Opinion The AfD report is a look in the mirror - one sees the hostility to democracy of the authors

Bespoke translation by yours truly... at first, but switched to machine translation due to exhaustion. Original article [A] by Roland Tichy at Tichys Einblick

AfD report or a look at the mirror​

The AfD report is a look at the mirror - one sees the authors' hostility to democracy​


The report by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution [Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV)] is public, although not voluntarily. Now one understands why: It says more about the Verfassungsschutz than it says about the AfD. And it reveals a lot of anti-democratic thinking - among the authors who are public servants.​


This document, marked classified - around 1,000 pages long - is to prove that parts of the AfD systematically act against central values of the free democratic basic order. On Tuesday night [May 13], several media published the paper after requests have been dismissively rejected. The confidentiality itself has been a scandal: The AfD was to be publicly denounced, citizens were to be discouraged from joining, and political partners were to be blocked - and that with hushing and mumbling without evidence. A few skinny lines of a press statements were supposed to suffice.

Spy methods instead of protecting the constitution​


It is politics with intelligence agency methods - claims are being made in secrecy, but they generate political effects. Instead of reporting, intelligence agency methods are being used. The watchdog agency Verfassungsschutz thus became a domestic secret service that, directed by the Minister of the Interior, acts against the opposition - an outrageous procedure.

Because the fact that an intelligence agency surveils a large opposition party is a drastic intervention in the democratic process. Even more dramatic is that the intelligence agency is specifically targeting the AfD - without a justification, without a court assessment, without the possibility to defend yourself against that. What does that remind you of?

And what is the Verfassungsschutz basing its suspicion of extremism on? Now we know - from a confidential document for which its mere publication is already illegal. That is not the praxis of a democratic state bound by the law in which fundamental political questions are negotiated publicly.

Nothing new about the AfD​


There's nothing to learn about the AfD that isn't already known or can't be googled in seconds. The report simply strings together public quotes. Anyone expecting the ominous headline "confirmed enemy of the constitution" to reveal some hidden conspiracy to overthrow the state—arms caches, assassination training camps—will be disappointed. It's all about paperwork, out-of-context quotes, exaggerated claims, and shaky constructions.

Example: In Germany, there is an unchecked wave of antisemitic violence by Hamas supporters against Jews—people being assaulted, threatened, and harassed. Is the AfD involved? No. In fact, the federal leadership, including Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, is quoted at length criticizing Hamas. But the Office for the Protection of the Constitution dismisses this: "The cited statements concerning the murder and abduction of people by Hamas in Israel do not eliminate the indicators of antisemitism in the AfD."

That's quite a stretch. And there's no explanation. This is the method: make the most threatening claims, ignore counterarguments, and certainly don’t include them. The analysts? They think differently and so they cite "statements."

Target of these supposedly antisemitic statements, for example, is Klaus Schwab—who isn't Jewish—but is described with negative stereotypes "typically associated with Jews." Thus, not only is the dignity of Jews allegedly violated, but that of non-Jews as well—by being "effectively declared Jewish under an antisemitic framing."

How does that work? The BfV knows: "ambiguous terms" are combined such that their antisemitic meaning only becomes clear in context, though isolated, they could mean several things. Very crafty, this AfD. And there's no way to defend against it: the BfV alone decides what something really means. The agency engages in bizarre semantic acrobatics.

Certain words are now officially coded as "far-right." Use them—intentionally or not, jokingly or seriously—say "population replacement" or "overforeignization," and bam: you're far-right, and it's official. But should we really be treating a party supported by over 20 percent of voters as extremist because of some words? Apparently yes. That’s the method: linguistic denunciation. Conveniently, this works well with programs like Microsoft Word. Just search for terms like "block party," "cartel party," or "system party"—if an AfD member uses one, they’re flagged as extremist. The bolder the claims, the faster the process.

...And From That, a Massive Threat​


Then it escalates. On November 11, 2023, Saxon MP Rene Bachmann shared a Facebook post from David Bendels, editor of Deutschland-Kurier, with the comment:

"Here’s another reason to turn away from the system media and toward reality. That’s why Deutschland Kurier instead of Spiegel!"

