Maybe a bit of Holocaust-relativism will be in order later...

From SPIEGEL ONLINE's newspage:

Is Ahmadinejad Giving Germany's Far-Right Free Propaganda?

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave SPIEGEL an exclusive interview (to be published on this Web site on Tuesday), the first extensive one with a Western publication, in which he reiterated his doubts about whether the Holocaust happened and warned that Europe should "stand behind Iran" in the current nuclear conflict.

"I only accept something as the truth if I have really been convinced," he told SPIEGEL, referring to the Holocaust. Part of the interview turned into a debate between Ahmadinejad and the three SPIEGEL journalists, who argued that the Holocaust is a historically established fact.

Ahmadinejad also reiterated his statements questioning Israel's right to exist. "We say if the Holocaust happened, then the Europeans must accept the consequences and the price should not be paid by Palestine," he said. "If it did not happen, then the Jews must return to where they came from."

His remark that Germany is "hostage to Zionists" over the Holocaust is likely to be welcomed by Germany's far-right and the National Democratic Party (NPD), writes Financial Times Deutschland. "His big SPIEGEL interview delivers free NPD propaganda. One can ask whether journalists should provide a stage for this. The answer is that an open society should know its enemies. It only has to be prepared to take a close look at them."

-- David Crossland, 11 a.m. CET

Free Far-Right propaganda? Really? Let's have a look at the organised part of the Far Right in Germany, the NPD (Nationaldemocratic Party of Germany), which is, mind you, to all intents and purposes a Nazi organisation. If you can read German, go to wwwdotnpddotde (I am not linking to them) for a look. So that would be horrific, wouldn't it? After all, the hype in the international media from South Africa to Seoul MUST have a reason, mustn't it? To quote just a tiny selection:
- Is There Threat for Foreign Visitors in Germany?
- Could racism mar the World Cup in Germany?
- Analysis: Extremism on the rise in Germany
- Neo-Nazis 'won't hijack' Cup stage

That can't be ALL hysteria, or can it?

Let's have a closer look!

The German Wikipedia entry for NPD contains a lot of interesting information regarding this political party -- information freely available to anybody who can read and is willing to do his maths.

The NPD can boast, on a national level, roughly 6000 members, which is not exactly a people's movement. Here are their results for the elections of the Landtage, the state parliaments, from the foundation of the party until recently:




("n.a." means that the party didn't run in the respective elections.)

Here are the NPD's results for the elections of the Bundestag, the federal parliament.

I am asking myself now whether the media can't read (and do basic maths) and are therefore hysterical or is their ability to read (and to do basic maths) hampered because of their hysteria?

Or maybe they haven't done any research at all? Another case of correct societal reaction resolutely removed from the cause?

So, while everybody is barking up an almost empty tree with a few pathetic Nazis far removed from any power or influence on top, others, sharing major parts of the same ideology, remain unfazed. I know that I am repetitive, in fact many times so, but what about politicians like Angelika Beer, German Greens MEP who thinks that Iran is "a fascinating country with a young well-educated society", the same Angelika Beer who finds the delivery of two submarines to Israel "irresponsible".

Those are the NPD's results for the elections of the European Parliamen. (All graphs taken from the above mentioned Wikipedia entry.)

Then there is is the Greens' sortof "elder statesman" Hans Christian Ströbele who recently blamed in a TV chat show the United States and co-guest Richard Perle of planning an attack on Iran with nuclear weapons. The very Ströbele, who thinks that Iran has the right of using nuclear technology. Ströbele who thinks that, if Iran is banned from having nukes, Israel ought to be too. Just like the NPD.

And nobody got hysterics.

Talking about propaganda, elsewhere, ex-chancellor Gerhard Schröder thinks that a boycott of the "democratically elected" Hamas is wrong, because specifically we as Germans know of the evil-preventing powers of democratic elections, and opposes sanctions against Iran.

At a celebration in the Foreign Office where Schröder took on the position of Honorary Chairman of the Board of the Nah- und Mittelost-Verein e.V. NUMOV, the German Near and Middle East Association, whose mission it is to promote trade and investment between Germany and the countries of the Near and Middle East, Schröder stated that it is wrong to apply any standards to Iran, which are different from those applied to other countries, like, dare I say it, the NPD.

Once the Middle Eastern business connections are working fine, maybe a little bit of Holocaust-relativism will be in order later, or Gerhard can always start a roaring trade with THE bestseller in the Middle East. After all, we have that traditionally terrific relationship with the Arab world. Besides, the majority wants them and one must never undermine the majority vote, democratically speaking.

At least then he will see what propaganda is THAT WORKS.