Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're wondering if you should be concerned about this, please note that the TMZ, Fox, and the Daily Mail are the journalistic organizations pushing it as a big deal.

This is 100% a false flag campaign, designed to stir up certain resentments and divisions. Use your brains people. Someone is trying to set up an opportunity for Trump or Desantis or similar to be able to say "the antisemitic NYT" in order to discredit valid reporting in the future.

This is not a thing.

A false flag operation is an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party.

So who is responsible for the false flag here?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the constructor’s note: “ Thrilled to have my first Sunday puzzle in The Times! This grid features one of my favorite open middles that I’ve made as it pulls from a variety of subject areas. I had originally tried to make it work in a 15x15 grid but then decided to expand the grid out to a Sunday-size puzzle with a fun whirlpool shape. Hope you enjoy!”

I believe him. He saw a whirlpool. Not everyone sees swastikas everywhere.

... which is why diversity matters. because "not everyone" sees it - but every single jewish person does.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The guy who made the crossword puzzle is a gay economist living in DC. Pretty sure he's not antisemitic.

Being gay and an economist shields you from anti-semitism? Hmmm.

Oh we have a troll on our hands. I see. Trying to stir up anger & outrage over a coincidence. Only YOU saw a swastika. Why is that?

Lots of people do not think this was a coincidence. Stop attacking someone because they have an opinion.

I don’t think this is a coincidence either. Especially with “boxcars” incorporated into the puzzle.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're wondering if you should be concerned about this, please note that the TMZ, Fox, and the Daily Mail are the journalistic organizations pushing it as a big deal.

This is 100% a false flag campaign, designed to stir up certain resentments and divisions. Use your brains people. Someone is trying to set up an opportunity for Trump or Desantis or similar to be able to say "the antisemitic NYT" in order to discredit valid reporting in the future.

This is not a thing.

A false flag operation is an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party.

So who is responsible for the false flag here?

I literally just explained it. Conservative news orgs are jumping on this as an example of "antisemitism a the NYT" as a way to undermine faith in a major news source so that the same news source can be discredited if they, say, run a story about the January 6 commission or the Trump Org. malfeasance. I am guessing the OP of this thread is similarly motivated. The only actual Jews I know who would buy into this as some kind of intentional conspiracy are nut job right-wingers.

Look at how one of the arguments is that the NYT ran an op-ed criticizing Israel, shortly before running this crossword, as evidence of some kind of antisemitic bias. Does that make sense to you? All the Jews I know would tell you that criticism of Israeli policy should not be viewed as a criticism of Jewish people, and also that conversely Jews as a group should not be held responsible or blamed for the things you don't like about Israeli policy. Because these groups are not one and the same. So how does it make sense that running an op-ed critical of Israel is somehow part of an antisemitic campaign? That doesn't even withstand basic scrutiny.

If I were the NYT or this specific puzzle designer, I'd use this incident to be more careful about how the accidental images created by crossword puzzles could be interpreted. I guarantee it will never happen again. But I honestly don't even view this as an "unfortunate mistake." It was so clearly accidental and you have to stretch to take offense. The people trying to find antisemitic clues in the puzzle itself are off the deepend. Just because there is an antisemitic reference involving "boxcar" does not make the word antisemitic. The puzzle doesn't even reference storm troopers it references Siths. And so on.

100% a false flag and not even a well done one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The guy who made the crossword puzzle is a gay economist living in DC. Pretty sure he's not antisemitic.

Being gay and an economist shields you from anti-semitism? Hmmm.

Oh we have a troll on our hands. I see. Trying to stir up anger & outrage over a coincidence. Only YOU saw a swastika. Why is that?

Lots of people do not think this was a coincidence. Stop attacking someone because they have an opinion.

I don’t think this is a coincidence either. Especially with “boxcars” incorporated into the puzzle.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're wondering if you should be concerned about this, please note that the TMZ, Fox, and the Daily Mail are the journalistic organizations pushing it as a big deal.

This is 100% a false flag campaign, designed to stir up certain resentments and divisions. Use your brains people. Someone is trying to set up an opportunity for Trump or Desantis or similar to be able to say "the antisemitic NYT" in order to discredit valid reporting in the future.

This is not a thing.

A false flag operation is an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party.

So who is responsible for the false flag here?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s an unfortunate accident and they should address it and apologize for the accidental offense. (There’s is actually a whole thing about accidentally creating a swastika pattern in quilts and I can imagine the crossword layout presents similar issues. Nevertheless, they shouldn’t ignore it!)

They are ignoring it, and other media outlets are ignoring it. Why is that?

Because … it’s not newsworthy

I thought swastikas were bad. Apparently we are cool with them now.

58 - Boxcars

60 - Brandenburg Gate, the entrance to the Reichstag

88 - Group led by Darth Sideous ( the Emperor in Star Wars) — the cross word is too low resolution to see if this fits, but my first answer would be “stormtroopers”.

7 down is a reference to Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd. Their wall concerts were openly antisemitic, with the fascists of the “wall” being adorned with Stars of David and a Hitleresque fascist leader — with Roger Waters being a open antisemite and hater of Israel.

Lots of various references to Islam throughout.

Not a chance any of this was accidental.

interesting that Pink Floyd never got cancelled.

Incorporating Islam makes it anti-Semitic?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s an unfortunate accident and they should address it and apologize for the accidental offense. (There’s is actually a whole thing about accidentally creating a swastika pattern in quilts and I can imagine the crossword layout presents similar issues. Nevertheless, they shouldn’t ignore it!)