A bit of self-promotion—immediately twisted into a massive attack. The BfV seriously claims that urging people to reject the "system media" amounts to slandering the entire German press landscape. (p. 568)

And suddenly, the state is under threat:

Instead of expressing "a pointed political opinion," these statements, through their "defamatory generalization," aim to fundamentally question "democratic institutions and structures." Therefore, they violate "the principle of democracy itself." (p. 571)

So: if you're dissatisfied with the media landscape, you're attacking democratic structures? Media criticism is now state criticism. Bendels and others were right to worry—there really is a united front of media, parties, and politics.

Historical Comparisons Now Taboo​


Even neutral warnings about Germany’s past are now cause for scrutiny. Nearly half a page is devoted to this:

On February 22, 2024, Bavarian AfD leader Stephan Protschka posted a graphic on Telegram stating:

"... 1933 must not repeat itself! Citizens were defamed by the Nazis.
Dissenters were betrayed
The media were controlled
Reporting hotlines were set up
The people were divided
Parties were banned."


Supposedly, this equates the present to the Nazi era. Really? Where? The description is factually accurate and frequently cited by the Left—without issue.

Even a tweet by Tino Chrupalla from November 26, 2022, is flagged in the report under "Equating with National Socialism." He wrote:

"And Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stood in the stands with a colorful armband. German government officials wearing armbands. I’d hoped we’d never see that again."

One remembers the awkward image: Faeser in casual wear, her counterpart dressed formally—and no armband. Even the BfV admits this comparison was only "implicit." (p. 586) Did Chrupalla equate Faeser with Nazis—because of a rainbow armband? Absurd.

The End of Free Speech Begins Here​


These and other examples of language, vocabulary, and personnel choices are cited—yet how solid is this evidence? Where does legitimate opinion end and hostile agitation begin?

It’s like looking in a mirror: it’s not the AfD undermining the constitution, but the BfV. They’ve crossed the line. Historical comparisons are tricky, sure—but this isn’t about taste. It’s about whether exaggerated comments justify obstructing a party’s work. Other politicians make Nazi comparisons all the time—appropriate, offensive, random, justified or not. What matters is the party affiliation.

MP Stephan Protschka was flagged simply for asking on Twitter on August 13, 2021: "I'm now a second-class citizen, I'm #unvaccinated. Do I need to wear an armband now?" (p. 536)

And MP Barbara Lenk (now Benkstein) from Saxony? She shared a meme from Inglourious Basterds showing Christoph Waltz’s SS officer asking, “You’re hiding unvaccinated people under your floorboards, aren’t you?” According to the BfV, she “intentionally equated the suffering of Jews with the situation of the unvaccinated, thereby trivializing Nazi crimes.” (p. 537)

That’s quite a leap. Sure, one can argue about these comparisons—but they are not evidence of a plan to overthrow the state. Meanwhile, constant accusations of fascism from established parties and media go unchallenged—even when the Süddeutsche Zeitung accuses dachshund owners of Nazism. Ridiculous, but apparently not extremist. The double standard is relentless.

And it’s exhausting. How much taxpayer-funded brainpower has been wasted on this?

Saying “Germany” is Suspicious​


A key focus of the BfV is what it calls the AfD’s ethno-nationalist worldview. The report claims that the now-dissolved faction “Flügel” sought to preserve an “organic, unified people.” Yet the party leadership, its conventions, and platform have all distanced themselves from that view—and many immigrants are members. But the BfV smiles knowingly. With their language analysis tools, they look past words into minds and hearts to find the real ideology.

They argue that certain population groups are being excluded from society and subjected to unconstitutional discrimination. This is supposedly proven by a mishmash of cherry-picked, out-of-context statements—or worse, empirical observations. Beware of writing about crimes by foreigners:

“Such statements are meant to stoke fear among ethnic Germans of becoming a minority, and rely on fear-driven communication.”

So we can’t report on schools where non-German-speaking children are the majority—because it might scare people. At this point, the intelligence agency crosses a major line: facts may no longer be reported if they disrupt the mandated sense of harmony. Even calls for better integration and language proficiency are considered “hostile to the constitution.”

