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Editorial See other Editorial Articles Title: Tolerant Xenophobes 1. We tolerate the abusive misuse of adjectives. Terms such as "Nazi," "Fascists", "racist", are thrown around with the abandon of a kindergarten's snow-ball fight. The following shall illustrate the misuse of abusive terms. Newly I can vote in Switzerland. Therefore, I joined the SVP (founded in 1919). At best, it is labeled in the foreign press as xenophobic. Recently, I attended in my first local assembly of members. My friend, Rico, a local physician, introduced me. By opening my mouth, I betrayed the fact that I am not be native to Swiss German - which Germans do not understand to the extent that Swiss films are subtitled for them. Furthermore, while the Swiss write in High German, they do not like to speak it. Most people here are rather handicapped in German as it is a foreign language learned in school. Hardly seated, the chairman approached me. Do I want the meeting to be held in German? My passive command of the language being perfect, I asked that, by all means, we should use "Schwitzertütsch". After that, it took a moment to realize that the episode tells much about the charge of yahoo nativism. In fact, the SVP is not at all against "foreigners". What it is against is, besides big government, criminality. This position is held resolutely, regardless of whether culprits are indigenous or foreign. Me think that the smeared SVP deserves the apology it will not get. 2. A matching event permit's the continuation of the theme of generalized xenophobia and the ritualistic defense of the guilty provided that they are foreign. Last week (02. 09.) a Brazilian female with a law degree, called the police. She claimed that Nazis have assaulted her in Zurich's main station. The assailants have engraved several "SVPs" on her skin. The shock made her to abort her twins. Brazil's media and government, but also the local Consul, have reacted in a frenzy. (This writer had suspicions. Genuine extremists would mark the victim with a swastika but hardly with "SVP.") Soon some problems emerged. The lady did not abort twins. She could not do so because she was not pregnant. The many markings, actually scratches, are in places the victim could reach. Furthermore, no "skins" were sighted in the area of the alleged attack. There is more. The lady seems to intend to petition for the right to stay in Switzerland. Meanwhile, Brazil is retreating from its outrage, although, reportedly, some still regurgitate the PC-conform convenient story of abuse. The lady's father also spins the case: no matter what, his daughter is a victim. Either of an attack or of psychological problems. Pray tell, the first alternative having evaporated in the heat of the unmerciful facts, why is Switzerland responsible for the mental derangement of an adult attorney. (In case, you did not know: in some countries, a law degree is very easy to get..) The newest: According to the Brazilian Consul here, by the weekend the "victim's" wounds have healed and she can leave the hospital. Brazil considers an apology provided that it is proven that the woman -she has confessed- has not been the victim of an attack. Meanwhile, local justice is taking action for her attempt to dupe the authorities. 3. Political correctness demands that we suspend, ignore and act against common sense, morality and the organically evolved norms of our society. 4. There are those who stubbornly oppose any action -military or political- if taken by the USA to confront the modern world's enemies. These detractors now concentrate on Iraq and are about to shift their outrage to Afghanistan. Accordingly, Iraq is the first "quagmire" to be abandoned before the threat of victory can materialize. To improve the case, Afghanistan is rather unmentioned. So far. Its turn will accompany the withdrawal from Iraq. This will be anything but easy in view of the moment's silent consensus that Afghanistan is "OK" while Iraq is "wrong". 5. A worrisome aspect of Obama's policy toward Russia is based on a suspicion. The president could be misled by his success abroad. Thus he might come to think that, he can charismatically enthuse Russia's rulers for his person, the same way and extent he gained the approval of western Europe's masses. One needs to realize that the crew in the Kremlin is not identical with the man in the street. Moreover, the Russians are (sometimes to their advantage) not western Europeans. 6. February 5th. A section of the French Communist Party (Revolutionary Communist League) has declared its dissolution. Right away, the macro-party reconstituted itself as the Anticapitalist Party. Having the C -word in their name appeared to be an avoidable disadvantage. 7. The populations of advanced countries are used to good times. Since 1945, one only needed to push the cart downhill or, at worst, on a level road. The current crisis is, therefore, unexpectedly severe and unprecedented. Consequently, the confused reaction is, given the missing experience and the lack of public affairs knowledge, to be expected. At the same time, the state's ability to "overcome" is proving to be limited. Bad reactions and mistaken policies might be the result. Accordingly, today's credits will mute to become tomorrow's debt expressed by higher taxes. 8. "Do not Blame President Obama" is the title of an essay in the Intellectual Conservative where this column's American version is also posted. (February 14.) The writer finds "The simple truth is that no president can pull an economy out of recession or guarantee conditions of prosperity". Indeed, not the ex candidate deserves the blame for the insinuations he used to be elected. It is the voter that did not know any better who is responsible. 9. More about "voting wrong". Today's Venezuelan dateline (02. 16.) serves as an illustration. Firmly believing in something for nothing and also in repeated free lunches coupled to payments for the invited, Venezuela voted to abolish term-limits for Chavez. Lifetime presidencies have a sad record in South America. Therefore, the voter' subjective stay in the „permanent present" is proven. Pity the large minority that knew enough to vote against life-long socialist dictatorship. It is of small comfort that there will continue to be elections in Venezuela. The longer Chavez is in power the worse conditions will become, and the more he will be able to falsify returns. Only running out of oil or of life offers the country some hope. While waiting for that, be prepared for the arrival for the country's elite of competence fleeing persecution. 10. The positive reception of the Stauffenberg film (Operation Valkyrie) - or possibly of Tom Cruise in any role - has triggered this re-call. A recent weekend in the company of a member of that family enforced the inclination. The film, as well as the incident to be told here, has to do with the contemporaries' paralysis to act against Hitler in the closing phase of WW2. My little peace also tells about the difference between public positions and real convictions. Not many years ago, I helped someone to organize old pictures. One showing a General of the Wehrmacht in a formal pose caught my attention. The dedication was from 1944. The text ran something like "In devoted friendship and with the unshakeable belief in the Final Victory, your General X." Rather clear-cut you might think. The actual background makes the matter "anything but". The man has told his hosts that the war was lost. In view of the coming end, he advised the family to flee while it still could. Why the Göbbelsian text? The ritualized content represents the self-protection of a helpless person prostrated by the Nazis' totalitarian terror. Those plotting against Hitler had a lot of outside constraints and inner inhibitions to overcome. 11. Pakistan's nominal government has just discovered that it is helpless against the totalitarian Taliban (02. 16.). The act of capitulation is called a "cease fire". Through it, the Islamists get as a reward all they have been fighting for. At the same time, the government's sovereignty is shrinking. In the deal it is giving up what modern government cannot surrender. Sharia will be introduced wherever the gunmen can enforce it.. This development brings us a step closer to the day when radical Islamists grab control of a "nuclear state". By common consent, we can ignore the peril. However, in doing so we must know that this does not avoid or reduce the threat. George de Poor Handlery is an Hungarian with a complicated/diverse ethnic and language background. He is an historian with a US Ph.D. who has moved back for professional reasons to Europe (Switzerland) in 1972. He has been writing, teaching and lecturing in several languages and countries before and after his retirement.
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#1. To: X-15 (#0)
Xenophobia is overrated...
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