Germany's crazy central banker and hero of the extreme right, Thilo Sarrazin, has outdone himself now with a new book - Deutschland schafft sich ab ("Germany Eliminates Itself") - which attacks Germany's Muslim minority. The book is not even in the bookstores yet, but the excerpts that have been published have already unleashed a firestorm of controversy.
Thilo Sarrazin is a member of the Social Democrat party (SPD) but yesterday the general secretary of the German Jewish Council (Zentralrat der Juden) Stephen Kramer, encouraged Sarrazin to switch to the neo-Nazi NPD, whose platform is more aligned to Sarrazin's extremist views.
The NPD has reacted with jubilation at this recommendation and published the following statement on its Web site:
Mit seiner Kernaussage: ‚Ich möchte nicht, daß wir zu Fremden im eigenen Land werden’ vertritt Sarrazin eine jahrzehntealte, lupenreine NPD-Position. Dem Bundesbank-Vorstand kommt das große Verdienst zu, die Überfremdungskritik der NPD endgültig salonfähig zu machen. Richtet man den Fokus auf seine bevölkerungs- und ausländerpolitischen Aussagen, kann man nur feststellen: hier hat jemand ein regelrechtes NPD-Buch geschrieben, das die Deutschen zum politischen und zivilen Widerstand gegen Landraub und Überfremdung aufruft."
(With his key message: "We can't become strangers in our own country" Serrazin articulates a decades-old genuine NPD position. We are indebted to to this managing director of the Bundesbank for making the NPD's anti-immigration critique respectable. If we focus on his statements pertaining to population growth and foreigners we can only conclude that here someone has written an authentic NPD book that calls for all Germans to engage in political and civil resistance against theft of land and the overflow of foreigners.)
"An authentic NPD book." Well done, Herr Sarrazin!
I suggest that all Americans of German ancestry should go back where they came from.
Posted by: hattie | August 26, 2010 at 03:18 PM
For your consideration:
http://www.bild.de/BILD/politik/2010/08/24/thilo-sarrazin/neues-buch-deutschland-schafft-sich-ab.html
At the bottom you can find a poll on Sarrazin's position. Of more than 115,000 participants,
7 % say that "his statements are not correct!"
5 % agree with him but say that he is using to strong a language,
and 88 % (!) fully agree with him.
Not exactly a NPD-kind of extreme point of view he seems to have, but rather a position from the center of the society.
Posted by: Zyme | August 27, 2010 at 03:12 AM
With all due respect, Zyme, a poll where BILD readers are asked to click on a box is hardly a scientific poll. I just voted 3 times myself.
Rather it reflects the typical bias of BILD readers, who roughly correspond to habitual viewers of FOX News in the US.
The NPD has it right: "hier hat jemand ein regelrechtes NPD-Buch geschrieben"
Posted by: David | August 27, 2010 at 05:51 AM
Hi! I'm in favour of Mr. Sarrazin and his opinions, but please spell his name correctly, so that people who google him will get also into your page. So it's A! After S.
Posted by: Pia Rautenbach | August 27, 2010 at 06:16 AM
Just because the NDP claims to agree with the positions in Sarrazin's book, does not mean that he shares all their positions. It is very convenient and very German (unfortunately) to link any criticism of the dominant political correct dogma with Nazism, so that one does not have to debate the subject, and call people names instead.
Posted by: MS | August 27, 2010 at 08:49 AM
I agree with your methodical criticism David. I would never have linked to it had there been a better survey. But there is none - nowhere, although this subject is debated so hotly.
I wonder why that is.
Posted by: Zyme | August 27, 2010 at 09:51 AM
@hatty
If all Americans of German ancestry left the country-many States would be depopulated.
Posted by: Tedesci Germani | August 30, 2010 at 09:22 AM
I recommed for all to read his book and then judge.
The german government is more worried about its international reputation than dealing with its failed immigration policy.
Sarrazin puts his hand in the wound and all the german government and critics can come up with is calling him a Nazi and Racist, and that before they even read his book.
Posted by: Tedesci Germani | August 30, 2010 at 09:30 AM
Tedesci -
Sarrazin has already played his hand by talking about at "Jewish gene" and how immigrants are less intelligent.
He deserves all the condemnation he is getting now.
Posted by: David | August 30, 2010 at 09:52 AM
I say give him a chance. Allow the people to decide who is more convincing: Those who come up with unpleasent facts or those who want to brush them under the carpet.
