Still more of EU policies

I wonder if some of the wine is called "Che Guevara" Wine or "Churchill" Wine or "Marx" Wine. The article does not say. I can definitely see why they took some action.

I just cannot believe that any company in Europe would create a bottle of wine called Hitler even if that were the family name. It surely, I would think, would have a very limited market even in Europe:

Updated: 09:53 AM EST

Belgium Takes Legal Action on Italy 'Hitler Wine'

Labels Carry Hitler Salute, Phrases Like 'Sieg Heil'

Select One Fine Writing Padfolios Desk Accessories

AP file

Bottles of wine bear the images of Adolf Hitler and Mussolini

BRUSSELS (Dec 5) - Belgium's official anti-racism center said on Friday it was preparing legal action to stop imports of an Italian wine with labels depicting Adolf Hitler and other leading Nazis.

"A picture of Adolf Hitler is in itself too little (to trigger legal action), but he's also doing the Hitler salute and there is this message 'One People, One Empire, One Leader"' Ingrid Aendenboom, spokeswoman for the Center for Equal Opportunities and the Fight against Racism, told Reuters.

"That falls within the framework of the anti-racism law," she said.

The wine "is apparently a huge success in Italy," but the Belgian public was "very sensitive to this kind of thing," she said. The wine is sold at Belgian flea markets.

The head of the wine producing company, Andrea Lunardelli, told German television in September that the labels carrying phrases such as "Sieg Heil" and "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Fuehrer" were made chiefly for the German market.

Its Web site says the labels "remind us of the lives of celebrated personages of Italian and world political history such as Che Guevara, Churchill...Hitler, Marx, Mussolini, Napoleon."

The German government asked Italy in September to investigate whether the labels depicting top Nazis such as Hitler, Hermann Goering and Heinrich Himmler violated European Union anti-racism rules.

German law strictly forbids the use of Nazi symbols or insignia, but German tourists were importing the wine from Italy or buying it on the Internet.

12/05/03 09:09 ET

Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

> The article does not say. I

>can definitely see why they took some action.

You do??? You don't think there should be free speech in Europe? Why shouldn't admirers of Hitler have the right to call their wine whatever they want? Who decides which historical figures are acceptable and which aren't? Have you ever heard those Eurocrats before? You want them deciding what people can say and think? I don't.

> I just cannot believe that any company in Europe would

>create a bottle of wine called Hitler even if that were the

>family name. It surely, I would think, would have a very

>limited market even in Europe:

I don't agree with this either. I think that's a perfect name if you want to appeal to a sizable market in Europe. Many, many Europeans would love it.

That comment was made with the idea in mind of the PC crowd which seems to be such followers of the European mindset.