And Then There's the German Elections………

The neoNazi AfD is now a part of the German parliament for the first time cince WWII, the so-called center-left SPD had its worst showing since that guy with the funny mustache abruptly left the Chancellorship over 70 years ago.

Also, the both "center" parties had their worst showing since before 1950.

On the other side of the populist spectrum, die Linke (the Left) which was already in the Bundestag picked up a few seats, as did the Greens, and the (kinda libertarian) FDP, which got back into parliament.

When people wonder why the "Center Left" in Europe is in trouble, they need to understand that it no longer exists.

The parties that were "Center-Left" in the 1960s and 1970s have decided that their defining position is unequivocal and unconditional support for the European Project, and the  European Project is a fundamentally reactionary program.

This is why when the SDP was in power, its leader introduced "Agenda 2010", with the justification that the European project demands it, which involved:

• Tax cuts.
• Cuts to unemployment benefits.
• Cuts to general social welfare programs.
• Cuts in pension benefits.
• Deliberate downward pressure on wages. 
• Reduced labor regulations.

It also resulted in an increase in poverty, and falling wages relative to GDP.

As is normal, the rising tide did not lift all boats, just the rich getting richer, and everyone else getting the shaft.

What it means is that the "Center-Left" is now about forcing down wages, tax cuts for millionaires, throwing poor people out in the street, and sucking up to media moguls.

The "Center-Left" has consumed itself on the altar of neoliberal dogma.

On the bright side, it appears that a bit of self immolation is occurring with the fascist AfD as well:

Germany’s rightwing nationalist party Alternative für Deutschland, in celebratory mode after coming third in elections, was delivered a bombshell by its co-leader when she announced she would not sit with the party in the Bundestag.
What the stunning success of AfD means for Germany and Europe | Cas Mudde
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Frauke Petry walked out of a press conference on Monday morning at which the party leadership marvelled at its success, having secured nearly 13% of the vote and 94 seats in the federal parliament.

The departure of one of the AfD’s most prominent figures illustrates the splits in the party despite its attempts to show a united front during the election campaign.

Petry, who was on the moderate wing of the party, saw her role as that of uniting the AfD. But she has earned scorn from emboldened rightwing nationalists who have increasingly sidelined their opponents.

This is what happened to Ukip after Brexit.  It's like a dog that has finally caught a car:  The racist right doesn't know what to do next.

We Have a Contender for Wisest Thing Written This Year

Badtux the Snarky Penguin observes, "Don’t confuse tolerance of people who are different with tolerance of evil.

Your mouth to God's ear you sterling representative of the Spheniscidae family:

So precious little snowflake Nazis whine that we liberals preach tolerance but don’t practice it because, well, we laugh when a Nazi gets punched. But here’s the thing: Nazis lost the right to be tolerated when they started piling bodies of innocent men, women, and children into mass graves.

Yes, liberals preach tolerance — tolerance of people who have never committed harm against others. Don’t confuse tolerance of difference with tolerance of monsters. Tolerance of evil is the exact same thing as condoning evil, and liberals ain’t into that shit.

Also don’t confuse tolerance with pacifism. ………

It's a short read, but a good one.

Read the rest, and then punch a Nazi as your Valentines day gift to your sweet Baboo.

Do Not Read If You are Prone to Nightmares

This is some seriously bent sh%$.

If you click through, you have been warned.

H/t JR at the Stellar Parthenon BBS.

In the annals of the truly disturbing, it always seems that reality of the human condition outpaces the most inventive imaginations that fiction has to offer.

Case in point, The Furred Reich, AKA Nazi Furries:

“It’s just a piece of cloth, that’s really what it is.”

Foxler Nightfire is calling me from his home in Fort Collins, Colorado. Over the last few days, the 29-year-old has faced a torrent of online abuse after posting a picture of himself dressed as a fox on the social network Twitter.

Though furries – people who dress up as animals, occasionally for sexual purposes – often face criticism, it is something other than Foxler’s fur-suit (known as a “fursona” – fur persona) that has drawn the internet’s ire. The problem? On his left arm he is wearing a red armband, emblazoned with a white circle, in which sits a black symbol.

The accessory looks like a Nazi armband.

Nazi furries exist and I never been more ready to knock someone the f%$# out https://t.co/5AJs3hmLMc

— XVX La Flare (@powerxslave) January 31, 2017

Always be yourself and never let anyone change you, forever and always furry. Thanks to everyone and the #AltFurry for the support pic.twitter.com/WyaHAf9gNZ

— Foxler Nightfire (@starfoxACEFOX) January 27, 2017

“It’s obviously not a swastika,” claims Foxler – who also insists his furry name is a portmanteau of “Fox” and his real surname, “Miller”, not “Hitler”, as many online argue. Foxler says he first began wearing the armband – which features a paw print in place of a swastika – after he dropped out of high school and started playing the online role-playing game Second Life, in which the band was available as a character accessory.

“I didn’t take any consideration because of my lack of World War Two knowledge,” he says. “I don’t think I could ever take it off at this point, it’s so ingrained into my character, my fursona.”

………

Foxler's story sounds very convenient, and I searched his name on Twitter along with the word "Jew" to see if he had made hateful comments. Although I initially found nothing, some other furries - who are against Nazi furries - message me some screenshots of comments they claim Foxler has made on YouTube, in which he says "I hate black people" and "I stand by Hitler".

Foxler admits he made these comments but tells me he was just "trolling".

………

But just because Foxler claims not to identify as a “Nazi furry”, it doesn’t mean they don’t exist. In 2005, a LiveJournal page was created for those who were both furries and fetishised Nazi uniforms. Since then the group has spread, with illustrations and roleplays across the internet. There is now even an erotic novel, The Furred Reich, available to buy on Amazon.

Make it stop.

For the love of God, make it stop.