"Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
Claire Berlinski, Ed. ·
December 3, 2010 at 4:52pm
I'll say.
Look--some of his criticisms of Turkey are valid; I've made them myself, as you all know. But please tell me you find this speech, delivered in that Austrian accent, as disturbing as I find it. That has a historic resonance no one can blithely ignore.
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Sep '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
I find myself in sympathy with the speaker. The content of the speech is what is important not the Austrian accented German. The man has a right to be outraged. We all do.
The message is clear and it should resonate everywhere. Don't demand we tolerate your intolerance.
And really, is tolerating intolerance really tolerance at all, or is it complicity?
Jul '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
Sorry, Claire. I've been following the Muslim issue in Europe and I've been predicting these kinds of explosions for years. The soft-peddling of the issue in the press, some really ugly criminal cases, the no go zones, the direct threats and the veiled threats, and gosh, look, it's a decapitated archbishop.
The fact that the explosion here is in German is a bonus. The perfect language for a chewing out.
As for the cultural reference, I can find stuff in English that is far worse and associate it with whomever. LBJ's mushroom cloud ad comes immediately to mind as the classic case.
My only question is, does he have his facts straight? How many priests have been murdered in Turkey since 2008? My Turkish relations are Christian, and left 40 years ago. Churches and synagogues can't get a permit to do building repairs in Turkey, much less build new. And they are on a track for EU membership? How would this be a good idea?
This Austrian MP is no more Hitler than the Ricochet crowd are slaveholders.
Edited on December 3, 2010 at 5:34pmJul '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
Sorry, Claire, but the man is right. And he's right to be angry.
The fact that he's being angry in German is irrelevant.
There should be more outrage like this - in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Dutch, French.
And English.
Edited on December 3, 2010 at 6:59pmJul '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
While I essentially agree with much of his criticism, he has a few of his facts wrong.
First, a priest er year is not murdered in Turkey. This is not to deny the horrendousness of the actual murders, but to show that the murders are not as widespread as he suggests.
Secondly, Austria did ask for Turkish workers starting about fourty years ago, and Austria should also think about what Austria did wrong for the situation to get out of hand.
Third, the Islamist situation is much worse in Europe than it is in Turkey. Hence, the Europeans should seriously re-consider their approach to the matter as well. Instead, the EU has been doing exactly the opposite and trying their best to force Turkey into the same erroneous approach.
More importantly, this is the type of response that Islamists love and prey upon. It is a great case of being right and shooting yourself in the foot (unless Austria will crack down on it).
I am very much with the Europeans here, but their approach and policies need to get smarter. Islamism is no joke.
Aug '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
Political correctness kills.
Edited on December 3, 2010 at 7:54pmOct '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
I fail to see where the speaker is out of line. Perhaps some of his facts are wrong - I'm in no position to confirm or deny them. However, his main thrust seems to be that there is a demand for tolerance of everything Muslim, and there is not even a tenth of the outrage felt when it is a Catholic who is the victim. That is wrong, and he's not going to stand for it. I say good for him, and how is he wrong?
Jun '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
Interesting to watch this right after the new Klavan on the Culture video posted earlier by Diane Ellis.
Aug '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
I too must agree with the Austrian MP.
I too am sick of the hypocrites and double standards.
The outrage is long overdue.
Jul '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
He is wrong not in his speech's essence, but in the unintended opportunity he will end up providing the Islamists to deviously exploit the speech to rile up the uneducated Muslim masses he is talking about (meaning more support and even funding for Islamism).
Aug '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
I get the feeling this video is more about Austria than Turkey.
My Dad has several old business friends in Germany, and if Austria is anything like Germany, it likely has not been as wise about assimilating its Turkish immigrants as it should have been for many years now.
As Okan put it:
Okan Altiparmak:
Austria did ask for Turkish workers starting about fourty years ago, and Austria should also think about what Austria did wrong for the situation to get out of hand.
and
Though the speaker lashes out at Turkey, I believe the real target of his frustration is his own government's failed policy -- failures within Austria and the EU. The speaker acknowledges internal failures, and my hope is that outbursts like his may help shock other European politicians into reconsidering their failed policies.
