german parliament speaker blockades police trying to protect nazi scum - step down?

[GinandTonic]

Does Germany have a tradition that the speaker does not publicly express political opinion?

 

[Terxpahseyton]

Whut?

 

[GinandTonic]

Well in the UK the speaker is bound to keep his mouth shut in the general run of things. Therefore while this chaps actions would be perfectly acceptable for a politician in general it could be seen as a breach of the duties of the office of the speaker. Just as it could with the Home Sec, Justice Sec and Attorney General etc who are all officers of the law and thus do not have the freedoms of a normal citizen or politician.

 

[Karalysia]

Sometimes freedom must be restricted to prevent to rise of fascism and other reactionary forces. Indeed these neo-Nazi's should be jailed for they are a danger to a civil society. It is for the greater good.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

Well when the speaker is busy organizing a debate in the parliament he of course has to do that without engaging in own political endeavors. But that does not mean that he or she would loose the right of free speech in general. So no I don't think so.
You still got a point though as Thierse wasn't the only politician present and there seems to be no turmoil about the other ones.
However, according to our constitution Thierse is the number second in the state behind the Federal President and still ahead of the Federal Chancelor Merkel. So his position is considered quit important in Germany which might explain why only he is targeted. Offending the law and being the number second on the federal level don't go together too well after all (if he offended the law which I don't think).

Sometimes freedom must be restricted to prevent to rise of fascism and other reactionary forces. Indeed these neo-Nazi's should be jailed for they are a danger to a civil society. It is for the greater good.

Spoken like a true puppet of ideology.

 

[ori]

Well when the speaker is busy organizing a debate in the parliament he of course has to do that without engaging in own political endeavors. But that does not mean that he or she would loose the right of free speech in general. So no I don't think so.
You still got a point though as Thierse wasn't the only politician present and there seems to be no turmoil about the other ones.
However, according to our constitution Thierse is the number second in the state behind the Federal President and still ahead of the Federal Chancelor Merkel. So his position is considered quit important in Germany which might explain why only he is targeted. Offending the law and being the number second on the federal level don't go together too well after all (if he offended the law which I don't think).

The Bundestag president while a partisan is by tradition somewhat above the fray and since he does have jurisdiction over things like party funding should certainly retain a neutral stance in much of politics when acting in official function, even outside of Bundestag debates. However it is quite accepted that outside of official duty he may express partisan views (unlike the federal president who is expected to retain neutrality in politics). Similar tradition exists for his deputies.

I think most of the "controversy" is centered around Thierse being a well known face of the SPD and people like to attack the most exposed target... And really Wieland and the other participants there are not nearly as well known.

nitpick: Thierse was number two in protocol when he was president of the Bundestag. As deputy president now he certainly ranks quite a bit lower in protocol

 

[Terxpahseyton]

nitpick: Thierse was number two in protocol when he was president of the Bundestag. As deputy president now he certainly ranks quite a bit lower in protocol

I thought he still were

 

[warpus]

Sometimes freedom must be restricted to prevent to rise of fascism and other reactionary forces. Indeed these neo-Nazi's should be jailed for they are a danger to a civil society. It is for the greater good.

When they came for the nazis, I didn't say a word, because I'm not a nazi.

When they came for the communists...

 

[GoodSarmatian]

When they came for the nazis, I didn't say a word, because I'm not a nazi.

When they came for the communists...

Doesn't apply in this context.
Nazi-ideology is all about discrimation and I one of the things we shouldn't be tolerant about is intolerance.

 

[Bugfatty300]

we shouldn't be tolerant about intolerance.

Then you should be banned right now for being intolerant.

 

[Karalysia]

I see no reason to tolerate a movement that seeks to destroy the freedom that all civilized people hold dear. Nazism is an enemy of liberal democracy.

 

[GoodSarmatian]

Then you should be banned right now for being intolerant.

I'm not.
I am only intolerant towards people who are also intolerant towards people who are not intolerant except about intolerance.

 

[Karalysia]

I'm not.
I am only intolerant towards people who are also intolerant towards people who are not intolerant except about intolerance.

There's only two things I can't stand. People who discriminate against other people and the Dutch. Bastards the lot of them.

 

[holy king]

Then you should be banned right now for being intolerant.

cry me a river, nazi supporter.

 

[Tani Coyote]

No. He was merely peacefully protesting. What is the matter with that? Both protesters were peacefully demonstrating, and that is all that matters. Who cares what their opinions are.

Also. A quick search about the NDP says it's a far right party, and they're just very nationalist, though critics often call them "Nazis", obviously because connotations work wonders in politics. I think it's very unfair to call them "Nazis" just because of that.

Until they start advocating racial purity and policies of deportation and genocide, not to mention statism, near-unrestricted corporate power, and restrictions on freedom across the board, I don't think they're very Nazified... maybe nationalist, but wanting a stronger country and identity does not make you a Nazi, or even a fascist.

 

[holy king]

si tacuisses...

 

[GoodSarmatian]

Also. A quick search about the NDP says it's a far right party, and they're just very nationalist, though critics often call them "Nazis", obviously because connotations work wonders in politics. I think it's very unfair to call them "Nazis" just because of that.

Until they start advocating racial purity and policies of deportation and genocide, not to mention statism, near-unrestricted corporate power, and restrictions on freedom across the board, I don't think they're very Nazified... maybe nationalist, but wanting a stronger country and identity does not make you a Nazi, or even a fascist.

I don't really see such a big difference between far-right nationalists and Neo-Nazis.
If the party openly advocated racial purity and genocide they would have ben banned shortly afterwads, but they are not too subtle with election posters like ths:

The translation "social only works national" makes it clear for every Nazi sympathizer that they're the right party for him.
Then we have people like Axel Reitz, the guy on the left with the funny haircut running for them.

If you don't want to judge this book by it's cover here are two quotes from this book:

"On this earth we only believe Adolf Hitler. We believe that national socialism is the only blesing for our people. We believe there is a god in heaven who created us and that this god sent us Adolf Hitler to lead us so Germany may forever be a fundament" (the fundament not a bad translation on my part, but a weird chioce of words by Axel)

And one of my favorites:

In ten years all the people who now laugh at us will be rounded up and shot.

 

[Bugfatty300]

cry me a river, nazi supporter.

If you're such a hardline zero tolorence no negotiations tough guy then why don't you go to one of these marches and kill some Nazis? Are you a coward or are in reality just a big stinkin' brown shirt wearin' Hitler lover?

 

[RedRalph]

I make no pretence of being in favour of all free speech, so i couldn't care less if the Nazi's rights are infringed.