They are ignoring it, and other media outlets are ignoring it. Why is that?

Because … it’s not newsworthy

I thought swastikas were bad. Apparently we are cool with them now.

58 - Boxcars

60 - Brandenburg Gate, the entrance to the Reichstag

88 - Group led by Darth Sideous ( the Emperor in Star Wars) — the cross word is too low resolution to see if this fits, but my first answer would be “stormtroopers”.

7 down is a reference to Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd. Their wall concerts were openly antisemitic, with the fascists of the “wall” being adorned with Stars of David and a Hitleresque fascist leader — with Roger Waters being a open antisemite and hater of Israel.

Lots of various references to Islam throughout.

Not a chance any of this was accidental.

This is one of the most idiotic posts that I've read on DCUM. I cannot believe that people are up in arms about this.

And BTW, the mere existence of Islam is not anti-semitic. So tired of the blatant, socially acceptable islamophobia in these posts. You're not making the point that you think you are.

No comment on the rest of it, but 88 down is clearly to short to be stormtroopers, which is easy to see. It's probably Siths.

The Sith are stormtrooper-adjacent. Clearly anti-Semitic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reason why quilts sometimes end up with accidental swastikas is the same reason that this crossword ended up with an accidental swastika (if you block out the corners and don't complete any of the words).

It's because the designer was going for symmetry. There are limited number of shapes that a crossword can come in, and some puzzle creators like to create them with symmetry. That's it - that's the whole story.

Trying to make "Siths" as an answer into some sort of anti-Semitic conspiracy just demonstrates what a reach this is.

what about “boxcars?”

Is your argument that "boxcars" is an inappropriate clue ever? Or just in that puzzle? Should we purge it from our vocabulary?

It’s not a coincidence.

You shouldn't listen to Q. He's not always right. Or ever.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s an unfortunate accident and they should address it and apologize for the accidental offense. (There’s is actually a whole thing about accidentally creating a swastika pattern in quilts and I can imagine the crossword layout presents similar issues. Nevertheless, they shouldn’t ignore it!)

They are ignoring it, and other media outlets are ignoring it. Why is that?

Because … it’s not newsworthy

I thought swastikas were bad. Apparently we are cool with them now.

58 - Boxcars

60 - Brandenburg Gate, the entrance to the Reichstag

88 - Group led by Darth Sideous ( the Emperor in Star Wars) — the cross word is too low resolution to see if this fits, but my first answer would be “stormtroopers”.

7 down is a reference to Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd. Their wall concerts were openly antisemitic, with the fascists of the “wall” being adorned with Stars of David and a Hitleresque fascist leader — with Roger Waters being a open antisemite and hater of Israel.

Lots of various references to Islam throughout.

Not a chance any of this was accidental.

This is one of the most idiotic posts that I've read on DCUM. I cannot believe that people are up in arms about this.

And BTW, the mere existence of Islam is not anti-semitic. So tired of the blatant, socially acceptable islamophobia in these posts. You're not making the point that you think you are.

yet, completely factual.

can dispute the facts of the post, or just don’t agree?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reason why quilts sometimes end up with accidental swastikas is the same reason that this crossword ended up with an accidental swastika (if you block out the corners and don't complete any of the words).

It's because the designer was going for symmetry. There are limited number of shapes that a crossword can come in, and some puzzle creators like to create them with symmetry. That's it - that's the whole story.

Trying to make "Siths" as an answer into some sort of anti-Semitic conspiracy just demonstrates what a reach this is.

what about “boxcars?”

Is your argument that "boxcars" is an inappropriate clue ever? Or just in that puzzle? Should we purge it from our vocabulary?

It’s not a coincidence.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reason why quilts sometimes end up with accidental swastikas is the same reason that this crossword ended up with an accidental swastika (if you block out the corners and don't complete any of the words).

It's because the designer was going for symmetry. There are limited number of shapes that a crossword can come in, and some puzzle creators like to create them with symmetry. That's it - that's the whole story.

Trying to make "Siths" as an answer into some sort of anti-Semitic conspiracy just demonstrates what a reach this is.

what about “boxcars?”

Is your argument that "boxcars" is an inappropriate clue ever? Or just in that puzzle? Should we purge it from our vocabulary?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reason why quilts sometimes end up with accidental swastikas is the same reason that this crossword ended up with an accidental swastika (if you block out the corners and don't complete any of the words).

It's because the designer was going for symmetry. There are limited number of shapes that a crossword can come in, and some puzzle creators like to create them with symmetry. That's it - that's the whole story.

Trying to make "Siths" as an answer into some sort of anti-Semitic conspiracy just demonstrates what a reach this is.

what about “boxcars?”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any crossword can be made to look like a swastika if you try hard enough.

Agree. If you ignore enough spaces, you can make a swastika out of almost all of them.

Like the crossword puzzle in question, really?

Perhaps you could show an example of how every crossword puzzle is a swastika?

No, I'm not going to put swastikas all over images and post them here. I think you should be ashamed of yourself for doing that.

I didn’t do that. It is a picture that shows how the crossword puzzle in question so closely resembles a swastika.

I think the NYT should be ashamed of themselves for publishing the swastika shaped crossword puzzle, apologize, and remove the people who made it from their crossword page, and conduct an investigation into who approved this puzzle and ask why they didn’t see what everyone else sees.

But so far, they are silent, and the people who have asked for answers about this have been accused of being too sensitive.

It shows the opposite - how much of a reach this is. A shameful reach.