A Fistful of Euros has an interesting discussion about a case in Germany where an earnest young person was fined for wearing a button with a swastika on it. Never mind that it was a “circle-slash” button, a piece of anti-racist/anti-Nazi propoganda.
“In the eyes of this sort of German, the harm caused by the student’s button is not that Japanese tourists will mistakenly think the student a nazi. The harm is that they will be reminded, correctly, that many Germans were once nazis.”
While we’re talking fascists and their opponents, there’s a story I’ve been trying to get to the bottom of here in Austria, but can’t breach the language barrier. Austria’s notorious populist, Joerg Haider, is making a big stink (again). This time it’s over a law that has – since 1955! – required that his state post bilingual road signs in Slovenian and German. They do this down in Sudtirol, in Italy – the signs are in German and Italian. Haider really doesn’t want to do this, I’m unclear on why. Folks in my state of Steiermark, when asked about it, tend to respond a “Dude, he’s a nutcase” manner. This might be true but doesn’t help my understanding of the story any. Thankfully, The Glory of Carniola posts English commentary on the story, and, it’s funny in a “fascists are morons!” sort of way.
Quit poking me. German class starts Feb 7. Plus, I’m not a total cretin. I can order coffee – no small feat in Austria – but I can’t understand political reporting. I’m relying on a recently discovered trove of damn fine blogging by folks who are better integrated in to their adoptive home countries than I am.