Under this logic, police crime statistics showing certain group overrepresentation become “fear messaging.” Terms like “knife migration” or references to backward views of women are now off-limits. Naming undeniable facts has become unconstitutional. A pink veil must be drawn over reality to hide its bloody parts. That’s the BfV’s—and the Interior Ministry’s—vision.

Many constitutional scholars have long concluded that the ethno-cultural concept of the people is legally irrelevant. But according to the BfV, the truth can only be described if it aligns with the federal government’s narrative. Facts, in other words, are now unconstitutional.

No Coup Planned? Criticism of Islam Now Taboo​


The key legal point: the AfD’s overall conduct “does not quantitatively or qualitatively rise to the level required to define it as aiming to abolish the free democratic order.”

In plain English: the AfD supports democracy and the rule of law. And only those who don’t can truly be considered enemies of democracy. So why the stigma?

Elsewhere, the report contradicts itself, stating that even “aspirations against the democratic order” justify labeling a party an extremist case.

How does that add up? The answer is nearly fantastical.

“Predictive” evaluations are now allowed—i.e., the BfV acts as a prophet of democratic reliability. That’s what it says from page 1010 on.

The agency claims to know where things are headed—and slams the brakes. And that is where the real danger to democracy and the rule of law begins. The threat isn’t the AfD—it’s the agency that projects baseless claims onto the party and issues arbitrary “forecasts” of future misconduct.

Why it’s supposedly unconstitutional to advocate limiting immigration is never explained. You can be for or against immigration—the Basic Law says nothing on the matter. Migrant-founded parties, by definition ethnic in orientation, aren’t scrutinized. But criticize Islam? That’s now considered “hostility toward minorities and foreigners.” According to the BfV, all forms of Islam must be protected, and public debate about its cultural impact suppressed. If a social problem has Islamic roots—boom: unconstitutional.

This allergy to debate runs through the entire report. Not just individual views are criminalized—any criticism is broadly forbidden. Because criticism might shake public trust. The question is no longer whether critique is justified—only whether it undermines faith in democratic processes.

That opens the floodgates. All criticism can now be labeled an attack on trust. Instead of exposing policy or media failures, the messenger is discredited.

Bottom line: no more criticism—it might upset people to hear about corruption, misconduct, or illegal practices. Even criticism of COVID policy is explicitly mentioned. That, too, is unconstitutional.

It’s a bleak picture the BfV paints: a muzzle society where actual or alleged problems must not be discussed. Absurdities follow.

AfD MP Florian Jäger compared the treatment of the unvaccinated during COVID restrictions to that of Jews in Nazi Germany. He specifically likened Markus Söder’s warning about the “pandemic of the unvaccinated” to Goebbels’ incitement against Jews. In both cases, Jäger said, public rage was stoked.

Absurd: For this warning against incitement, Jäger himself was convicted of incitement (2021 and 2022)—only to be acquitted by Bavaria’s high court in 2023. The BfV knows this, and even admits its stance is shaky: “Regardless of its criminal classification, the statement is still to be seen as—albeit weak—evidence of antisemitic tendencies in the AfD.”

The report adds: “Florian Jäger left the AfD in July 2024.” (p. 535)

The BfV knows better than any court.

With this method, the report stirs together an unpalatable mix of suspicion, faulty logic, claims, and insinuations. There’s no way to fight it. The fact that Jäger left the party, or that other figures were expelled—none of it helps the AfD. What matters is the “forecast” that suggests danger.

The AfD can do whatever it wants—it’s never enough. Even though the party has frequently expressed solidarity with Israel and strongly condemned the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, the BfV still insists on labeling it antisemitic: “It remains questionable,” the report says, “whether the AfD’s responses to the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel reflect a rejection of the previously established indicators of antisemitic tendencies.” (p. 537)

The BfV quotes pages of anti-Hamas statements from Weidel, Chrupalla, and the AfD’s federal board—but refuses to acknowledge them: “The cited statements concerning the murder and abduction of people by Hamas in Israel do not eliminate the indicators of antisemitism in the AfD.” (p. 539)

Ah, the verdict is final: the antisemitism label remains. No appeal.

