Donald Trump, Meet PEGIDA.
Does the idea of Donald Trump as the next president of the United States make you uncomfortable? Nauseous? Outraged? If so, congratulations; you are a sensible human being with the capacity for reason and empathy. I applaud your hesitance to jump aboard the crazy train to yesteryear.
I try to stay on top of things and keep current. I feel it’s my duty, you know? If I’m intrigued by something, I can’t help but try my hardest to research and understand it. That’s why I’m a bit of a news and history addict as well. Today’s news is tomorrow’s history. That, and most news is dramatic; Let’s be honest. Catastrophes make the news what it is.
Shakespeare wasn’t kidding when he said, “All the world’s a stage.” Personally, i’m most intrigued by society — People in groups. All the questions have fascinating answers; particularly how do people end up in groups and why?
One group I recently became aware of is known as “PEGIDA”. If you’ve never heard of them, don’t feel left out; i’m willing to bet you are one of many (Americans) who hasn’t. They are a European group founded in 2014 by Lutz Bachmann, a publicist and noted criminal from Dresden, Germany. PEGIDA is a German acronym (Patriotische Europäer Gegen eine Islamisierung Des Abendlandes). Or for English speakers, Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West.
So there you have it. PEGIDA is simple, yet complex. Much like our very own Donald Trump, PEGIDA is notoriously anti-islam, as well as anti-immigration, but to fully understand either of them, one must understand nationalism.
Donald Trump wants a stronger America. He says it himself you know; His campaign slogan is “Make America great again.” What more could you want? Oh, besides an explanation, of course. What the hell does that even mean? Well, it means we “put our dukes up” to anyone un-American, and fight for what’s ours. Yes….Ours.
You see, he truly wants an America for Americans. Exclusively. But what really makes an American? Apparently, if your heritage and the culture you identify with is anything other than White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant, then you're libel to be deemed a security threat…by White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestants.
I’m not sure exactly what time period Donald Trump is referring to when he says “make America great again”, but I can assure you he’s talking about the past — A pre-integration past.
We’ve all heard Trump’s remarks about what’s threatening America. Or who, rather. It’s Muslims. It’s Latinos. It’s Obama. They’re changing America, and according to The Donald, America was better before them, and will be better without them. By painting them all as criminals — rapists, drug dealers, and jihadis to be specific —and exploiting the fears spawned by terrorism, he actually manages to convince some people. Other fuel to the fires of hysteria includes the notion of invasion, or the idea that resources given to immigrants are ill-gotten and meant only for “true citizens”. Simply put, its a witch hunt; nothing more than vile ethnic scapegoating born of xenophobia which has tainted society for centuries.
But enough about corporate media’s favorite “Bad Boy.” Lets take a trip across the pond and revisit those PEGIDA fellows. America isn’t the only place with a self-proclaimed “immigrant problem”, in fact, many Europeans could probably empathize as well. Metropolitan cities across the EU have seen a significantly higher influx of Middle Eastern immigrants than the U.S. simply because of their social safety nets and proximity to war-torn areas.
Let’s jump right into the knitty-gritty for a moment, and lay it all on the table. Europe (or the nations that comprise it) and America are both former colonial/imperial powers. A particular trait of colonial/imperial powers happens to be racism. Perhaps its better understood not as a trait, but a tool. To be blunt, conquest served a purpose, and to give up conquest is to give up privilege. Some people cling to ethnic supremacy with their life; it serves them well and becomes a source of pride and duty.
Among many others, such as the English Defense League, the Ku Klux Klan, the Jewish Defense League, the members of PEGIDA are perfect examples. Along with a list of 10 demands for German asylum policies, PEGIDA offered the following statement on their Facebook page:
Asylum seekers driven by nothing other than economic reasons are NOT welcome! Christian refugees, especially those who are oppressed by murderous Islamists, are absolutely welcome in Germany and we provide the shelter, food and life support they need, because this is a natural German trait. To all others: STAY OUT!
We, the people of the European nations, need to unite, to conserve and to defend our values, our culture, our freedom. We need to unite against the self-declared kings and queens in Brussels. We, the German people, need international support against our own politicians in our German parliaments.
Our politicians want to change the current form of government of the Federal Republic of Germany substantially, they want to abolish the German state and replace the German people with a multicultural society, they want to establish a multiethnic state on German soil — this behaviour is high treason!
On December 22, 2014 and January 12, 2015, Dresden University of Technology interviewed 400 PEGIDA demonstrators. According to the poll, the greatest reasons for participating were: dissatisfaction with the political situation (54 percent), “Islam, Islamism and Islamisation” (23 percent), criticism of the media and the public (20 percent), and reservations regarding asylum seekers and migrants (15 percent). In all, 42 percent had reservations regarding Muslims or Islam, and 20 percent were concerned about a ‘high rate of crimes’ committed by asylum seekers or feared socio-economic disadvantages.
What’s truly astounding is that the similarities don’t end there. Donald Trump is no fan of the media. While they may be attracted to him like flies on feces, not all publicity is good publicity, and as the floodgates of hate opened up, poor Donald’s reputation actually took a hit. Among most of us, that is. For a select group of people, admiration for Trump increased.
Donald Trump has a growing list of enemies, one of which is the press. He has a habit of barring, banning, and insulting reporters and journalists who are critical of him. His feuds go beyond disagreements; He immediately attacks the credibility of his critics, as if to dismiss them completely and avoid having to defend his callous rhetoric.
Another fan of this tactic? You guessed it! Lutz Bachmann and his pals, PEGIDA. They loathe the media. They feel betrayed and belittled by the media, as well as misrepresented. A popular chant at PEGIDA rallies is, “Lügenpresse!”, or “Liar’s press”. It’s clear that, even though they invite so much criticism, they cannot stand it. Lügenpresse is not a new term; it dates back to the mid-1800s and the industrial era, with popularity spiking around both world wars. It was once used extensively by the Nazis, including the infamous Joseph Goebbels.
Speaking of Nazis: How about Hermann Göering? I want to leave you with this quote from the former president of the Weimar Republic. I hope it serves as a clear warning against the dangers of fascism and nationalism.
Naturally, the common people don’t want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country. — Hermann Göering
