F1’s Ecclestone criticized after Hitler comments
July 4, 2009
LONDON (AP)—Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone faced criticism frompoliticians and Jewish groups Saturday after being quoted as saying that AdolfHitler “got things done.”
In an interview with London’s The Times newspaper, Ecclestone expressed apreference for “strong leaders,” citing former British Prime Minister MargaretThatcher and Max Mosley, outgoing head of Formula One’s governing body, asexamples.
He was quoted as saying that democracy “hasn’t done a lot of good for manycountries—including this one.”
“In a lot of ways, terrible to say this I suppose, but apart from the factthat Hitler got taken away and persuaded to do things that I have no ideawhether he wanted to do or not, he was in the way that he could command a lot ofpeople, able to get things done,” Ecclestone was quoted as saying.
“In the end he got lost, so he wasn’t a very good dictator.”
Ecclestone also said the West had been wrong to depose Iraq’s Sadam Hussein,saying: “He was the only one who could control that country.”
The Board of Deputies of British Jews told The Times that Ecclestone’s viewswere “quite bizarre,” and Jewish Chronicle editor Stephen Pollard said he was“either an idiot or morally repulsive.” Labour Party lawmaker Denis MacShanetold the newspaper that the remarks revealed ignorance of history and “acomplete lack of judgment.”
Calls to Ecclestone’s London office were not immediately returned Saturday.
Ecclestone, who owns F1’s commercial rights, is no stranger to controversialremarks. He once said women should dress in white “like all other domesticappliances.”
In The Times interview, Ecclestone said that had been a joke, adding “Iwould love to have a good lady race driver and preferably black and Jewish too,but they might take maternity leave.”
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