Politics

Das Buch

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By Max Musson:

It is not often that a book written and first published decades ago suddenly rises to the top of the best seller lists without any marketing or promotional campaigns driving sales. It is even rarer when the author is nominally one of the most reviled and hated men in history and when the book in question has been almost universally panned by literary critics as unreadably turgid and the ‘rabid rantings’ of a madman.

It will come as a surprise to many to learn therefore that Adolph Hitler’s book ‘Mein Kampf’ is the top seller in Amazon’s Propaganda & Political psychology section, and that two versions of that book hold both 12th and 14th places in the Politics & Current Events section of the iTunes e-book store.

The sudden surge in sales of the book can be explained by two factors:

Firstly, in anticipation of the expiry of copyright on December 31, 2015, the Bavarian authorities who currently own that copyright have sought to benefit from one last boom in royalties by granting licence to a number of ebook publishers to publish electronic versions; and

Secondly, given the potential embarrassment of buying a copy of ‘Mein Kampf’ from a shop in paper form, and the potential embarrassment of being seen reading the book in public, many people wishing to read what Hitler actually had to say have shied away from purchasing it in the past and the pent-up demand that developed has finally been sated via the perceived anonymity of buying online and the privacy afforded by reading it on a Kindle.

Even so, the apparent demand for ‘Mein Kampf’ has caused some consternation in Jewish circles and attracted some concern from the German government who are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain their ban on the sale of Hitler’s book, especially now that it is so easy to obtain and so easy to read in concealed form on a Kindle.

‘Mein Kampf’ is partly an autobiography and partly a political treatise, and as a political book it is not a ‘page turner’ in the sense that a best selling novel might be, but it is no less readable than most other political treatises and much more readable than many. Furthermore, far from containing ‘rabid rantings’, any objective reader will confirm that Hitler sets out beliefs and tells his story in a readily appreciable manner.

Nationalists have traditionally favoured the 1939 James Murphy translation, which is the only translation officially approved by the Nazi authorities, but as far as I am aware this is not because of any known corruptions in other translations, but simply because all other versions published have contained an obligatory preface by the translator, demonizing Hitler and denigrating his political beliefs. If one ignores the translator’s preface therefore, most versions should prove satisfactory and I will leave you, dear readers, to make up your own minds about the contents.

By Max Musson © 2014

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Additional articles that may also be of interest:

Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter — A review of the ground breaking mini-series following the lives of five friends and charting their experiences during WWII.

Generation War – Our Mothers, Our Fathers — Announcing the broadcast in the UK of the hit German mini series Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter.

My Little Heart (Mein kleines Herz) — A review of the song sung by Greta from ‘Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter’.

Who Started the Bombing of Civilians in World War Two? — A review of the book, ‘Bombing Vindicated’,  by J.M. Spaight showing that the Germans were not the first to initiate the bombing of civilian targets.

Rochus Misch – the Last Survivor from Hitler’s Bunker – A transcript of an interview with Rochus Misch who was the last survivor from Hitler’s World War Two Berlin bunker.

The Liberation of Auschwitz –A review of the mounting controversy surrounding the alleged war crimes committed at Auschwitz during World War Two.

Treblinka – The Forensic Examination Fails – A review of the forensic examination of the Treblinka concentration camp site by Caroline Sturdy Colls.

Jewish Sensibilities & the Commemoration of Heroes  — How ‘Der Landser’ and the Berlin Holocaust memorial factor in the German psyche.

Der Landser – Discontinued – How Baur Publishing have been pressured into discontinuing the publication of Der Landser thereby denying German youth the opportunity to appreciate the heroism of their forebears.

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37 thoughts on “Das Buch”

      1. Vick

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        I don’t perceive any method but cash over the counter to be anonymous, that’s why the powers that be would like cash to become obsolete.

