Alternative für Deutschland (AfD, Alternative for Germany) the German far-right party won its first German election in the former East German state of Sachsen-Anhalt. With the region being only 150 kilometers to the West of the capital, Germany this result has widespread ramifications for the future of Germany, its holocaust memory culture and most importantly the future of its growing immigrant and refugee populations. With over 44% of votes the AfD came first in the elections, with the traditional Center-Right and Center-Left parties CDU and SPD getting a sound trashing from the electorate, a mandate that's probable to repeat in other state elections and set the tone for the federal election in 2029.

The CDU coalition which is in power at the federal level however would prefer to keep its head in the sand and whine about the Left party winning in the State elections in Berlin, a threat which it sees as being more existential than the one brewing at a much higher temperature in almost all the states in the country. The anti-immigrant platform on which the AfD campaigns on finds a perfect bogeyman for the German far-right to pin the ailing problems of the economy, the failure of reunification and the effect of austerity politics on anyone except themselves. Plus the Trumpian USA and their oligarchs pining for an alliance of far-right states across the world find a corrupt and worthy partner in the AfD, whose popularity is improving every election thanks to the support of the American political climate.

This iteration of the AfD might not build concentration camps like their families did in the past but are salivating at the ICE raids happening all over the US. They dream of remigration a bonkers racist idea that has been mainstreamed in the past decade. Germany without its immigrants, Germany as a white, blond, blue-eyed nation as it was intended to be. Germany with a second tier citizenship model with Whites above the others. A country where the hatred for the Jews is replaced with one for the Muslims. In all their fascination, they want Deutschland to be more like Dubai, where the workers who build the nation get to be there in forced labor conditions while the White Sheikhs get to enjoy their wealth. A world of inequality, dreams of colonialism and where justice happens only through oppression.

The might is about to get it right, it's time for all sane headed Germans and stomp this menace out with their votes at the ballot booth. But with economic uncertainity and the looming AI and Iran war fuelled recessions in the air, it looks like there's going to be a repeat of history after all.

#Germany #AfD #elections

The new Ram temple in Ayodhya, consecrated by Narendra Modi and his BJP/RSS acolytes has resulted in a total national fanfare. Heralded as the first step in the creation of a New India, it conveniently buries the fact that the temple was built on the innocent blood of thousands of Muslims and Hindus across the nation from the initial Ram Janmabhoomi processions in the late 80s and 90s.

The initial conspirators have all been pushed out of the limelight with Mr. Modi taking the absolute center-stage in the media circus that has followed the inauguration, cementing his position as Hindu Hriday Samrat (“The King of Hindu Hearts”) before the 2024 National Elections. The ordinary populace of India aren't stupid to see through the designs of Mr.Modi, but his clarion call of uniting the Hindu vote has no virtually no opposition, making al other electoral issues irrelevant before the national elections. For a deeply religious country, the idea of a Hindu State can be appealing with the Muslims othered both in the international and national stage.

The long-term popularity of the Ram Temple can questioned, as the Temple itself was not a theological issue before the political appropriation of it. One might argue that in the span of history, the political converges into theological and the Temple might last a 1000 years, but that's for history to decide. But for now it's an opportunistic monument by a political ideology whose plans for relevance is in subjugation, ethno-nationalism and imposing cultural homogeneity. In this case, the Ram Janmabhoomi movements stands as a testament for everything that the foundational philosophies of the Indian nation-state were and reversing the idea of a secular democracy to a autocratic theocracy. Though India's flirtations with authoritarianism are still feeble, concocting religion with politics as have other countries in the region have done, will lead the country down the path of Pakistan than say the United States, because when you compare yourself too much to your enemies, you'll end up being just like them.

For now the Ram Temple is a fascist monument, one that will be remembered for the political change this young democracy had to go through. Whether it will be remembered beyond this decade, though the BJP wants to build a network of temples using it as a base remains to be seen. Whatever new symbolism the temple might imbue in the future, one mustn't forget what it stands for today.

#BJP #elections #RamTemple