Where freedom of speech is inhibited, there is no such freedom at all, right David?
Posted by: Zyme | August 30, 2010 at 11:33 AM
Who is inhibiting Sarrazin's freedom of speech? He should be allowed to publish and say anything he wants.
But we also have the freedom (ahd the duty) to condemn him for saying stupid and incendiary things - such as "all Jews share a gene."
Posted by: David | August 30, 2010 at 11:50 AM
Well one might get the idea that freedom of speech is inhibited when the entire political class demands him to be kicked out of his party and his job.
And please don't argue that he would still be free to speak his mind, unemployed and apart from the party he worked for his entire career.
Posted by: Zyme | August 30, 2010 at 01:27 PM
Hope he will become the cancellour some day! Muslims are a huge problem in Germany and in Europe.
Let them come back where they came from!
Posted by: Jacek | August 31, 2010 at 04:25 AM
David-
Sarrazin merely quoted during an interview, the DNA studies of US scientists form the University of New York. The results were published in The New York Times and the magazine 'Nature".
His comments were in no way racist, as he merely refected the point, that certain groups share apart from culture, traditions etc. als a genetic link. But as usual, a German talking about Jews and genes makes a good headline.
Posted by: Tedesci Germani | August 31, 2010 at 04:43 AM
Nature Magazin, http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100603/full/news.2010.277.html
American Journal Of Human Genetics, Forschung zu Gene und Herkunft von Menschen jüdischen Glaubens, http://www.cell.com/AJHG/retrieve/pii/S0002929710002466
http://www.khazaria.com/genetics/abstracts-cohen-levite.html
Posted by: Tedesci Germani | August 31, 2010 at 04:59 AM
Judaism is not a genetic trait and it is unfortunate you subscribe to Sarrazin's crude racial theories.
Sarrazin evidently believes that there is an inferior "Muslim gene" that is contributing to the "dumbing down" (Verdummung)of Germany.
It is only a matter of time before "Junge Freiheit" and the NPD call for isolating this degenerate "Muslim gene".
Posted by: David | August 31, 2010 at 07:27 AM
He didn't refer to Jews all sharing the same genes - it was just about the biological fact that jews in general do mostly share SOME genes. Which is hardly a surprise, is it?
Of course this does not apply to people from other religious backgrounds who decide to become jews. But the others are quite likely to be related to each other at least distantly.
What is so tough about that thought? Maybe it is time to let go any historical paranoia?
Posted by: Zyme | September 01, 2010 at 06:53 PM
"I suggest that all Americans of German ancestry should go back where they came from."
Well with what's going over there I'm sure many would be happy to. Up until the last couple of years I have never experienced Americans asking me how easy it is to migrate to Europe. Now I get asked all the time. The arrogance is gone and the desperation is starting to show.
As for Sarrarin's comments - right on the mark.
Posted by: Mike | September 01, 2010 at 08:15 PM
Zyme,
Do you believe that Turks and Arabs are racially inferior to Germans? That is Sarrazin's subtext.
Here is the core passage from his book:
„Das Muster des generativen Verhaltens in Deutschland seit Mitte der sechziger Jahre ist nicht nur keine Darwinsche, natürliche Zuchtwahl im Sinne von ,survival of the fittest‘, sondern eine kulturell bedingte, vom Menschen selbst gesteuerte negative Selektion, die den einzigen nachwachsenden Rohstoff, den Deutschland hat, nämlich Intelligenz, relativ und absolut in hohem Tempo vermindert.“
If you believe that, you should be commenting over at "Politically Incorrect" - not at my blog.
Posted by: David | September 01, 2010 at 09:36 PM
I am no researcher on intelligence, so I can hardly judge whether these statements are true or not true.
But all those who condemn him in most cases are no experts either, which is startling me. How can you condemn or approve of something scientific you have no idea of? Let the experts discuss it and be done with it. All those emotions are counter-productive.
I do however see that immigrants from other cultural backgrounds in fact do a far better job at assimilating into our society than muslims. So there has to be some reason.
Because of this thought I approached Turkish colleagues and asked them what they thought was the reason.
And guess what, they made responsible the religious difference. More exactly, their inability to go out with Germans and have a drink (alcohol). Due to this muslims rarely come into contact with native Germans in their freetime.
And this might indeed play a role :)
Posted by: Zyme | September 02, 2010 at 04:42 PM
That's the problem, isn't it?
