Formula One Racing CEO Bernie Ecclestone said in a July 4 interview with The Times of London of Adolf Hitler: “…he could command a lot of people able to get things done.” The comment has drawn massive criticism from Jewish groups, with one German Jewish organization calling for a boycott of Formula One Racing.

Howard and I present two views of the controversy in this week’s Perpetual Post.

MOLLY SCHOEMANN:  Say what you will about Bernie Ecclestone, the man knows how to walk on the sunny side of the street.

I mean it.  I know plenty of perfectly good, honorable folks, and yet I would be hard pressed to say anything nice about many of them.  In fact, I’ll admit, I can be a little overcritical and judgmental sometimes.   I lose sight of what’s important, and forget to stay positive.  But not Bernie.  He’s got a good word to say about everyone—even Hitler!

And not just a slap-dash compliment, either.  No half-hearted “He wore his suits well” or “I hear he was a decent painter.”  No, Bernie Ecclestone went the extra mile with a thoughtful comment on Hitler’s superior abilities as a commander.  The man clearly doesn’t let himself get caught up in the details—Ecclestone looks at the whole picture, and for him, even the darkest, most despicably evil cloud has a silver lining.  I wouldn’t be surprised to hear Ecclestone add that Pol Pot “knew how to dream big,” or that Mao Zedong “was always the life of the party”.  Here’s someone who knows how to look on the bright side of mass-murder!

It is rare to come across such an upbeat outlook during these gloomy modern times.   We are so quick to judge one another—we barely give decent people a chance to prove themselves, let alone cruel, despotic tyrants.  So what a breath of fresh air it was to hear Bernie Ecclestone compliment Hitler!  He truly does think outside the box of humanity.

Posted by guyincognito42 in Humor, Perpetual Post Tags: Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One Racing, Hitler, Optimism, Pol Pot