missing something?

Last time I looked there have been plenty of Europeans writing books about, producing models of and making movies and documentaries about WW2 without anyone getting upset about the horrors of war.

Of course, but that's not the point. The decision was made based on community feedback. It was a business decision.

That's fine but what was the "community feedback" that made them drop this kickstarter?

Looking at their website (which is choked full of WW2 miniatures and models including German stuff) I'd assume their customer base would be people who buy such things happily enough. So what is about this offering that their community didn't like?

"Someone once said – though I forget whom – those who do not study history are doomed to repeat its mistakes."

Santayana

There are no complaints in the comments section of the project's KS page. Of course, only backers can post comments.

The negativity came from elsewhere.

And since the German air campaigns all ultimately failed, and Goering was an idiot mostly, don't see why this particular project took flak. No pun intended.

Of course, but that's not the point. The decision was made based on community feedback. It was a business decision.

I think you're right – I thought it was odd at first, it's a book and some 75mm figures we're talking about. But then I looked at what else Scale 75 make/sell, and I can see it's possibly a poor fit with their other products and potentially could alienate the people who buy their main games and figures. Yes, they have a few tanks but mostly it's cheescake women and "cutesy" figures/boardgames.

And paint. Lots of paint.

I wasn't aware we were friends. As a friend I would caution anyone to be very careful to cave simply based on social and community feedback, which, while vocal, is typically representative of a small group. If you make business decisions based only on squeaky wheels, you will often encourage further cancel culture behavior and alienate your wider market.

There is often a solution between caving in on the one hand and ignoring social feedback on the other.

However, somewhere, someone has to draw a line against the cancelling everything that someone might find sensitive. If we cancel everything subject to anyone taking offense, we will have nothing left at all.

Thin skinned stupidity… History is still history and denying it doesn't solve anything.

Looking into it, the problems didn't start until they announced the stretch goal of wearable pins with Nazi symbols.

AND, the promoters reacted really poorly when it was pointed out that those were problematic at the least and illegal in some countries.

Their best painter dropped out of the project in response to the owners' antics and the pins.

And, it's not the first time these guys have crossed the line:
link

If this was a SE Asian company, this might have been understandable, but these guys are perilously close to the type of gamer who shows up at conventions wearing SS uniforms "for the authenticity."

Those who are blaming "snowflakes" and "political correctness" may wish to re-examine their priorities, given that extra detail.

Wyatt

+1 Wyatt the Odd

Dan

Wyatt's post reinforces my belief that a major source of agitation or anxiety in the world of instant information is not necessarily one's particular viewpoint, but rather the explosive knee-jerk reaction so many people have to news flashes. If dueling was in vogue today, there would be much bloodshed in the realm of debate. I'm not immune to it either. When I saw the original post, I was taken aback by the idea that people would want to stop history from being written. Wyatt didn't post anything until he paused, did some research, and offered additional information (in a well reasoned, thoughtful tone – thank you, sir). To play upon a carpentry adage, it would be better for society if more of us, "thought twice, spoke once." I'm off the soapbox now. Looking forward to painting toy soldiers this weekend.

I would have liked to be in the pitch meeting for doctor figure.

I agree that wearable pins is a bad idea.

Caving in to "Political Correctness" is too. Caving to those that insist on it reminds me of the appeasement of Hitler. The PC jihadists will never be satisfied, no matter what you do.

Nazi Pins!?

I have zero problems with info on WWII German materiel and troops but adding nazi themed pins to a kickstarter is a serious loss of grasp of reality!

Thanks Wyatt That explains it. I looked at the kickstarter and saw a book and some model airmen and couldn't understand the problem. However wearable Nazi pins… yeah that would do it.

Why not cut the offending bit and carry on?

Seems like "reacting" may be the correct word, alright …

@Wyatt the Odd – yeah, that's one of the dumbest figures I've ever seen.

And Nazi pin badges???? Yeah, I can see why they may have had complaints.