this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2023
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Performing Nazi salutes has been illegal in Germany and Austria since the end of World War II and is punishable by law with prison time.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Proud neo-nazis or drunk idiots?

[–] [email protected] 64 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

If you’re a drunk idiot “jokingly” doing nazi salutes as an adult in Germany, you’re just being a nazi. At best nazi-adjacent.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (4 children)

I think you're severely underestimating how stupid some people can be without malicious intent. Not that I'm justifying their behavior in any way, but it's possible they're just really stupid.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

If you live in Germany and as an adult don’t know that a nazi salute/imagery can get you arrested, you are beyond an outlier. It is reasonable to assume most of them are doing it intentionally. You may as well rip a bong in front of a cop on the street in Alabama. That’s how known it is.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Not for nothing, but it could also be tourists. Not defending nazis, because I would argue that being drunk lowers inhibitions, but it doesn't make you a nazi.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

Yes, tourists sometimes think it would be funny. But this did not happen at the Oktoberfest in Munich. It was an Oktoberfest in a village in Saxony with about 2500 inhabitants (actually a collection of several villages). I would bet the chances of tourists being present are very close to zero.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Location + I mentioned people who live in Germany for this reason!

[–] [email protected] 16 points 11 months ago

And I think you are underestimating how much of a deeply ingrained taboo the nazi salute is for the typical German. You are right, some people can be very stupid, especially drunk. But no German who has not been in some way socilized among nazis would be stupid enough to ever casually do a nazi salute. You just don't do it.
The only exception I might allow besides actual nazis are very stupid or drunk (or both) teenagers trying too hard to be edgy. And even then most people would find it hard to believe that they're not at least right leaning.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago

Being really stupid is a requirement for being a Neo-Nazi. Stupidity is not an excuse.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago

There is no "nazi but just ironically"

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

@atlasraven31 Possibly drunk proud neo-nazi idiots.

@stopthatgirl7