Politics & Current Affairs — November 21, 2011

Germany’s Far-Right Blind Spot

Revelations about the Zwickau terror cell are a wake-up call for Germany, where more than 140 people have died as a result of far-right violence since reunification in 1990.

bigthinkeditor

What’s the Latest Development?

The German public has been largely blind to the threat from the right despite more than 140 people having died there as a result of far-right violence since reunification in 1990. But the revelations about the Zwickau neo-Nazi terror cell–which claimed 10 victims–may now act as a wake-up call.

What’s the Big Idea?

The real extent to which radical right-wing terror is now common in parts of Germany is only apparent when other offenses are added, such as illegal acts of propaganda and attacks that don’t necessarily end in murder or manslaughter. In addition to this everyday terrorism militant neo-Nazis have joined forces in the so-called Free Network, members of which agree that violence is an essential part of their political struggle.

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