FDP: Racism without consequences

In parts of the FDP a racist undertone has established itself, but the social liberals in the party remain silent. They sabotage every change of direction.

FDP: Racism without consequences
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  • Page 1 — Racism without consequences
  • Page 2 — verbal border violations have become political decisions
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    In parts of FDP a racist undertone has been established for a long time: Jürgen Moellemann served 2002 latent anti-Semitism with leaflets against Israeli ex-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and former vice-president of Central Council of Jews in Germany; Philipp Rösler was denigrated internally as " Chinese"; And Christian Lindner 2016 "slit-eye" commentary by EU Commissioner Günr Oettinger at a NRW party congress as a "stupid saying". At FDP party congress in May, Christian Lindner n declared: "People must be sure, even if someone looks different and only speaks broken German, that re is no doubt about his righteousness." The presumption of innocence seems to apply only to white Germans. The same day I left FDP.

    Chris Pyak

    has been top candidate of party "new liberals- social Liberals" since its FDP exit, which will compete for 2019 European elections. He is also managing director of recruiting company immigrant Spirit in Düsseldorf.

    My wife is Asian, my youngest son is half Asian. I found it unbelievable that no one in hall was talking to Christian Lindner. I was not only one to be annoyed. A party friend told me that he showed small tube TV in his kitchen middle finger. He left it. There were no serious consequences for FDP chairman. Why is it so easy for politicians – even liberals – to advertise with sparsely veiled pandering of racist feelings? Why don't you have to pay a price for this shabby tactic? And: Why do many good, cosmopolitan people who also exist in FDP support a party leader who betrays ir most basic values on a daily basis?

    Part of answer lies in base itself. "There is much to suffer from FDP," a Jewish party friend told me. He told of a prominent party member who kept his Jewish faith secret – for fear of reactions at base. His fear was not unfounded. A few weeks earlier, my wife had been attacked by a racist. On way home from a concert, he pressed her, shouted "go back to your country", and tried to beat her. When I described incident in an internal FDP Facebook group, Häme came back above all. One of m wrote, "It's your fault."

    Social Liberals want to believe in change

    The greater part of answer is structural. Two currents go through liberalism. For socially liberal flow according to Ralf Dahrendorf, dignity of individual is focus. It is about being able to unfold oneself and at same time helping ors to realize ir own vision of happiness. In or current, which calls itself classically liberal or libertarian and sees Friedrich August von Hayek as ir thought-leaders, it is only about ir own freedom. Or people are seen exclusively from aspect of ir own benefit or ir own burden. If you read statements of Christian Lindner since 2015, you can see: In FDP, second current wins every time. Neverless, followers of social liberal movement remain.

    I can understand your reasons. Many members have spent ir entire political life in FDP. They have built up friendships over decades, beaten political battles toger, suffered defeats and defended party against criticism from outside, even in ir bitterest times. This is a high, emotional investment. Many are not willing to solve it.

    "We are working in party on a change," says Social liberals. They repeat sentence like a mantra for self-hypnosis. But re can be no talk of change. Social liberal positions are only available in party program. In daily communication and in legislative initiatives of FDP Bundestag group, naked selfishness is raging. The opposition must n be reinterpreted by progressive Liberals in election campaign to maintain party program image of FDP. They play down or deny contradiction – to outsiders, but above all to mselves.

    Date Of Update: 21 July 2018, 12:02