Nah, we do not grapple. Some fight them, some ignore them, some join them and decision makers are trying to use it for their own. Btw. it was 80 years of CDU / CSU that brought us to this.
The title is misleading. We don’t struggle with the AfD we have decided to ignore it the same way we ignored that an economy based on fossil fuel cars is not sustainable, the same way we ignored rotting and underfunded infrastructure, roads, rails, state and education institutions.
we have decided to ignore it the same way we ignored that an economy based on fossil fuel cars is not sustainable, the same way we ignored rotting and underfunded infrastructure, roads, rails, state and education institutions.
Seeing this sentiment from people in way too many countries right now…
Ban them before it’s too late
There’s growing concern in Germany that society is becoming increasingly polarized.
This is a major objective of disinformation campaigns across Europe and other Western democracies that are run by authoritarian regimes, and it is why these regimes support this right-wing party to the point that it becomes a puppet organization. AfD head Alice Weidel is celebrated like a star in Chinese state-media.
While this is an aspect we should not forget that the AfD is homegrown in Germany exploiting long held racist and bigoted views that were kept quiet but present in society. It is well known that rising inequality makes it easy for fascists to gain power and the growing inequality in Germany hasn’t been seriously addressed by any governing coalition in many years.
Also many of the AfD elites have a history in Germanys neonazi scene of the 90s and early 00s. The neoliberal and neofeudal side (Weidel, von Storch and the like) have been deeply embedded in their respective circles.
Finally we saw the German media failing again and again to find a proper way of dealing with the AfD without working for them. Instead over the past year they disproportionately followed AfD topics like migration and now even started making far right populist propaganda programs in public broadcast television.
Foreign desinformation campaigns are the fertilizer to boost growth, but the soil, water and light are present in Germany and so far the supposed democrats did a terrible job at keeping them from the growing fascist threat.
Agreed. If AfD is forbidden for good, I’m not saying there isn’t a chance that some loudmouths will be able to turn it to their advantage and do some serious rabble-rousing, but there’s a larger chance that people will just move on. (Almost) nobody wants to vote for an illegal party. People resent and spit (that’s why they vote AfD in the first place), but not (usually) to the point of rebellion.
Yes, there are a lot of additional qualifiers in the text above. Of course we can’t be 100% sure. I mean, look at the USA…
OTOH, disinformation and hybrid warfare are recognized for what they are in Germany and the EU, and I just hope we do more against it. Enough, before it gets even worse.
Also, the CxU have shifted so far to the right now, they can easily mop up the angry xenophobes. Sadly.
AfD head Alice Weidel is celebrated like a star in Chinese state-media.
Source?
Fan cult: Why AfD election frontrunner Alice Weidel is celebrated like a star in China
In China, 阿丽丝-魏德尔 (Ālìsī Wèidé’ěr) is a star. “My uncle called me the other day and excitedly asked if she would be Germany’s new chancellor,” says a Chinese IT student in Berlin, who does not want her name to be published and wants to be called Maxine Zhou here. “She perfectly fits the nationalistic and strict image of a politician, which is one of the favorite types of conservative Chinese.” […]
You may also read here:
China courts Germany’s far-right populist AfD
The far-right populist Alternative for Germany party rejects a values-based foreign policy, just as much as it rejects NATO and the US. That approach has attracted the attention of Beijing.
But there is more, a quick research reveals a lot of resources about this party’s China and Russia connection.
Addition:
Marriage of Convenience: How European Far-Right and Far-Left Discovered China
European far-right and far-left political parties, though ideologically opposed, are finding common ground in their alignments with China, echoing Beijing’s narratives and raising concerns about foreign influence and manipulation.
European far-left parties aligning with China! Ah!
Which far-left parties would that be?
eyes squinting
“The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia”
yeah, of course, didn’t you know that?
Removed by mod
lol.
https://www.weidunews.com/article/2024-12-08/19649.html
https://news.qq.com/rain/a/20250328A0996C00
Better?
TBF, I have no idea if these are state media, but there’s more if you enter “阿丽丝-魏德尔”
I suggest that really big cannon y’all invented in WW2. That’ll put them right where they’re supposed to be
That thing was incredibly unwieldy. Using that, it would take forever to even take a single shot at the Nazi scum. But in general, the idea of shooting at them with a big cannon is sound and has been proven to work in the past.
Ban them. It’s that simple. The hard is making Germany a place where people won’t want to vote for these fucks, but at least ban them first. If you don’t well, we’re seeing in the US, Hungary, and other countries what happens when these people get in power. Would be quite ironic though to have a lesbian right-winger take down German democracy. If she had black hair and hazel eyes, it would be even better.
I have an idea: Poll all the pro-authoritarian people in other governments, like Trump, Vance, Putin, Kim, Xi, etc. on their opinion about AfD being shut down.
Do the opposite of what they say.
I know we must defend free speech, and everyone has a right to their opinion. But even more importantly, “my freedom ends where other people’s freedom starts”.
Free speech =/= hate speech, and hate speech disguised as free speech should always be restricted. Because the point of said hate speech is usually to restrict opposing ideas once it takes control. And Germany knows that better than most. Never lose sleep over silencing hate speech.
It never ends at “I am free to hate others if I don’t act on it”. If given the chance to hate without real repercussions the hateful ones will always take any excuse to act on said hate. That’s the one irony about unrestricted free speech - it tends to find a way to eventually restrict itself again through festering hate, in time.
can we please drop the “far right” already and call then extremists?
