they also believe that the reason for our schools performing like shit are "the immigrants being uncivilized islamics"
edit: and also they are teachers, TEACHERS! this is who has power over children in this country
they also believe that the reason for our schools performing like shit are "the immigrants being uncivilized islamics"
edit: and also they are teachers, TEACHERS! this is who has power over children in this country
That is totally depressing and heartbreaking
Is your history just not taught? Like how does the unified state deal with the DDR period? Is the prevailing narrative that it was a mistake, or an anomalous condition imposed by outside imperialist forces? Where did the class consciousness go?
the modern german state is pretty much defined by opposition to the gdr:
our national holiday is "reunification day" with the day of the attempted counterrevolution in 1953 previously filling that role in the west
almost all members of the former gdr state apparatus were purged in the 90s, including people like teachers and university professors.
the entire east german military was purged and there were criminal cases initiated against people formerly serving in the border troops. no such things had ever been done by the frg government against nazi troops btw. also unlike former personnel of the nazi army, officers of the gdr military are not allowed to be addressed by rank.
gdr mass organizations like the "ernst thälmann pioneer organisation" have been declared "unconstitutional" while far-right parties like the afd are left unscathed despite creeping ever closer to actual political power
the gdr is constantly being demonized and equated with nazi germany. schoolchildren are made to participate in performative denouncements of "the two dictatorships on german soil". but while remembrance of the hitlerite tyranny is oftentimes paired with platitudes like "at least he built the autobahn", media about the gdr is filled with
-level horror stories about the stasi. in modern german history curriculum the role of communists resisting the hitlerite tyranny is consistently played down.
class consciousness is being combatted by the media propagating racism. first against vietnamese people in the 90s and now against people of middle-eastern descent. this constant racist propaganda sponsored by the bourgeoisie is the main reason for the rise of the fascist afd party, though you wouldnt hear that from west german political analysts. they instead claim that east germans simply have a pathological "democracy deficit" due to "growing up in a dictatorship"
so yeah its really fucking bleak.
That's so fucking gross. Surely though there's still folks around who were alive and remember that time-- like do the old timers talk at all about life under communism or is that akin to Nazi worship
In former East Germany, 57% of the population polled believes that life was better under socialist rule. 49% of former GDR residents believe that "The GDR had more good sides than bad sides. There were some problems, but life was good there."
though by now most former gdr citizens were forced to go west due to losing their original jobs to shock therapy and are now forced to live amongst deeply anticommunist westerners. the ones who remained have to deal with roaming (and sometimes armed) neonazi gangs made of people who were brainwashed by the post reunification propaganda. most afd voters were born after 1990.
my only hope is organizing with migrants, who imho are the only social group that remains susceptible to socialism. sadly, many east germans refuse to participate in this due to boomer brainworms
Wow such a fair and balanced article!
So much to unpack, the history of Europe immediately post WW2 is interesting and I know very little about it. Unfortunately I have ADHD and can only consume content in podcast form. Would love an audiobook or blowback style series on the topic
der spiegel is one of main political magazines in germany. it was founded by a "former" wehrmacht radio operator and a british secret service agent and has been serving as a anticommunist propaganda rag ever since. i only linked it for the statistic.
im really sorry that i cant really help in terms of podcasts. though this channel has made videos on other european countries, as well as about the 1918 german revolution. his videos on west german zionism are really educational. hope that helps somewhat
It's all good not asking for help or recommendations, you have given me so much already. Thanks for sharing your knowledge so willingly I sincerely appreciate it
Horseshoe theory bordering on holocaust minimization. Also, we had purges of socialists that were carried out with a fervor never seen when it came to purging fascists after WW2, absolutely crushing amounts of end of history / capitalist realism bs, neoliberal shock therapy that meant over 80% of people lost the jobs they had in the DDR oh and also 35 years of letting nazis move into the post-annexation political vacuum, organizing there and securing their footholds with daily violence on the streets against anybody nazis don't approve of.