"Protecting" the German Constitution

Reichstag fire 1933
"We'll blame it on Alternatif fuer Deutschland."


After World War II, the West German government passed laws designed to protect the German constitution, which was based on democratic principles. It was designed to prevent a return to anything resembling the Nazi state. Thus, communists were considered as those who would destroy the German constitution.

However, the current application raises serious questions as to whether these laws are being abused. The German party, Alternativ fuer Deutschland (Alternative for Germany) is the only German political party that is opposed to further Islamic immigration into Germany. Thus, they are branded as racist and Islamophobic by their enemies, which includes other parties and the German left.

Now it is reported that German intelligence is investigating AfD for violation of laws for the Protection of the Constitution.

Gates of Vienna has an English translation of a German article from Bild that describes this current development.

https://gatesofvienna.net/2019/01/the-afd-fights-back-against-state-intimidation/

First of all, this is the first time I have ever heard of an intelligence agency announcing it was investigating and surveilling somebody. Rather bizarre.

More importantly, if this is accurate, don't the Germans understand the parallels here? What was the first thing Hitler did when he came to power in Germany through legal means? He set about to eliminate all the other parties. When the Reichstag was set on fire (we still don't know for sure who set it), the Nazis were quick to blame the communists. They were rounded up followed by the Social Democrats. Other parties closed down, and before anyone knew it, there was only one legal party in Germany, the National Socialists.

The powers that be in Germany desperately want to avoid any semblance of racism in their country due to their past history. That is commendable, and I have always defended Germany in the sense that they have acknowledged their crimes under Hitler and have worked hard to make themselves not only prosperous again, but a fundamentally decent country.

Where they are going wrong is that they are resorting to strong arm methods to clamp down on opposition to their insane immigration policy which is tearing the country asunder.  The people are understandably fed up with the crime, the murders, the rapes and the terrorist attacks. It is only natural that they would speak out against mass migration and Islamization. It is only natural that in a democracy, a party would form that would reflect their concerns. As long as AfD doesn't advocate violating the human rights of the migrants, like throwing them in jail without cause or physically harming them, they should not be treated in this manner. The question of immigration is a legitimate topic for discussion in any country.

 Germany should think twice before they start investigating political parties. Beware the slippery slope.