        1. Max Musson

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          You are right Vick, there all sorts of measures being introduced at present aimed at eliminating cash from our economy, and following that point it will be almost impossible to do anything, go anywhere, or buy anything, without the government knowing and monitoring it. Do you have a satnav? Do you have a smart phone? The ‘government’ are potentially already tracking your movements, listening in on all of your telephone communications and listening to all conversations that you have within microphone range of your phone, even when you think it’s switched off. Do you have a smart TV, then the ‘government’ or an NGO acting on behalf of the government or on their own volition are potentially watching you as you watch TV.
          .
          The only way to do anything anonymously nowadays is to make sure that nothing technological, anything that may contain a computer chip and be Wi-Fi or Blue-Tooth enabled, is anywhere near you.
          .
          The trouble is that once cash is eliminated we will all be reliant upon credit cards and bank debit cards and every transaction we make will be logged and potentially monitored so that if we do anything that the government do not like, they will know about it. Furthermore, they will know where we are from our smart phone signal and they will be able to listen to what we are doing and film us using the camera and microphone built into our phones. If they want to disable us in order that we can be apprehended, all they need do is instruct the credit/debit card clearing system to void our bank cards and we will have no means of buying anything or paying for anything. We will be instantly be rendered penniless.

          See: https://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/06/the-single-most-important-step-to-protect-yourself-from-government-spying.html
          https://www.computerworld.com/s/article/print/9215853/Snooping_It_s_not_a_crime_it_s_a_feature?taxonomyName=Privacy&taxonomyId=84
          https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2249303/Hackers-penetrate-home-Crack-Samsungs-Smart-TV-allows-attacker-seize-control-microphone-cameras.html
          https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2259058/The-TV-watches-YOU-Panasonic-reveal-new-set-recognise-owner.html

          1. Steve

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            I think it might be used in a more subtle way, as in are you fat?
            You can only buy one packet of crisps a week!
            Registered alcoholic, no booze!
            & so on.

    2. Pat

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      It is hard to say these days. They can definitely track you online but can still do the same in a shop. It sounds ridiculous but when you go to the till to buy mein kampf on the till it will record the item and time of purchase. They can then match this to CCTV as they know the time you were in the store. This could the case in the present, the future or just a conspiracy but always take precautions. Baseball caps are acceptable these days so when you are in the city and go to buy the book keep it on at all times as they can track you outside the store with CCTV in the street. This will keep you anonymous.

      If you buy on the internet they can automatically link you as an individual to the purchase through their computer programs. Whether now or in the future they will have the means to have a database of all the books people have bought. They put in the query Mein Kampf and they will have 50,000 people who they can investigate further.

      1. Max Musson

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        You are technically correct Pat, but I don’t think there is any need just yet to get too paranoid about someone knowing that you have purchased a copy of Mein Kampf. I would however be inclined to wear a complete disguise if I were in any way tempted to buy Nick Clegg’s autobiography. Possession of that book really would be shameful! 😀

  2. Florian Geyer

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    If people are reaching out and seeking their own enlightenment, despite the endless barrage of propaganda it can only be a good thing. I have noticed a definite shift in public opinion recently in the fact that people are realising there is a huge discrepancy between what they are being told in the media and by politicians and what they can see with their own eyes.

    “People are so blind to some of the simplest facts in everyday life that they are highly surprised when somebody calls attention to what everybody ought to know.” Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf

    1. Pat

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      I feel the same thing when I see people making comments on the internet.

      No doubt more and more are waking up but it is more like 8% of the population being aware than 4% before. Comments on online articles show more people waking up but those users are a small amount of the population and only a few will do much. Those who take the time to understand what is happening are aware but the powers at be know how to distract the masses.

      Comments on the Daily Mail and Express may show support but we know if most of them here about White Nationalists they will be the first to say that we are unpatriotic nazis and would be against it.

      Most of the population have more interest in short term needs and an attitude that it won’t happen to them. They will grumble but still take in the BBC and media propaganda.

      It sounds demoralising but if anything it is a small rising. It’s another step forward rather than a mass enlightenment.

    2. frederickdixon

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      I begin to wonder if the coming of the internet may not prove to be as pivotal a moment as the invention of printing in the 15th century, an invention which – by enabling people to read the Bible for themselves – turned the world upside down, beginning with the Reformation.

  3. Cry Havoc!

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    I bought a copy of Mien Kampf in the late ’80’s from a bookshop in Exeter. It has a biased (of course) introduction by D C Watt, which is easily ignored.

