Right-Wing Extremists Tricked by Trojan Shirts

[marmar]

from Der Spiegel:





Fans at a recent right-wing extremist rock festival in Germany thought they were getting free T-shirts that reflected their nationalistic worldview. But after the garment's first wash they discovered otherwise. The original image rinsed away to reveal a hidden message from an activist group.

With a skull-and-crossbones logo and the message "Hardcore Rebels - National and Free," some 250 black T-shirts given away at a recent right-wing extremist rock festival were quickly snapped up. But there was more to the tough-looking image than met the eye.

Once the rightist rockers washed their new shirts, they were dismayed to find an entirely different message: "If your T-shirt can do it, so can you. We'll help to free you from right-wing extremism." The offer, complete with contact information, came from a group called Exit Deutschland, which helps people get out of the neo-Nazi scene.

The group sent their "Trojan T-shirts," disguised as a donation from an anonymous party supporter, to the organizers of the Aug. 6 event, which took place in the Thuringian city of Gera and was sponsored by the right-wing extremist NPD party. Exit Deutschland has been pleased with discussion the initiative prompted in online neo-Nazi forums, co-founder Bernd Wagner told daily Süddeutsche Zeitung on Wednesday. ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,779446,00.html

[valerief]

1. Wow, that's great. nt

[meegbear]

2. Oh SNAP!

That's awesome!

[lumberjack_jeff]

3. Great idea. n/t

[gratuitous]

4. A brilliant idea, except for one thing

Neo-Nazis might go years before they do a load of clothes.

[malaise]

5. LOL

:rofl:

[Ignis]

15. !

:spray:

[marmar]

20. :)

:)

[Beavker]

25. Nor can they read

[drm604]

6. Here's what I'd like to do. I don't know if it's even possible.

Anyone know if it's possible to make signs that appear different on camera? In other words, a sign that shows one thing to the naked eye, but something else to a still or video camera. Could something like this be done with fluorescent inks or holograms or something?

The idea would be to give out free signs with typical teabagger messages at teabagger reallies. They, and everyone looking at them, would see the TB slogans, but the cameras which are capturing them for the media and the internet see something completely different. Maybe slogans putting down teabaggers, or slogans supporting liberal causes, or just slogans that make them look like total idiots.

[FSogol]

8. Don't their signs already make them look like total idiots?

:shrug:

BTW, Great idea, you're on to something.

[drm604]

13. Sure. but we could make them look worse.

"Tell us the truth about Area 51"

That kind of nonsense.

[formercia]

10. Have one ink that dissappears when exposed to Sunlight

and another ink that appears when exposed to Sunlight.

Give out signs that say one thing, and within a short while, say something else.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

17. Brilliant idea!

Though I don't know if something exists that appears different on camera.

[gaijinlaw]

22. That is a terrific idea

The only thing I can think of off the top of my head is to spell out the hidden message in infrared LEDs. The light can't be seen by the human eye, but will be picked up by video cameras.

LEDs are pretty cheap if you buy them in bulk. Punch out holes in the sign and insert the LEDs just like a Lite-Brite. The sign should be double-sided like a sandwich board to hide the wiring. Run the leads down a hollow handle to a battery pack mounted to the bottom.

The drawback of course being that it's a bit time consuming to create, but how awesome would that look on TV?

[Thegonagle]

28. I don't think that's physically possible, though it would be funny if it was.

Put simply, our eyes are organic cameras that capture and focus visible light. A mechanical film/digital/video camera is designed to do the same thing.

It would be virtually impossible in ordinary/natural lighting with ordinary, unmodified cameras.

[lonestarnot]

7. That is fascinating. I would be curious re responses from wearers after shirts were washed, any

takers?

[FSogol]

9. Any word on how they did that? n/t

[Javaman]

11. I would like to know too! nt

[TalkingDog]

14. Water soluable inks most likely

They probably needed a surfactant (soap) to really break down the inks so they would wash away.

Clever.

[OldEurope]

21. Special ink

Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported that the printing factory developped a special color that is not water soluble but gets washed away by laundry detergents. They did not want to get the "greeks" uncovered during the festival by rain or sweat.
Link is available in German only, sorry:
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/panorama/aktion-auf-rechtsrockfestival-trojaner-t-hemd-legt-neonazis-rein-1.1129735

[FSogol]

23. Thanks. n/t

[disillusioned73]

26. Genius..

:dem:

[drm604]

12. A better idea might be T-shirts that changed when exposed to body heat from being worn.

They change from some right-wing slogan to something like "I'm with stupid" with an arrow pointing up at their face, or maybe they change to a "My Little Pony" or "Hello Kitty" T-Shirt or something.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

16. That. Is. Fucking. Awesome! n/t

[SecularMotion]

18. I like it!

[Electric Monk]

19. k&r

[L. Coyote]

24. Can we sell these at Republican rallies, with "I Love Bachmann" changing to

"I Love Bat-Shit-Crazy Woman" :rofl:

[jimmyflint]

27. That's awesome. n/t

[Scurrilous]

29. Kick

:kick: