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From The Local: Germany's News in English
Excerpt:
For much of
this year, the German media has been awash with news of the National Socialist
Underground (NSU), a neo-Nazi terrorist group thought to have murdered at least
ten people over a decade. The NSU's existence only became public when two of
their members committed suicide after police cornered them following a botched
bank robbery.
Many media outlets treated the revelation as surprising new evidence of an armed far-right underground network, but one undercover journalist has been investigating the scene for years, filming footage from neo-Nazi concerts that showed a flourishing music scene and a growing readiness for violence.
Along with Ohlendorf, Thomas Kuban (an alias) made the footage into a documentary, which, other than being screened at the 2012 Berlin Film Festival, is yet to receive widespread attention. The title of the film, “Blood Must Flow,” is taken from a track repeatedly played at concerts.
Kuban spent six years dressing as what he called a “typical fascist pig” and wangling invites to secret concerts, where he secretly caught images of braying crowds and hundreds of arms raised in the Sieg Heil salute. He risked his life every time, Ohlendorf told The Local.
Seeing hall after hall of self-declared “Aryan warriors” chanting along with lyrics like “we shit on the freedom of this Jewish republic,” – Kuban and Ohlendorf hoped to help open Germany's eyes to homegrown extremism and the role music plays in recruiting young people to the far-right.
In fact, the film shows a thriving neo-Nazi music industry. Over 100 records are released each year from around 30 specialist record labels and there are countless online shops where merchandise is sold along with the music…
Many media outlets treated the revelation as surprising new evidence of an armed far-right underground network, but one undercover journalist has been investigating the scene for years, filming footage from neo-Nazi concerts that showed a flourishing music scene and a growing readiness for violence.
Along with Ohlendorf, Thomas Kuban (an alias) made the footage into a documentary, which, other than being screened at the 2012 Berlin Film Festival, is yet to receive widespread attention. The title of the film, “Blood Must Flow,” is taken from a track repeatedly played at concerts.
Kuban spent six years dressing as what he called a “typical fascist pig” and wangling invites to secret concerts, where he secretly caught images of braying crowds and hundreds of arms raised in the Sieg Heil salute. He risked his life every time, Ohlendorf told The Local.
Seeing hall after hall of self-declared “Aryan warriors” chanting along with lyrics like “we shit on the freedom of this Jewish republic,” – Kuban and Ohlendorf hoped to help open Germany's eyes to homegrown extremism and the role music plays in recruiting young people to the far-right.
In fact, the film shows a thriving neo-Nazi music industry. Over 100 records are released each year from around 30 specialist record labels and there are countless online shops where merchandise is sold along with the music…
Full text is here.
Thanks to John Cash for sending this in.
If you mindlessly keep forbidding something, this is the result. Moreover, given the Stadiums of Hate production, I am not sure why this "expose" ought not to be viewed with at least some suspicion, no?
ReplyDeleteA more interesting and relevant development is the film Poklosie financed jointly by Polish taxpayers and a Russian "cultural foundation".
Yes, I think that the world, while apparently condemning Nazism, both glamorizes it and encourages an obsession with it.
ReplyDeleteI think Dr.G has written about the way Nazis are made into glamorous baddies.
Also I think its hard to take articles like this as seriously as they perhaps should be taken, given that so many accusations of being Nazi are thrown around. I come back to the fact that, if Peter Godwin's father, my father, and all their gallant colleagues in the Polish Free Forces could be labelled "fascists" the very moment they had finished fighting the Nazis, and are vilified down to this day, then what does that label mean?
And how can I know if what is written above is fair and accurate? As you say, we have painful cause to know how much spin there is - or "lying", as we used to call it, in our old-fashioned way.
I do note this: "Kuban spent six years dressing as what he called a “typical fascist pig”"
Yes. "pig/swine" is a recognised insult in just about every culture. Which brings me back to the book "Maus", with its depiction of Poles as "swine". I don't like being called a swine - and therefore if I am to apply the Golden Rule, and treat others as I would want to be treated, can I call other people "swine"?
And there is something of a mixed message here. Nazis are bad - apparently. But fight against them, and you will get called a Nazi and a swine into the bargain.
Silver lining? It all helps me to stay neutral, even in my heart.
