this post was submitted on 22 Jan 2025
342 points (98.6% liked)

World News

39783 readers
3178 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News [email protected]

Politics [email protected]

World Politics [email protected]


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Summary

Germany's parliament will debate a proposed ban on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) for the first time next week.

The proposal cites the AfD's increasing radicalism and historically revisionist statements, such as co-leader Alice Weidel’s claim that Hitler was a communist.

Under Germany's constitution, a party ban requires proof of opposition to constitutional principles.

Critics warn that a ban could portray the AfD as martyrs.

The AfD currently polls in second place at 20% ahead of February elections.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 21 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

BAN THE AFD

Seriously, fuck them

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Yup. Rising Nazism doesn't need to be the exact same guys again. That's just lazy.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

In a recent speech, Alice weidel idolized her grandfather's generation. Her grandfather was a member of the Nazi party.

AfD goes to length to imply nazism but won't outright say it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 hours ago

It's just Musk without cool gadgets

[–] [email protected] 36 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

Critics warn that a ban could portray the AfD as martyrs.

So? Martyr the shit out of them.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Martyrdom is massively overrated in Western discourse - usually a crackdown just works. Probably exactly because it's a great excuse not to do scary but necessary things, which is something we've grown unused to.

[–] TheBat 18 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

In good ol' days, people had to die first to become martyrs.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 hours ago

Hmm, worth thinking about.

[–] FelixCress 116 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (5 children)

My grandad who fought in WW2 used to say to me "You don't speak to Nazis, you shoot Nazis".

To translate this into modern world: AfD should be banned and its politicians should go to prison. The same with all far right across Europe.

We allowed nazis take power once, we must not make the same mistake again.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 15 hours ago

We allowed nazis take power once, we must not make the same mistake again.

In case you missed it, they are in power already, just not in Germany (yet).

[–] Passerby6497 4 points 10 hours ago (2 children)

We allowed nazis take power once, we must not make the same mistake again.

That ship sailed in November

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 hours ago

Yeah, I didn't bother going to a Remembrance day ceremony this year. It felt redundant when that shit was so front of mind already.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

In Europe. This is about Europe. America is not the center of the world.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

True, but I did imagine OP as American. OP's grandpa presumably wasn't German, anyway. Or they were/are, and are extra cool, I guess.

[–] Passerby6497 5 points 9 hours ago

My bad, shouldn't comment with migraines

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] Magister 50 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Germany should declare Musk a persona non grata

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 hours ago

Hmm, would Musk be considered a diplomat? That might actually apply here.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (1 children)

please god let head AfD members be prosecuted, that would be so fucking funny

[–] [email protected] 18 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

A matter of weeks before the election too

You brought it upon yourselves, AfD

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 50 points 16 hours ago (3 children)

20%?! What the fuck is wrong with people? I know that there are problems in the world, big problems, but you don't get rid of those by just saying "Ausländer raus!"

[–] slaacaa 20 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (1 children)

For decades, the elite has been hoarding more and more wealth, while the average worker faces inflation, stagnating wages, and crumbling public services - this is true for most developed countries.

Same as with Trump in 2016, a large number of German people are (rightfully) dissatisfied, and (mistakenly) think that a radical candidate will solve their problems, and “stick it” to the elite and current ruling parties.

The answer is the same everywhere - the elite should stop hoarding the wealth that is created by the workers, and the government should use that money to invest into the common needs of the people (e.g. good education, healthcare and public infrastructure). This is the only way that works, but billionaires would rather see fascists on the government that burn countries down, as that doesn’t endanger neoliberal capitalism,

[–] [email protected] 8 points 12 hours ago

Wealth distribution (wages, cost of living, housing) is one thing.

The demographic changes caused by low birth rates and immigration are not to be underestimated. They have a huge impact on identity, outlook towards the future, and societal cohesion.

A majority of older people, many without children, who only care about their own pensions and benefits are not conducive to societal change, growth, and adaptation. Wealth distribution plays a role here too of course. The younger generations realize they won’t be able to live the lifestyle of their parents is a huge blow to overall morale. Disintegration of institutions (church, unions) only accelerate the alienation and destruction of social cohesion. Families are also much weaker. They are smaller and their members are more likely to live further apart. Divorce adds further instability and disconnection. That all contributes to increased mental health issues and loneliness.

Society is in crisis in many ways. People promising radical change (back to an imaginary glorious past) become more and more attractive.

[–] bassomitron 41 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

People are disgruntled enough to the point that they just want to burn it all down. And these far right radicals/Nazis are often promising that (even though they have zero plans of carrying through and will instead just further enrich themselves at the cost of everything else). This is what happens when you let extreme inequality continue unchecked for decades.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 13 hours ago

Keep in mind, that the past decade centrist and right wing media did everything to give the AfD maximum attention and for the past 3 years every party from left of center to right bent over backwards to push themselves to the right and far right. the Greens and Social Democrats passed a law to make deportations easier just a week after investigative journalists uncovered a meeting by the AfD, other Fascists and the CDU to discuss plans for large scale deportations. sitting chancellor Scholz had declared "We need to deport in grand style" a few months earlier.

Now for the AfD ban innitiation a relevant faction of the Green party want to block it on the basis of "wanting more time, a parliamentary inquiry and not to risk giving the AfD a carte blanche if the ban case fails." I think it is more because they are worried that some of their right and far right policies could come under scrutiny too.

The reality is that large parts of German politics have been infiltrated by and wanted to move to the right very hard. They just waited for a pretext to do so, where they don't end up being the far right all of a sudden.

I'm just mentioning the Green party as an example, because they used to be a progressive party, left of the social democrats and right of the Left party, and i am dissapointed the most in them. But the CDU is using the same election slogans as the AfD currently and the Bavarian abomination CSU now has posters that look the same to posters of the NPD, which is the skinheads with baseball bats style Nazi-party.


https://mastodon.social/@peterjelinek/113770253157050313

https://feddit.org/post/6986463/4242805

[–] [email protected] 8 points 16 hours ago

But it's such a simple and easy solution to our problems! /s

[–] [email protected] 39 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

BANNT DIE SCHEIẞE DOCH ENDLICH WEG

WEG IN DIE SCHATTENWELT

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 hours ago

upvote for use of capital ß

[–] [email protected] 23 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (1 children)

i dont understand german, but i fully understood that due to how angry it is lmao

[–] [email protected] 18 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

Basically:

BAN THAT SHIT FINALLY

BANISH IT INTO THE SHADOW REALM

[–] [email protected] 6 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) (1 children)

Loses something in translation like that. I'd say

JUST DO BAN THAT SHIT GONE ALREADY

AWAY INTO THE SHADOW REALM

Extra points for the use of capital Eszett.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 13 hours ago

Thanks to Heliboard for automatically suggesting a ẞ when shift is pressed.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

lol, i meant i understood what you said due to how angry it was, will correct my comment. i didn't understand the part about the shadow realm tho, thanks

[–] [email protected] 8 points 12 hours ago

Please include musk in this bad and make that ban Europe wide

[–] Metz 3 points 14 hours ago

bittebittebittebitte...

load more comments
view more: next ›