Talk about being “alarmist.” Der Spiegel wants to warn us that right-wing attitudes are suddenly on the rise again in Germany. Hmmm. Where did that come from all of a sudden? They wouldn’t be trying to ride on that obligatory anti-Sarrazin hysteria wave, now would they?

“A new study has revealed that far-right attitudes are deeply rooted in German society.” Wow, like we really needed a new study to know that.

“30 percent think that foreigners come here to take advantage of the welfare state.” Another shocking new revelation. I bet it was closer to 50 percent thirty years ago.

“More than one-tenth would like a ‘Führer‘ who would govern the country ‘with a firm hand’ for the benefit of all.”  Again, honestly, do any of you really believe that this number has ever been any lower in this country since World War II?

None of this is new, in other words. Germans have always been xenophobic and somebody’s “victim”–that’s just what they do.

So is this fear mongering? Yes. Am I being complacent? Yes. It’s because Germans have never been more strapped in to democracy than they are now–whether any of them like it or not–and although I can imagine a whole lot of things, anything even remotely resembling Nazi Germany taking place here again is definitely not one of them.

“More than 90 percent of respondents felt it was useless to become involved in politics.”