Nothing can happen to me. I’m a German politician. Right?
But me and my fellow German politicians will play it safe and start labelling normal, law-abiding, protesting citizens “extremists,” “anti-democratic radicals,” “far-right nut jobs” and “conspiracy theorists” like we always do at times like this. Just in case.
Germany: Politicians worry about radicalization at anti-lockdown protests – German lawmakers from across the political spectrum on Monday warned that the growing wave of anti-lockdown protests could provide fertile ground for radicalization, including from the far-right. Over the weekend, thousands of people gathered in cities across Germany to demand an end to restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We will not let extremists misuse the coronavirus crisis as a platform for their anti-democratic propaganda.”
Perhaps. But who cares? It’s politically incorrect. Angie says something else.
A virologist from the University of Bonn is using the hard-hit region of Heinsberg, Germany, as a living laboratory to study the coronavirus…
The death rate in the district is five times lower than what has been recorded by Johns Hopkins University as the national average, according to the German newspaper Die Welt.
Only 44 people — or 0.37% of people who lived in the district — have died from the disease…
Streeck went on to say that though the virus could “live” on various surfaces for up to seven days, he believed there was little chance that someone could become infected via surfaces, contradicting both the Center for Disease Control and National Institute of Health guidelines…
“There is no significant risk of catching the disease when you go shopping. Severe outbreaks of the infection were always a result of people being closer together over a longer period of time.”
Law-abiding Germans are zealously helping police crack down on people flouting new social distancing rules aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus by reporting on strangers, neighbours and friends.
In a country where denunciation was commonplace under the Communists in East Germany and Hitler’s Nazis, police forces across the country are getting tip-offs on anything from “corona parties” to people driving to weekend cottages.
Das böse D-Wort – Der Begriff “Denunziant” erlebt in Zeiten von Covid-19 eine Wiedergeburt. Ist Deutschland durchsetzt von meldewütigen Hobbypolizisten?
Observing Hermann 