    “All the noble cultures of the past declined because the purity and vigour of the original creative race faded out. They were compromised by the seed of lesser races who were attracted to the works of the superior men.
    The reason for the decline was due to a kind of racial blood poisoning. Racial blood must be preserved in its purity at all costs”

    Hitler was right. He has been proved right. And our folk would see it too, if it weren’t for the ZOG/NWO brainwashing.

  4. Thomas a'Becket

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    I have been waiting for the New Ford translation of Mein Kampf to arrive by post for weeks now. The first that was dispatched disappeared on route and it seems that its replacement has gone the same way. My suspicions are that someone somewhere along the line thinks I shouldn’t have a copy.
    Mein Kampf should be available from any local library but it might need to be ordered in.
    I’ve never had a problem with the local library when borrowing the book but just thought it would be nice to keep a copy at home for reference.

  6. Arthur Kemp

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    In fact, the James Murphy edition was NOT an officially approved edition. Murphy was employed to by the NSDAP’s Eher Verlag to do a translation, but half way through fell out with his employers and left Germany. His wife followed him back to Britain a short while later, with some of his notes, and from there he went on to finish his own version.

    The only authorised version ever to appear in English was published during the war, quite seperately from the Murphy edition, and distributed in Prisoner of War Camps to British and American soldiers via camp libraries.

    The plates for this only authorised English edition were destroyed in a bombing raid in 1942, and only a few physical copies survived the war.

    There are a number of significant differences between the only authorised edition and the Murphy edition. One example: the use of racial epithets. In the original German, Hitler used the German for “Negro” and Murphy edition used the word “ni**er” instead.(This was repeated in the establishment’s favourite translation, the one by Ralph Mannheim, who was Jewish, by the way).

    For those interested, I can tell you that an original authorised copy–a survivor from one of the POW camp libraries–has been sourced at great cost and is about to to be republished.

    1. Max Musson

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      Thank you for that correction Arthur, I will bow to your superior knowledge. Furthermore it does not surprise me at all that with the forthcoming expiry of copyright, you would be able to tell us of an ‘authentic’ version about to be republished. 😉

    3. David Yorkshire

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      Hello Arthur. I have an original Murphy 1939 edition, which is stamped inside with the eagle and swastika emblem of the NSDAP. This, to me, would suggest that it was officially approved.

      1. Max Musson

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        Over many years I have read a number of times that the James Murphy translation is the only officially approved version of Mein Kampf and this assertion is still maintained by Wikipedia (not the world’s greatest authority, I know). It would be interesting to see what differences exist between the James Murphy translation and the version that Arthur talks about besides the translation of the word for ‘negro’ that Arthur has mentioned.

        1. Max Musson

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          Having made further searches for more information relating to the official Nazi approved version of Mein Kampf to which Arthur refers, the Barnes & Noble website states as follows regarding an ebook version of the book that they offer for sale:
          .
          “This is the Official Nazi English Translation of Mein Kampf. It was recently rediscovered after all copies were thought to have been destroyed. This is one of the rarest Mein Kampf editions ever made and it passed from hand to hand without the owners knowing what it truly was or the value for 65 years. Finally, in 2009, the full story has not only been revealed but the text is available for the world to read.
          The Nazi Propaganda Ministry wanted to produce an English language version of Mein Kampf. However, they were also leery about revealing too much. In spite of this, they decided to go ahead and hired a British man to create a translation for the Nazi government which would later become the Official Nazi Translation written in 1936-37. The man was James Murphy and he had some sympathies for Nazi politics which made them trust him enough to begin a translation.

          “This edition was translated while he was living in Germany. Over time, Murphy’s opinions about the Nazi government changed. The Nazi government decided they no longer cared for him after he made some critical remarks and told him he had to leave. He left quickly without his translation into English. The Nazi government completed the translation and it was printed within Germany from the presses of the Nazi printing office. It is unknown exactly when the book was published but it was found in a prison camp which opened in 1938 and was liberated in 1945 so the book must have been published sometime during those dates.