And once again, Jehovah's word shines out like a beacon in a dark world. It is so clear and straightforward. And His standards don't spin around with the current politics. This helps me to love and appreciate His word even more. I would be lost without it - a sheep without a shepherd.
Well, lets put it like this with regards to Germany/Germans-
ReplyDeleteYes, there IS indeed a substantial neo-nazi subculture-I mean, just compare the list of,lets say, neo-nazi music bands of f.e Germany and Poland (ok, in the case of Poland neo-nazi music bands are virtually non-existent, so lets take right-wing music bands to compare)-Germany is TOP. Of course, their music is not sold in normal stores (sometimes it is even "indziert",meaning forbidden) but,you know, Youtube.There are,well,"famous" neo-nazi songs like Polakentango by Landser (Polak-tango-yes,about/against Poles) and a real "party hit song" called Bomben auf Israel (bombs on Israel),also by Landser (Landser itself was forcefully dissolved by order of courts). There is a neo-nazi party,called NPD (Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschland),but they are rather small. The Nationalsozialistische Untergrund thing was indeed a disaster-now, they want to simplify the communication between the various organizations involved in monitoring hate-groups.
On the other side-Most Germans are not really more xenophob than everyone else. I dont want to blame single German people for whatever their f.e government does.Still, the way Germany f.e handled (or rather,finished) the compensation claims by also Polish former forced labourers is a terrible disgrace in my eyes,as is the way Polish (Slavic) suffering is completely overlooked by German education and media.
@Piskorski
ReplyDeleteWell, You have a point-in my eyes, these are the same kind of people that are painting,as Poles!, Poland to be a "horribly xenophobic place" (s.th to laught-when Agnieszka Szwed (her father is from Nigeria) was asked on TV if she thinks that Poland is xenophobic she became quite angry and said-No, and I am bored to hear such allegations...). Nigdy Wiecej (Never Again). For these people, being "anti-rascism" IS their very job-they MUST find rascism, otherwise, they would have to do some actual productive work. Therefor, take it with a grain of salt-neo-nazis are actually quite funny,because you know in advance that they are stupid.Whats really very terrible are normal Germans who are trying to amuse you with the "Poles are thieves" theme (it gets boring after the 56743-time) or parading around their utter knowledge about their neighbour,Poland, with question like "do they have computers there? colour tv?) or offering you their wisdom like "Poland should not vote XY (lets say, for the PiS party) because -insert what they have read in a newspaper, mostly written by completely ignorant journalists,because,hey,when you write about a country, you really dont have to speak their language or know their history,sociology,that soooo overrated)- That is so very much annoying. Not some idiots who would have been send by their idols to concentrations camps as Assoziale (anti-social).
Yes, a fair point, once you have institutions to combat racism, and Race Relations Boards, which provide good careers and salaries, what happens? Do their jobs depend on them finding racism everywhere? Is there a temptation to encourage it and stir things up - otherwise, no job, no salary, no career path?
ReplyDeleteI don't know. But its a thought.
Re Germans and Poles... its a difficult one. It seems there is often enmity between those who share borders. And I know there are rights and wrongs on both sides, although as far as I know no Poles have crusaded to exterminate the German people. At least, I hope they haven't! And Hitler's extermination programme was not new, given that Chancellor Bismarck said much the same thing...
I suppose the thing is how to deal with it? Obviously not retaliate. I think one of the many silver linings of this truly nasty vilification of Poles by America's media and its Academe (or large sections thereof) is that it has made me examine myself a bit more closely and realise that I have some prejudices of my own.
I don't think my heart was right towards Germans or Germany, so I have tried to improve along the lines of loving my neighbour as myself, and when I speak about Germans I always try to be positive.
I try to do the same when talking about my 20 plus years as an expat in a strict Muslim country, living under Sharia Law. I try to dwell on the positive things, of which there were many.
For two reason. One, to comply with the Golden Rule, treating others as I would wish to be treated. Its lovely for me when people speak positively about their time in Poland. And it would be horrible if they did nothing but sneer and criticise.
And,secondly, because I know what its like to be vilified by the most powerful media in the world, and worry that Muslims might soon be finding themselves in that position. It is not nice. And I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
There is a really positive side to the Polish media issue business in that it is reinforcing the constant Bible teaching I am getting about how to treat others, by showing me, up close and personal, just how horrible it is when people do not treat each other with respect and loving-kindness.