This is how debate ends in a country: words are redefined with malicious meaning, and anyone who uses them—knowingly or not—is guilty of extremism. But the report has an unintended effect:

Anyone who digs through this mess of words will find themselves in there somewhere. Everyone’s said the “wrong” thing at some point.

“On June 29, 2021, Karsten Hilse, citing an inaccurate and misleading report from Tichys Einblick titled ‘Education Ministry considers social credit system after Chinese model for Germany,’ claimed that the heirs of Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin were planning communist reeducation programs in Germany.”

Why the Tichys Einblick report was supposedly “inaccurate” or “misleading” is never explained. The BfV simply declares it so (p. 599). It referred to a student rating system that actually does resemble Chinese models. But writing that is no longer allowed. Harsh criticism is forbidden—it might shake someone’s trust in the wisdom and virtue of a politician. And that’s already “far-right.”

The impression is hard to avoid: state power is being used to do politics. Aggressively. It’s political hackwork, dumped over the country like toxic sludge.
 
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Despite von Clausewitz being Prussian/German, it seems the German State has forgotten his pithy comment and its inversion.

“War is politics continued by other means” and “Politics is war continued by other means”. Both are the wielding of naked force against your opponent to compel him to submit. Western democratic politics have devolved into totalerkrieg in pretty much every major nation that follows them. The fun part is the “rules based liberal order” factions are starting to learn what it’s like to have political total war waged on them after subjecting everyone else to it. The center cannot hold. Democracy™️ will destroy itself, we need only wait.
 
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The phrase always reminds me of this clip.

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I love democracy with German characteristics ! I love EU-style democracy!
There really is a Yes, Minister clip for every lunacy that afflicts modern Western democracy. Well, except the tranny bit. Even the self-serving civil servants of Humphrey's Civil Service has standards.
 
The fuck is this absolute batshit craziness?
That is one of the reasons why I warn Americans about wanting to absorb Canada. We have shit like that too... you never thought you would be found innocent just because you didn't break their rules did you?
 
"Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried"
Unsubstantiated aphorism.
Democracy has very blatant unfixable weaknesses that monarchy, for instance, did not have.
Regardless, government itself, regardless of the form, per se, is illegitimate.
 
Unsubstantiated aphorism.
Democracy has very blatant unfixable weaknesses that monarchy, for instance, did not have.
Unless you are not liked by the monarch for some reason, then you go bye bye without not even the possibility of appeal

Regardless, government itself, regardless of the form, per se, is illegitimate.
Ah, nevermind
 
There really is a Yes, Minister clip for every lunacy that afflicts modern Western democracy. Well, except the tranny bit.
There kindof is:
Yes Prime Minister S1E1 The Grand Design said:
General: [...] All this equal opportunity nonsense, like America! They don't know if the troops posted to them are men or women, not until they arrive.

Sir Humphrey Appleby: Sometimes not even then.
 
Unless you are not liked by the monarch for some reason, then you go bye bye without not even the possibility of appeal
That issue exists in a democracy too. If the majority of government representatives, or a slight majority of the population simply doesn't like you (personally or on ideological grounds), then they're permitted to make you go bye bye too (in theory) under the rules of the system in place.

Now, such a thing wouldn't occur without pushback obviously, and surely some of the people who oppose you on ideological grounds wouldn't vote for such action out of moral ones, but the essence of detainment/execution without appeal exists within democracy too; I'm sure a lot of 'farmers would have something to say about the people detained on Jan 6th, or guffaw at the absolute state of Europe when it comes to arrests for social media posts. But democracies nowadays are just rotating dictatorships since a 'party' effectively operates as a single actor.

The idea of a monarch who would and could do whatever whenever is one of those contemporary veneers of the distant past that becomes less true when you look into it. For example, the civil war in England that made the monarch lose all their power was caused by the monarch acting outside of his limitations (he tried to collect taxes without the gov's permission) and then violating the rights granted to members of the legislature — even if were justified carrying out the arrests since they were aiding an invading foreign army. The point being, so long as there exists a counter-weight between authorities of the government, the more focused it is on running things and the less focused it is on trying to fight a political war with the opposition. In fact, Washington also provided the only instance where political parties would actually work:
"There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This within certain limits is probably true; and in governments of a monarchical cast patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party."
Essentially, if you think of a political party as a single body, the weight of such a coalition within a legislature acts as a counter to the king's authority. However in elected systems, with no king, they simply act as a counter to the other half of the government and thus the people that voted for that half of the government by extension. Under a monarchy the party is loyal to the nation in defence against the king (in theory), but under a democracy the party is loyal to the party in defence against the other party. It's essentially the government at war with itself when it should be prioritising administration and governance.

