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Reflections
Nazi salute or no, Elon Musk’s gesture reminds us when and when not to celebrate culture
Some historical gestures should never be revived. The yi greeting, once common in ancient China, is thankfully not one of them
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Having lived his whole life in the modern cities of Singapore and Hong Kong, Wee Kek Koon has an inexplicable fascination with the past.
It is very hard right now to admire or like the United States, a country whose rulers are finding new ways every day to be noxious and cruel.
For years Donald Trump, the US president, and his coterie have flirted with extreme right-wing groups both within and outside the country. In early January, the multi-billionaire Elon Musk – one of Trump’s trusted lieutenants – made a gesture in public that closely resembled the Nazi salute, sending shock waves around the world.
Musk has denied that it was a Nazi salute.
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For a decade from the mid-1930s onwards, Germans from all walks of life greeted each other using the Nazi salute, especially on formal occasions. Nazi symbols and gestures have been banned in Germany and several other countries since the end of the second world war, and rightfully so. Today, Germans shake hands or hug when they meet.
When Chinese people meet, how do they exchange salutations?
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