Edited on December 3, 2010 at 6:46pmJul '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
This is the sort of outrage we should have heard from Republicans on the floor of Congress after the President of Mexico presumed, with a smirking President Obama in the background, to lecture us about our immigration policies.
Oct '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
Okan Altiparmak
He is wrong not in his speech's essence, but in the unintended opportunity he will end up providing the Islamists to deviously exploit the speech to rile up the uneducated Muslim masses he is talking about (meaning more support and even funding for Islamism). · Dec 3 at 9:35am
So we all have to censor ourselves for fear that the barbarians will take offense? No, nay, NEVER!
When a speech as non-offensive as that really was, or some poorly drawn cartoons, lead to the masses rioting, it is the masses who have a problem and need to change.
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
I have to say, Claire, I agree with most of the commenters here. The historic resonance you mention is accidental and incidental--and can, in fact, be blithely ignored. It would be a tragic joke if the horrible history of anti-semitism were used to defend the most anti-semitic movement of the age. This MP is right and it's not his fault he is, as our president would say, speaking Austrian.
Aug '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
Robert McKay
So we all have to censor ourselves for fear that the barbarians will take offense? No, nay, NEVER!
When a speech as non-offensive as that really was, or some poorly drawn cartoons, lead to the masses rioting, it is the masses who have a problem and need to change.
I'm with you on that, Robert.
Islamic encroachment seems to rely heavily upon a 'winning through intimidation' approach. Self censorship is not the proper response to this tactic.
Nov '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
I love that video. It is so refreshing to see real passion, for a change. And in German! What a rush.
The main thrust of Herr Stadler's speech is entirely correct. Muslims everywhere are demanding special treatment at the expense of their host countries. The cry in the street is practically a mantra:
"You must never criticize Muslims in any way for any reason! You must respect Islam as a religion of peace! If you disagree, we'll cut your —ing heads off! And don't even think about sending missionaries to our home countries. We'll cut their heads off as soon as they step off the plane. Islam is a one-way street, and don't you pigs forget it."
The Great Pushback, when it comes, will be violent in the extreme. A lot of innocent people are going to be killed. And, by "innocent people," I mean moderate Muslims who lacked the will to oppose their radical brethren.
Thank you for the bracing video, Claire. It really perked me up.
Oh.
I see...
That was not your intention.
Never mind.
Nov '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
Yes, there is a historical resonance here... the man has the same flare and the same rhetorical power that Hitler had. He may even be wrong in a few of his details. It doesn't matter, I'm afraid... Nothing can change the fact that he is absolutely right in the thrust of his speech. The civilization we so cherish is walking down a path to suicide, a path defined by platitudes and images of a mutual tolerance that can exist only in an idealist's mind.
Edited on December 3, 2010 at 7:42pmJun '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
What he said!
May '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
Claire,
I'm with you on this one.
Though I can't dispute much of the substance of what he says, there is a chilling undercurrent of ethnic violence in his words and tone.
Asinine liberal "tolerance" policies are walking Europe right back to the brink.
If real grievances don't meet with justice, the aggrieved will erupt in violence.
Jul '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
katievs:
If real grievances don't meet with justice, the aggrieved will erupt in violence. · Dec 3 at 11:09am
So, while Christians are being massacred on a daily basis in Pakistan, Iraq, Egypt, Indonesia, Thailand; Western women are being gang-raped by Muslim youth throughout Europe; Islamic fanatics launch plot after failed plot to kill Americans on our own soil - you're worried about a violent backlash from aggrieved Europeans?
I suppose a feminized modern West that believes violence is never the answer might shrink to think that appeasement is suicide. But there was a time and a place - in 1683, at the gates of Vienna, when real men really knew better.
Edited on December 3, 2010 at 9:04pmMay '10
Re: "Austria is Not Made Up of Tolerance Romantics"
Yes.
Worries about present evils don't preclude worries about impending evils.
In my sense of the term, violence (which always begets more violence) never is the answer, though military force may be. I am not a pacifist. I despise appeasement.
A person who kills another person in self-defense, or to protect someone else, is not committing violence.
There is a difference between standing up against injustice and inciting rage. In philosophy it's absolute. In practice, it can be a fine line.
Reagan was straight-forward, truth-speaking, resolute in the face of terrible threats. Impossible to imagine him speaking like this man.