https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240203-tens-of-thousands-gather-in-berlin-to-protest-far-right-afd-party
Around 150,000 people took to the streets of Berlin on Saturday as nationwide protests against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) entered their fourth week.
My (UK based, but owned by German parent) company sent out an Email denouncing the AfD.
Honestly felt quite surreal, my employer telling me not to give in to hate, bigotry and German nationalism.
Viel Glück, meine deutschen Freunde!
Tbh, even when the intent is good I feel it's quite grotesque that companies try to influence their employees' political ideas.
I would not want to have Nazis working for me either. I don't buy into that whole talk to them, change their mind nonsense. I say we ostracize them as much as possible, have them be pariahs. We either shame them into not being absolute garbage humans or they can fuck right off. Absolutely zero tolerance for Nazis.
That might work for full-on "let's genocide the other races" Nazis, but for the far-right (i.e. everything to the right of classic conservatism) it would be suicide. There's far too many people on that side to shame them. Your approach would only make sure that everyone who ever went in that rabbit whole is lost forever. I.e. they'd continue to gain members but not lose any.
Luckily a large part of the far right's supporters are just people who are misinformed or didn't think things through. There's a reason that these parties are a lot less popular among educated people. That's why these protests seem to work. They decrease the AfD's poll numbers because they get people to realize that their vote isn't a mere "fuck you" to politicians but something that could move them from the frying pan into the fire. These are people we should continue to talk to. Heck, I'd call them victims. No innocent victims, but victims who fell to propaganda and lies regardless.
Everytime I engage with one of them, as soon as I question the validity of their claims, they shut down and either just bleat their parole, insult me or spam their afd-blue hearts.
Its just not worth the energy
afd-blue
Are you sure the AfD is blue? I rather think they are good old Nazi brown.
No matter which color you paint a turd, it will stay a stinking brown turd underneath.
If it were about a mere political idea, I'd agree with you. But here were speaking about a party that's in the process of becoming outright fascist and facism isn't just an "idea", it's also a crime against humanity.
Your employer denouncing fascism shouldn't be any more concering than your employer telling you not to assault your coworkers. It shouldn't be controversial at all but part of the basic consensus civilized society is based upon.
Your employer denouncing fascism shouldn’t be any more concering than your employer telling you not to assault your coworkers.
That's a good analogy. Both for what this vile ideology constitutes, and for the state of a society in which it has become necessary for employers to tell their employees not to assault their coworkers.
Up to 5000 people in my nearby rural town. Wouldn't be surprised if it was the largest protest to ever happen there.
The protests matter because they destroy the narrative that the silent majority is behind the AfD views.
Sure, protest all you want, but for the love of all that's good - get out and vote at each and every opportunity, or these shit lords will just get reelected.
But what does it help, as long as the centre keeps supporting Israel, antisosial climate legislation, Ukraine aid and further neoliberal reforms? It's gonna get worse before it gets better, Kameraden.
Edit: Looking at it from the outside, it's gonna be Bündnis Sarah Wagenknecht or barbarism, I'm afraid. Of nothing else they accept realities of the US headed Nordstream terror attack.
Fuck the BSW. They have a similiar stance on foreigners as the AfD and are and always have been Putin bootlickers.