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| Europe |
| Karl Marx pilgrims lead communists back from oblivion |
| 2004-11-22 |
| IT WAS once the only way to get ahead in East Germany - now most Germans are amazed to find that they still exist. The former East Germany's communist youth organisation, the Free German Youth (FDJ), is making a stuttering comeback amid disillusion with the grim reality of German unification, and nostalgia for the cost and predictable world of socialism. They march against the 'annexation' of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) by the west, and want to carry out their national service in the East German army in order to fight the forces of western imperialism. Supporters are even heading for the UK this Christmas for a pilgrimage to the grave of Karl Marx. At their height, when the Communist GDR claimed to be the future of Germany, the FDJ was more than 2 million strong. Now the party estimates it has about 150 fully paid-up members and claims they are again on the march, with branches in Bremen, Frankfurt, and Munich, in addition to its groups in the traditional heartland of the former East Germany. In addition to its campaigning, the FDJ also claims to be prepared to use armed violence against the west, and therefore members refuse to give their full names in order to hide their identity from the German intelligence services. One member of the FDJ, who styles himself Ringo E, was last month fined 2,400 (£1,700) by a court for desertion after refusing to serve his national service in the German army. He had turned down the option of working in a hospital or care home - the usual alternative chosen by conscientious objectors, because he does not regard himself as a pacifist. Instead, he wants to serve in the East German army. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #6 150 members...not even enough to sustain a good NBA brawl... |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-11-22 4:52:28 PM |
| #5 One hundred fifty members...wow. |
| Posted by: gromky 2004-11-22 4:17:05 PM |
| #4 The "grim reality" of East Germany is that every unemployed gets enough money from the State to pay for rent, food and clothes (and some more). I'm getting tired of that crap. If you can't find work in your home town, MOVE. If you lived in Detroit and got offered a good job in L.A., wouldn't you move? That's a few thousand miles. And a guy from Dresden can't move 500 km to find work in Munich? About ONE TRILLION euros have gone into East Germany in the last 15 years. WTF did you do with that money there? Members of the Communist GDR in Munich? I guess you could line them up the wall and shoot them with a single bullet. |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2004-11-22 2:20:03 PM |
| #3 think East Germany BEFORE reunification. I'm sure many East Germans do, with nostalgia. Unemployment is far above 10% in many parts of the east and those folks probably have little future to look forward to. My uncle was in WWII and ended up marrying a German in the '60's. Not everything she said about Hitler and the pre-war period was uncomplimentary. Remember the Freikorps too. That is why we should not remove all our troops from Germany. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-11-22 1:29:05 PM |
| #2 Cuba beacons. If you can dance you'll be well fed too and may be your ticket back out. But if your a Dr you'll want to look else where, NK perhaps. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-11-22 1:08:52 PM |
| #1 Oh brother... "The former East Germany’s communist youth organisation, the Free German Youth (FDJ), is making a stuttering comeback amid disillusion with the grim reality of German unification, and nostalgia for the cost and predictable world of socialism." ROFLMAO!!! Wotta load o' apologist tripe. Talk about GRIM REALITY - think East Germany BEFORE reunification. More Stupidity: "claims that East Germans were conned into unification by bogus promises" If anyone was harmed by the reunification, it was the prosperous West Germans who were dragged down by the disaster of East Germany, from environmental disasters that demanded attention to the crumbling farce of an infrastructure to the State system of subsidized privilege for the Party Members and good little Stasi stooges / informers. I pity the poor West - do-gooders who paid one hell of a price for the reunification. TGA could jump on this pile of shit and stomp author Murdo MacLeod a new asshole. The email is there to make it personal, if he's inclined to educate this jackass in reality vs. moronic ideological fiction. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-11-22 11:31:17 AM |