Discussion: Counterprotesters Block Neo-Nazi March To Berlin Prison

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translation of banner: “I regret nothing”

Below: National Socialists (aka nazis)

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No Signature polo shirts and husky-size khakis? No MAGA (Make Aryans Great Again) hats? Black tape instead of really smart armbands? Boy are those Nazi’s uniforms passé. And not a golf cart in sight. Sad.

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Yet. You regret nothing yet.

Germany isn’t about to put up with their foolishness.

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I thought I’d heard that there were some of these dumbheads still in Germany, not just the US.

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Those annual far-right marches used to take place in the Bavarian town of Wunsiedel, where Hess was buried until authorities removed his remains.

Wunsiedel, of course, is where they do that marvelous “involuntary walkathon”, where people pledge money per meter walked by the Nazis, with the money going to anti-Nazi education groups.

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These counter protesters are supported by laws of Germany. The US could learn a thing or two about how to deal with this scum.

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Good job! I immediately thought of this article from the Times. These micropenis types can handle all the anger and hatred that comes their way – it feed them and makes them the martyrs. Ridicule is soooo much more effective.

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Especially the part about not letting them be armed.

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Drumpf: I am so happy that I am their leader. This is still a Big Big win for me. I am bringing them out in droves. Soon all whites will unite against Obama.

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“Ich bereue nichts.” Pretty sure that’s Trump’s life motto.

  • Discrimination lawsuits.
  • Failed casinos.
  • Multiple bankruptcies.
  • Failed marriages.
  • Racist pronouncements against Central Park 5 and Judge Curiel.
  • Bigotry against Mexicans, Muslims.
  • Birtherism.
  • Sexual assaults.

Er bereue nichts.

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For laughs, search on YouTube what happened to German Nazis who had the bright idea to stage a rally in Luxembourg.

Edit: https://youtu.be/GDwRew9-9FE

Aber, das wirst er noch bereuen.

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Organizers imposed a number of their own rules on the marchers: they were encouraged to wear smart, white shirts and were told not to speak to the media.

When you’re afraid to even talk about your beliefs, shouldn’t that tell you something?

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Dummköpfe

Humor is extremely important, and you’re right, they hate being the target of a joke. Authoritarians (and wannabees) in general are threatened by laughter. It is deeply subversive to the fear that underpins their power.

Lots of historical examples. A classic from WW2 is Der Führer’s Face, from Disney. I recall hearing an interview years ago, in which someone – might have even been Walt himself – said that they thought it was terribly important to make fun of Hitler.

Another of my favorite examples is the film clip that the Brits produced, in which they took footage from Triumph of the Will – you know, all those impressive looking marching formations and displays of Nazi power – recut it, and set it to a popular musical tune of the day, so those goose-stepping formations appeared to be dancing. Suddenly, instead of inspiring fear and awe, they evoked giggles.

Watch a clip of it, there are several on Youtube. You will never see footage of marching troops the same way again afterwards.

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(& @docmoore) Ha – I knew “Der Fuhrer’s Face” but not the “Lambeth Walk” one. That was the hit song/dance craze from a popular musical comedy over there, so I’ll bet people went nuts over this. Of course, over here Chaplin, Lubitsch, the Warner’s cartoons and even the Three Stooges got into the act, and later Mel Brooks – in a 60 Minutes interview, he talked about how The Producers was a natural outgrowth of the way he had ridiculed the Nazis when he was actually in uniform fighting them. And today, plenty of us see Colbert, SNL and the rest as lifelines to sanity in the Trump era.

I think the mystery of why the (authoritarian, not libertarian) right – ie, basically today’s “conservatives” – can’t do comedy is directly related to your observation that laughter is subversive to the fear intrinsic to autocracy. Authoritarian followers as much as leaders need to see the leader as metaphorically if not literally without fault, and see anyone who doesn’t go along as by definition either inferior or threatening to the comfortable order. That mind-set literally doesn’t have room for what most people see as funny: they think “Stephen Colbert” the character is real, and their own attempts at humor are just snide cruelty, almost always punching down rather than up.

It’s a mentality we can probably never get through to, so we need to make sure to shake loose the less-devoted, low-info supporters of our wannabe autocrat in a way that completely discredits him and his hard core of true believers in their eyes. No better way to do that than ridicule.

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English version

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Viscerally, I would relished having Hess skinned alive…by me. Socially, I’m content with the fact that he lived out his days in captivity, pining for the bad old days. Whether he hung himself, like the rest of the high ranking pestilence of that era, or was taken out by some guard who had had it with guarding a demon, it matters not. Nature will render his body of all its nutrients. That is about the only good that asshole ever did.

Unmentioned in the article is the fate of the prison upon Hess’ death. The prison was leveled by the allies, and all the bricks, masonry, and stones were ground to dust. They did not want either the place to become a neo-Nazi rallying site or souvenirs of the prison to exist. Not a bad example for some statues I can think of.