Sarrazin is also no expert, but yet places these crude biological determinism theories the center of his book.
By the way, some of the experts he cites totally have refuted his arguments.
Looks like the Bundesbank will finally get rid of this charlatan.
Posted by: David | September 02, 2010 at 05:23 PM
Thilo Sarrazin is right.
Btw. all your "righteous" Americans. Let's look at your little 'Mosque discussion' on Fox News and friends ... before flaming about Germany.
Posted by: joblack | September 03, 2010 at 03:54 PM
I really disagree with Sarrazin.
Humans are afraid of things they don't know. That's why Islam is misunderstood by many. The big majority of Muslims is peaceful and respects other religions. I am Christian and in contact with several.
But I must say that also a lot of you Americans distrust or even hate Islam. So please don't call Germans racist, first manage your own problems in this regard. We all can do a lot by discussing with people from all over the world and trying to understand them.
Greetings from Germany.
Peace,
Julia
Posted by: Julia | September 06, 2010 at 12:36 PM
It is slowly but surely becoming evident that a much better future for our planet would have resulted if Germany had been left to deal with the Communist cancer in 1939, unhindered by the posturing of the "Allies". No sooner had the Soviet system been demolished than the same old interfering totalitarian nonsense mutated into Political Correctness. Sarrazin understates the real situation.
Posted by: Tony L | September 10, 2010 at 06:45 PM
How much do you folks have to witness in order to know you have a serious immigration problem. Mr Serrazin is spot on regarding the muslim problem. It may be too late for Germany with so many people in denial regarding Islam. After all, how much education is provided in a Madrass. Might as well be on welfare.
Posted by: W. R. Lueck | September 10, 2010 at 11:32 PM
By the way, as much as 650.000 of his book have been sold so far.
Tens of thousands have downloaded the E-book.
His puplic appearances are booked out way in advance.
I guess if people were not fed up with the current unregulated immigration situation and the unwilling and often hostile and ungrateful immigrants, it would not be an issue.
Personally, I do not believe in pampering immigrants. As I went to the UK in the early 90' for a couple of years, I went to morning classes to improve my English and worked in the evening.
And I payed for it myself.
Here in Germany, the immigrants expect this to be free and while they reluctantly do the courses they feel they cannot work and rely on Social Security while producing more kids they cannot afford to care for themselves.
Posted by: Tedesci Germani | September 21, 2010 at 05:54 AM
I agree. All peoples of German heritage should return to The Fatherland to support the bloodline!Otherwise, the untermensch will over take Germany and The Race will no longer exist!
Posted by: slobo | October 13, 2010 at 10:26 PM
At least someone is willing to finally stand up and tell the truth, Thankyou Thilo Sarrazin, if only there were more people like you in this world!
Posted by: Nannchen | October 27, 2010 at 11:31 PM
UK Swamped.As many immigrants as indigenous whites in UK now.Most of which are jews and or Masons.
Posted by: George | October 28, 2010 at 12:14 PM
joblack:
"Btw. all your "righteous" Americans. Let's look at your little 'Mosque discussion' on Fox News and friends ... before flaming about Germany."
The righteous Americans responding here absolutely AGREE that the cultural center people have the right to build the cultural center there.
"Fox News" is a right wing program for people in the country
Posted by: Ken Katayanagi | November 13, 2010 at 05:54 PM
Thilo Sarrazin is either disinforming or polite. It's obvious that not Germany "itself" is the culprit. There is a clique at the top which is (hell)bent on destroying everything that reminds of German ethnicity, through means of affirmative measures. Why? Maybe of fear of history repeating itself. The "dumbing down" has nothing to do with racial elitism, it has to do with the very little motivation of migrants to integrate into the German culture and society values. Why would any Farmer Joe migrate to a technologically advanced state and still refuse to adapt and learn the basics of functioning in such a society? Because they're paid from actual workers money, that's why. They're paid to remain patriarchal and father-figure centric as they were in their country of origin. Anyway, it's a dumb and cruel act that will create more world unrest.Or at least more European unrest... Democracy destroys itself, not Germany. Germany is only the vessel who gets broken in the process, that's all.
Posted by: Parsifal | February 16, 2011 at 11:50 PM
Ingo you and your ilk's "wolf-cries" of racist and Nazi are increasingly strident and increasingly ineffectual; people are waking up and the truth will eventually shine through the fog of these deceits.
Posted by: Richard | July 31, 2011 at 08:13 PM