I'm not saying we should 180 pivot back to the 1300s, but I'm pointing out that most Democracies share a fatal flaw, just like the monarchies did with. We're currently in a period where government's aren't even trying to put up a façade of co-operation anymore. You can actively point out every decision made nowadays where it's done with the specific aim of undermining the opposition, but often times the people get caught in the crossfire. This has been happening since parties were a thing, but it's been gradually escalating over the decades to where we are now. Maybe the cold war forced governments into keeping things nice and orderly now there's external threat to worry about they've become more concerned with the 'enemy' closer to home.

By accident, Europe and the USA both possess one thing in their governments that mitigates the chance of a civil war but also one thing that would help instigate one: America has two parties which neatly divide the population in two conflicting groups, but has a robust system that makes tyranny much harder to commit. Meanwhile Europe in large part has governments where all authority is vested in a single body (allowing for the most tyranny, which we've seen) but has the population split messily into lots of different parties and ideologies that makes it difficult to draw sides. Thanks to this it helps point out what'd easily bring a civil war about, but how you'd optimise the continent's respective governments:

America: Civil war: Weaken other bodies of government or centralise authority to such a degree into the legislature that it becomes imperative that your side controls it.
Optimised: Get rid of political parties entirely.
Europe: Civil war: Bring about conditions that force half of the population who feel ideologically neglected under the same umbrella of one party and continue to neglect or ostracise them, forcing them to act.
Optimised: Split the supreme authority of the legislature with another body and have elections for each out of sync to properly gauge public opinion and national direction (imperative that the new body can't just be disregarded a la UK supreme court lmao).
TLDR: A monarch had limitations on his authority and the rights of the legislature were usually sacrosanct; European governments today largely lack any major limitations on authority and aren't counterbalanced by opposing bodies. Washington said that political parties are useful under monarchies since they can collectively act as a counter to the king's authority, whereas in a democracy the parties only counter one another meaning the government is basically at war with itself in perpetuity, encouraging loyalty to party and self over the country. Nowadays governments don't even pretend they're working together in the people's best interests, and make their contempt of the opposition clear. Banning political parties would help America a ton whilst dividing power between multiple bodies might help Europe.
 
I've said it dozens of times, I'll say it again: Democracy is nothing but a form of communism
Ourdemocracy just means democracy captured by its winners. That is not some corruption of "democracy", that is the logical and predictable outcome. Democracy is communism: rule by collective ownership over everyone's life, property, and decisions. It's mob rule wrapped in ballots, but the end result is the same
The fact that people are disagreeing with you is fucking wild lol. There is a reason the US is a Republic and not a democracy.
 
Here is what I am wondering: Have these people at the BfV or whatever ever made reports like this before? I assume so right? Their entire reason to exist is as part of some De-nazification scheme by the Western Allies and such to stop another funny mustache man. Did they ever shut down a political party before, like in the 1970s or 1980s? If so, was such a report produced by then back then, and could one compare their conduct and reasoning in those times to the modern one?
 
Here is what I am wondering: Have these people at the BfV or whatever ever made reports like this before? I assume so right? Their entire reason to exist is as part of some De-nazification scheme by the Western Allies and such to stop another funny mustache man. Did they ever shut down a political party before, like in the 1970s or 1980s? If so, was such a report produced by then back then, and could one compare their conduct and reasoning in those times to the modern one?
Forgive me for consulting ChatGPT, but it knows more about history than I do

Yes, your instinct is broadly correct: the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV) was created in 1950 during the early Cold War, explicitly under the watchful eye of the Western Allies. Its purpose was to monitor threats to the “freiheitlich-demokratische Grundordnung”—the “liberal democratic order”—and to prevent the return of both Nazism and Communism.

