If Ireland's decline is a tragedy, what's happening in Germany is the equivalent of experimental theatre: difficult to understand and even harder to explain.
It's a darkly comical display of how a nation can simultaneously fully embrace absurdity and extreme injustice: a Germany once praised for its order and intellectual prowess, now finding itself in the bizarre position where its response to crime and dissent is nothing short of farcical.
“Das Land der Dichter und Denker” (The Land of Poets and Thinkers) The Land of Naren and Shulkhen (Land of clowns and criminals).
But the joke is aimed at the German people. And nobody is laughing. Well, hardly anyone.
Look, foreigners with a penchant for robbery and assault have plenty of reason to laugh.
Immigrants make up about 15 percent of Germany's population but accounted for a record 41 percent of all criminal activity last year, government statistics show. show Crimes involving foreign suspects are projected to increase by 23% in 2022 and 18% in 2023.
In Berlin, the capital of the world, where knife crime is rampant, police have come up with a “solution” that sounds like something out of a Monty Python skit: these clever guardians of neighborhood safety suggest that victims should sing loudly to scare off attackers. Seriously.
In other words, if you're threatened by a crazy person with a knife, instead of calling for help or trying to run away, try singing a Whitney Houston song. Naturally, this advice was quickly adopted. Widely ridiculedPolice quickly retracted the proposal, admitting it was unrealistic and far removed from reality.
But the stupidity doesn't end there: consider a recent decision by the German government. Giving 1,000 euros to an Afghan man Germany withdrew this financial aid, even though they deported him for raping an 11-year-old girl. This financial aid, meant to ease his reintegration into Afghan society, also caused immense anger and confusion. This evil soul was one of 28 Afghan criminals deported from Germany. It is worth noting that the other 27 were also financially supported, all funded by taxpayers, of course.
To make matters worse, writers are punished and persecuted while dangerous delinquents are rewarded.
Now let me tell you about CJ Hopkins. Discussed elsewhereThe American-born playwright, novelist and political satirist has lived in Berlin for nearly two decades and uses sharp humor to criticize contemporary politics and surveillance. His latest work, The Rise of the New Normal, highlights how authoritarian tendencies are creeping in under the guise of pandemic countermeasures and the suppression of dissent.
Hopkins's writing career, once thriving in the city that inspired him, is now under attack.
This situation has been going on for more than two years. His troubles began in August 2022, when he criticized COVID-19 mask mandates as a symbol of ideological unity. His provocative comparisons between modern Germany and Nazi-era tactics sparked a fierce controversy and led to an investigation by the Hesse Ministry of the Interior and a criminal investigation.
A systematic attempt to silence him then spread beyond Germany to Austria and the Netherlands.
His outspoken views led to book bans, a criminal trial, and a media frenzy. He was initially acquitted, but the Berlin district prosecutor was unhappy with the verdict and appealed, leading to a retrial scheduled for September 30 at the Berlin High Court.
His nightmarish ordeal may never end. As he told me, the relentless and ever-increasing legal costs could lead to total financial ruin. The physical and mental pain he is enduring has become overwhelming, more than most people could bear. While his rapist's bank account is flush, Hopkins's fortunes are running dry.
While Hopkins' ordeal may seem unique to Germany, he believes it reflects a global trend: The man in his 60s argues that his case is a striking example of a wider crackdown on free speech that extends beyond Germany to many parts of the world.
This issue goes beyond the differences in free speech protections between countries like Germany and the United States, for example, to a broader, more insidious repression of government critics, and points to the problem of supposedly neutral institutions being used to silence those who dare disagree with the dominant view.
Compared to the persecution of Hopkins, Germany's aiding and abetting crime case shows a disturbing trend: the government seems more interested in stamping out “thought crimes” rather than focusing on concrete criminal acts. In the eyes of German lawmakers, the pen is mightier than the sword, or more precisely, the knife.
But even here there's very little to laugh about.
These twin issues of rampant crime committed by immigrants and the suppression of freedom of speech are part of a larger problem across Europe.
In Ireland, as I have previously indicated, the Government is actively pursuing “hate speech” legislation that could have significant implications for civil liberties. The proposed legislation would give prosecutors broad powers to criminalise individuals on the basis of a broad and vague definition of “hate speech”, regardless of intent.
What is the situation in Scotland? Of further concern isThe Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 introduces a new offence called “incitement to hatred”, which covers a wide range of categories including age, disability, religion and gender identity.
The law's vague language and harsh penalties, up to seven years in prison, raise serious concerns about abuse and the stifling of free speech. Because prosecutors only need to show a “likely” incitement to hatred without proving intent to offend, there is a surprising likelihood of wrongful convictions.
As is clear, these legal reforms are not just an isolated national issue, but are also a matter of debate in Brussels. Playing an important roleEarlier this year, the European Parliament backed a report proposing to classify hate speech and hate crimes as “Eurocrimes.” If approved, derogatory remarks (what form this will take in 2024 is unclear) could be subject to stiff penalties across the continent.
from Scalpel For Motherwell, Europe faces a thorny problem of rising violent crime rates and tougher regulations that are likely to exacerbate rather than alleviate the problem. What is happening in Germany, Europe's economic powerhouse, reflects the wider situation on the continent, or more precisely, its dire state.
The Land of Dichter and Denker (The Land of Poets and Thinkers) The Land of Naren and Shulkhen (A Country of Clowns and Criminals). While Hopkins fights for his very existence, literally violent thugs thrive.
