Fascism in Germany

Having studied German at university, I have a great affection for Germany. This news makes me very sad.

In the seventies, I travelled around Germany on holiday. My friend and I entered a square in Saltzburg to find a fascist rally taking place. She didn't understand German and couldn't understand why I was huckling her out of the square.
It was frightening to hear what was being preached.

Whitewavemark2

Curtaintwitcher

Those who are alarmed at the rise of the 'right' have only themselves to blame for allowing the 'left' to make such a mess of things.

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... ditto

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Unfortunately I don’t think lessons are ever learnt from the past. History has shown us this many times.

Curtaintwitcher

Those who are alarmed at the rise of the 'right' have only themselves to blame for allowing the 'left' to make such a mess of things.

😄😄😄

Those who are alarmed at the rise of the 'right' have only themselves to blame for allowing the 'left' to make such a mess of things.

We need to look at how extremism is not the answer. Extreme left is every bit as bad as extreme right - they all lead to dictatorships and crushing of the individual’s spirit. Many seem to be attracted to both, they provide ‘easy’ emotional answers.

TBH, Callistemon, early 21st century capitalism isn't the safest of concepts, either. The alienation of those the 'market' leaves behind is what drives them to extremes.

Truer words never spoken, MaizieD.

When the world is turning ever Rightward - recessions and economic crises are dangerous catalysts.

I’ve read that book too Mom3 and a number of others about WW2 and particularly about what happened to the Jews in Europe at that time. Having read these books drove me to visit Auschwitz when I visited Krakow in Poland, and Dachau when I was in Munich, and Theresienstadt when I was in Prague. I also visited Berlin several times and there you can see and learn a lot about what the fascists did to the Jews and others, but also about what happened during communism and you are able to visit a portion of the wall and visit the museum which tells of the horrors inflicted on people during those times. We also visited a museum on communism in Budapest when we were there. All these artifacts (and others I have seen but not mentioned) tell a horrendous story and that is why I’m reluctant to describe anything in Britain or Europe as true fascism or communism. Apart of course, Russia, which has supposedly moved away from communism but is clearly a dictatorship, as are all fascist or communist states.
However, that does not mean I’m complacent or unconcerned. The move to the right is concerning but at this point, no more than that. Our leaders must work to ensure that we remain a properly democratic state. Our schools do teach the history of the last century, including WW1 and WW2 and the holocaust but at GCSE level. I would hope it was taught across Europe to all secondary pupils but I think it probably isn’t. The ignorance about this subject has become very obvious following the ongoing war in Israel. I’ve seen people interviewed on television who couldn’t answer simple questions about how the state of Israel came about, and unbelievably, they knew nothing about the Holocaust!
We must learn from the past.

I recommend a book I'm reading, "I Will Bear Witness" by Victor Klemperer. He was a Jewish professor who lived in Dresden before and during WW11. He kept a secret diary that recorded the gradual takeover by the Nazis. It's alarming how similar things are happening now.

I have to admit that many of my grandchildren have absolutely no idea about the Second World War and its causes. They have not been taught anything about it and they are in their late teens. They could tell you all about First Nations people and things that happened 200 years plus ago. Interesting but rather alarming.

Callistemon21

MaizieD

The story of the rise of fascism is taught, nanna8, but people are reluctant to recognise it happening in their own country.

It is taught now but there is a whole generation of older Germans who were not taught about this in school.

Fascism began in Italy.

Communism should be taught too as it is just as dangerous a concept.

TBH, Callistemon, early 21st century capitalism isn't the safest of concepts, either. The alienation of those the 'market' leaves behind is what drives them to extremes.

Right under my nose but I can't see it

maddyone

It’s very worrying, especially in Germany, but it’s happening in France too, and maybe other countries.

Well it must be happening right under my nos

MaizieD

The story of the rise of fascism is taught, nanna8, but people are reluctant to recognise it happening in their own country.

It is taught now but there is a whole generation of older Germans who were not taught about this in school.

Fascism began in Italy.

Communism should be taught too as it is just as dangerous a concept.

Yes the move further and further right can only end at one point.

The world is a tinderbox, and at such times awful regimes emerge, history repeats itself again and again which is particularly depressing in the context of German history and the othering that is going on there right now.

Fascism is present in so many guises all over the world though sometimes under different guises, theocracies for example, or any totalitarian state be it Russia, North Korea, Venezuela, call it communism call it what you like, it still amounts to the same thing, a subjugated population and too much power in the hands of megalomaniacs.

Sometimes the little dictators walk among us, factions who covertly pressurise their communities to conform to a way of life they don't want, or shutting down debate because it offends their sensibilities.

Beautifully put MazieD

It’s happening in the UK too maddyone, right under our noses.

It’s very worrying, especially in Germany, but it’s happening in France too, and maybe other countries.

The story of the rise of fascism is taught, nanna8, but people are reluctant to recognise it happening in their own country.

Awful awful awful. Will we never learn? The Nazis rose to power as an ‘answer’ to poverty and recession and people fell for their lies hook line and sinker. Not just a few ,either, but a majority . The history of the 1930s and 1940s should be taught in every school all throughout Europe and America to ensure it never happens again. It can happen anywhere, not just in Germany.

Michael Rosen explains it. This is from 2014

Fascism: I sometimes fear...
I sometimes fear that
people think that fascism arrives in fancy dress
worn by grotesques and monsters
as played out in endless re-runs of the Nazis.

Fascism arrives as your friend.
It will restore your honour,
make you feel proud,
protect your house,
give you a job,
clean up the neighbourhood,
remind you of how great you once were,
clear out the venal and the corrupt,
remove anything you feel is unlike you...

It doesn't walk in saying,
"Our programme means militias, mass imprisonments, transportations, war and persecution."

michaelrosenblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/fascism-i-sometimes-fear.html

This is all too true, but deeply attractive to many people. We see plenty of them on here...

I'm thinking about the story posted recently about the border force personnel being trained to manhandle asylum seekers onto planes to fly them to Rwanda. I'm sure the people being trained are lovely people who are just doing their jobs, but so were the people who herded Jews onto trains to Auchwitz

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newslondon/home-office-hires-hangar-and-dummy-plane-to-rehearse-forcing-migrants-onto-rwanda-flights/ar-BB1gWkXn

It makes me think of when things were turning very nasty in England and when France started I did wonder how long before it gets ugly with other countries joining in. Given Germany’s history it feels so much worse. Why do, oh never mind, you can’t ask sensible questions with the likes of such groups can you.

Katie59

There is an undercurrent of extreme right wing support in all countries including the UK, call it fascism if you want, Germany has specific laws that ban any activity. Other countries allow neo fascist groups to campaign openly

It isn’t my call it is the BBCs.

There is an undercurrent of extreme right wing support in all countries including the UK, call it fascism if you want, Germany has specific laws that ban any activity. Other countries allow neo fascist groups to campaign openly