Study: 15 percent of Germans claim superiority

[KWP59 at aol.com]

Study: 15 percent of Germans claim  superiority

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3325896,00.html

New  study reveals that extreme right-wing ideology, anti-Semitism popular
among  current German population; 14 percent believe Jews cheat in business;
35  percent express blatant xenophobia; 28 percent believe Germany should
regain  world status with force
Gil Yaron
Published:     11.09.06,  01:12
A new study conducted for the German Friedrich Ebert Fund reveals that  the
anti-Semitic views, sense of superiority, the yearning for a  strong
government and the hatred of foreigners are still very strong among  the
German population. The researchers revealed that about 15 percent of  those
polled believe that the Germans have a natural superiority in  comparison to
other peoples.

The study was conducted by two professors  from the University of Leipzig who
questioned 5,000 Germans in an attempt to  study their level of agreement to
opinions held by the extreme right. Twenty  eight percent of the participants
longed for Germany to return to be a major  player in the world scene and
think they must use force in order to Œreach  the position they deserve.¹
About eight percent are convinced that the crimes  of the Nazis are grossly
exaggerated.


What is mostly concerning is  the longing the Germans have for darker days:
Nine percent support turning  Germany into a dictatorship, 15 percent are
convinced that "a tyrant is  better than a democracy," and 26 percent of them
hope for a system of  government which a single popular party will represent
the entire  nation.

The study also found that 27 percent of those surveyed reflect  positions of
hatred towards foreigners. As an example, 35 percent agree with  the
statement that "foreigners come to Germany only to exploit it." In  eastern
Germany, the poorer part of the country controlled by the communists  for 50
years, 44 percent answered positively to that  question.

Education doesn't cure anti-Semitism
As to anti-Semitism,  the findings are extremely worrying: Ironically, the
highest  anti-Semitic

sentiment was found in the more developed western part of  Germany, where
various education systems were implemented in order to combat  the problem.
It seems that anti-Semitism is most prevalent in the richest  provinces such
as Bavaria and Nordrhein-Westfalia, where 10 percent of the  participants
expressed anti-Semitic sentiments, whereas in the eastern parts  only four
percent supported anti-Jewish statements.


According to  the study, 18 percent of Germans believe that the Jews, who
today only number  120,000 in Germany, have too much influence, 14 percent
believe that Jews are  more inclined to cheat in business, and 14 percent
think they are simply  different and are not fit to live in Germany.

Two groups dominated the  anti-Semitic views: The elderly and the unemployed.
In addition, the study  also found that a feeling of political powerlessness
was more important to  the development of right-winged positions than
economic strife. The  anti-Semitism is less prevalent as the level of
education goes up, and among  women.

However, the researchers indicate that education alone does not  give
immunity from the false magic of extreme right-wing ideology. In  addition,
affiliation to specific political parties or a particular church  did not
prevent people from holding extreme right wing ideologies.

For  these reasons, the researchers are convinced that it is not enough to
employ  intelligence and legislative programs, but also widespread actions in
order  to eradicate the right-wing phenomena in Germany. 
 
kwp





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