Tracking the Fascists

"Anything that depicts anything regarding Hitler is a very sensitive issue, especially with growing anti-Semitism throughout Canada, the United States and around the world."
"When we receive complaints from the community, we have to respond."
"This is a sensitive issue with the Jewish population and with families of those involved in the Holocaust."
Harvey Levine, regional director, Quebec, B'nai Brith human rights organization

"[Levine] expressed his and the community's shock concerning the fact that the game exists and that we would carry it."
"I'm glad that he spoke to us directly."
"Between our three stores, many copies were sold."
Manager, West Island Tour de Jeux outlet, Montreal

This is a board game, only one of a number, that bases its competitive underpinning on the Third Reich, a battle between fascists and moderates, a political-faux thriller pitting the forces of evil against those who aspire to defeat their agenda of world domination. The kindest thing that can be said about something of this nature -- taking a real-life historical event known for its brutality and vicious Nazi aspiration to extinguish the lives of Europe's Jews in an finely orchestrated genocidal 'final solution' while fighting a world war, is that it trivializes one of the most horrific of humankind's basest atrocities.

Hitler, Nazis, fascism and World War Two are synonymous with genocide and the extermination of six million Jews, as well as political dissenters, Roma, homosexuals, socialists, and society's mentally and physically infirm, all destined for obliteration through a clockwork organization of mass executions. The blueprint for such a game based on the horrific realities of the era reflects a casual disregard for humanity's blackest, bleakest hours. During the Second World War, an estimated 70 million people died, representing 20 million military and 40 million civilians.

Human memory is short, and  history is given short shrift, but this example of profit over morals is nothing short of shocking. Yet this game in particular is advertised as having great popularity and having been rated a nominee for the 2016 Golden Geek Best Party Game. Three Montreal area stores carried the game -- which is widely available online including through Amazon.

Complaints were lodged from the Jewish community of Montreal with the Jewish human rights group B'nai Brith Canada, which then contacted the manager of the Tour de Jeux at its Pointe-Claire outlet. Complaints over the presence in Montreal of the game were also posted on Facebook by troubled Quebecers, rousing B'nai Brith to action. The game, set in 1933's Germany the year Adolf Hitler became chancellor, came on the market several years ago. There are two teams on the fascist Hitler-themed game, liberals and fascists.

The liberals are tasked with finding and stopping Secret Hitler before it's too late, while the fascists sow distrust and install and protect their leader. This is the game's plot, one that B'nai Brith brought to the attention of the store's manager. The West Island manager contacted the store's owner who made the decision to remove the game at his three Montreal locations. The game had been stocked over the holiday period after customer requests.

Distributed worldwide through Amazon, complaints have issued from other Jewish groups, in the United States and Australia. Sales of board games have skyrocketed over the past five years, often emphasizing strategy and co-operation. Although anti-Semitic attacks have increased in volume throughout Canada, the increase of such incidents has been far greater in the Province of Quebec.

It was revealed a year ago through the news media that one of the most influential neo-Nazis lives in Montreal, and organizes a white supremacist network. He is a prolific writer on the Daily Stormer, the extreme-right-wing news website with upwards of 80,000 visitors monthly, and he goes by the name "Zeiger". It is a toxic site trafficking in conspiracy theories, which refers to African Americans as "nogs", to gays as "faggots" and covers the "Race War" and the "Jewish Problem". Anti-fascist investigators have discovered a link to "Zeiger" through a 2002 yearbook from Paul-Gérin-Lajoie-d’Outremont, which Sohier Chaput attended in Grade 10. They saw a resemblance between the 2002 photo of Sohier Chaput and Zeiger’s online profiles.

White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the alt-right exchange volleys of pepper spray with counter-protesters at Charlottesville in August 2011: For Zeiger, the €œpath of questioning€ began early. He says in a podcast that he was 14 when he read about the Holocaust and €œrealized that it was a hoax.€ Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

A 'new generation' of white men are said to be inspired by the Daily Stormer's writers along with Zeiger's Nazi-glorifying articles, the man who has helped the spread of this fascist ideology across North America. Presumably, it is among this lot in particular that a passion for this board game emanates....