🕵️‍♂️ Have they done this before?​

Yes, though rarely. The most relevant historical examples:

1. SRP (Sozialistische Reichspartei) – 1952​

  • Who: A neo-Nazi party openly glorifying Hitler.
  • What happened: The BfV gathered intelligence and the Federal Constitutional Court banned the party, ruling that it sought to destroy democracy and reestablish the Nazi regime.
  • Documents: Yes, the process involved detailed reports and legal arguments, but the case was clear-cut: the SRP denied the Holocaust and had swastika-emblazoned propaganda.

2. KPD (Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands) – 1956​

  • Who: The West German Communist Party, still aligned with the GDR and Soviet bloc.
  • What happened: After surveillance and legal proceedings supported by the BfV, the Federal Constitutional Court banned it, citing loyalty to a totalitarian system and attempts to subvert democracy.
  • Documents: The court ruling was extensive and based on concrete subversion of the democratic system, including active ties to hostile foreign powers.

🧮 Can you compare those cases to today?​

Not easily—and that's the point.
  • Back then, the BfV dealt with parties that openly rejected democracy, glorified past dictatorships, or served foreign regimes. Their actions, affiliations, and goals were explicit.
  • Today, with the AfD, the BfV is not dealing with calls for dictatorship, no paramilitary arms, and no direct foreign control. Instead, it’s reading tone, interpreting word choices, and assigning political meaning to metaphors, tweets, or criticisms of media.
So yes, the BfV has made reports like this before—but those were about parties fundamentally and actively opposed to the democratic order. The current situation involves a party that participates in elections, files lawsuits, and condemns terrorism—yet is painted as dangerous based on speculative “prognoses” and language policing.

That’s a drastic shift in method—and one worth scrutinizing.
 
Here is what I am wondering: Have these people at the BfV or whatever ever made reports like this before? I assume so right? Their entire reason to exist is as part of some De-nazification scheme by the Western Allies and such to stop another funny mustache man. Did they ever shut down a political party before, like in the 1970s or 1980s? If so, was such a report produced by then back then, and could one compare their conduct and reasoning in those times to the modern one?
They tried to ban the National Democratic Party of Germany NPD (those are the guys mainstream wants the AfD to be), but a court stopped them because – and I'm not kidding – there were too many feds in positions of power:
Since the secret services were unwilling to fully disclose their agents' identities and activities, the court found it impossible to decide which moves by the party were based on genuine party decisions and which were controlled by the secret services in an attempt to further the ban. The court determined that so many of the party's actions were influenced by the government that the resulting "lack of clarity" made it impossible to defend a ban. "The presence of the state at the leadership level makes influence on its aims and activities unavoidable," it concluded.
Source: Wikipedia

At least the BfV is a beacon of Our Democracy™, right? Well…
In 1965, the Brown Book exposed that a large number of BfV officers had previously held prominent positions in Nazi Germany. Initially dismissed as "Communist propaganda", subsequent historical research confirmed its accuracy to be up to 99%. For instance, their head from 1955 to 1972, Hubert Schrübbers, had been a member of the SA, a Nazi judicial prosecutor involved in cases against racially and politically persecuted individuals who were later murdered in Auschwitz, and an SS executioner in occupied France
Souce: Wikipedia
 
2. KPD (Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands) – 1956
Oh boy, the KPD. They created Antifa, if you didn’t know.
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In fact the NSDAP gained a lot of its popularity by being one of the few entities who would violently oppose the communist street thugs ( with nazi street thugs).

Anyways, I think it's becoming pretty clear democracy is not a good way to govern the Germans. Maybe they ought to bring back the Kaiser.
 
Oh boy, the KPD. They created Antifa, if you didn’t know.
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In fact the NSDAP gained a lot of its popularity by being one of the few entities who would violently oppose the communist street thugs ( with nazi street thugs).

Anyways, I think it's becoming pretty clear democracy is not a good way to govern the Germans. Maybe they ought to bring back the Kaiser.

In 1931 the communist street thugs and Sturmabteilung were on the same side.

1747431449304.webp

So now we have Alice Weidel.
 
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