          “This is a very rare historical version which has previously been unknown. If you have already read Mein Kampf then you will find the differences fascinating. If you have not yet read it, then this version can quickly spark your curiosity.”
          https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mein-kampf-official-nazi-translation-adolf-hitler/1016335572?ean=9780977476091
          .
          It would appear therefore that the James Murphy translation and the version to which Arthur refers, may be one and the same, and if so, this would explain the confusion.

          1. Arthur Kemp

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            No, the Murphy edition was never officially authorised, and is not the same as the POW camp edition.

            Murphy, as I said, fell out with the Eher Verlag before he completed the translation. One of the problems he encountered with the Eher Verlag was that he would read a paragraph, and then translate it into English in his own words.

            For example, he would read:

            (Original German: “… unter der Fremd-herrschaft schmachten und die Lebensader des deutschen Volkes den Tummelplatz afrikanischer Negerhorden durchläuft.)

            and translate it as:

            “… neighbouring Germans are suffering under foreign domination and a vital artery of the German nation has become a playground for hordes of African niggers.”

            When in fact the correct translation would be

            ” million are suffering under a foreign regime and the vital lifeline of the German people has become the playground of hordes of African negroes.”

            … and many other such occurrences where he would put it into his own idiom rather than keeping the original.

            The Hurst and Blackett edition to which David Yorkshire refers above simply used a swastika and eagle, without ever gaining permission or paying royalties to Eher or Hitler.

            This may all be academic of course… Mein Kampf was a pure propaganda work, in which Hitler deliberately put on a front and in some places was, shall we say, liberal with the truth.

            In particular, you can see how his public pronouncements on Christianity, as detailed in Mein Kampf, were completely the opposite of what he actually believed.

            If anyone really wants an insight into what Hitler actually believed, rather than his public political front, then you can do no better than to read Hitler’s unedited Table Talk, compiled by Martin Bormann:

            https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hitlers-Table-Talk-Martin-Bormann/dp/1493770292/

            That will give you the unvarnished Hitler, speaking at ease and not in public, on a whole range of topics, including Christianity (he hated it), Jews, Russians, the English, the Americans, race, history, and, most interestingly, on the allegations that the Nazis were exterminating Jews in concentration camps.

            As I said, if you really want to know what Hitler thought, that is the book to get, not Mein Kampf.

            1. Max Musson

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              I accept that you are probably right regarding initial authorisation by the Nazi authorities, however in my opinion, all of the English translations I have seen have some aspects of personal interpretational style by the translator, which make them slightly problematic to the perfectionist, and no one edition can actually be viewed as perfect. That having been said, it is possible that the Nazi authorities, while somewhat irked by James Murphy’s behaviour, may out of expediency have given individual approval to copies of his English translation prior to production the officially sanctioned POW version that you speak of. There are suggestions from some quarters on the Internet that that the POW version was based upon James Murphy’s original rough translation and therefore also contains some translational discrepancies.
              .
              If we take the passage that you quote for example, my translation of that passage would employ the term ‘bloodline’ where you have used the term ‘lifeline’. A translation of the word ‘Lebensader’ using modern parlance as the arbiter does indeed produce in English the word ‘lifeline’, but the use of the word ‘lifeline’ in the context shown does not make sense. If one examines the word ‘Lebensader’ by breaking it down into its component base words of ‘Lebens’ and ‘Ader’, meaning ‘life’ and ‘vein’ one realises that what Hitler objected to was that ‘vital German bloodlines’ had become a ‘playground for’, i.e. been tainted by infusion from, ‘hordes of African negroes’. ‘Bloodlines’ can become defiled by race mixing, but it does not make sense to suggest that a ‘lifeline’ would be defiled in that way.
              .
              All of the existing English translations require to some degree or another an interpretive approach on the part of the reader, such as I have demonstrated. Clearly therefore, there is a need for someone both fluent in German and with a sympathetic appreciation of Hitler’s belief system, to make a new translation from first principles and I trust that you Arthur, are the man for that job. 🙂

          2. Arthur Kemp

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            Max — Just to clarify: I have no intention whatsoever of translating Mein Kampf into English.

            I don’t know where you got that perception, but I assure you it is incorrect.

  7. California

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    I just bought the 1939 special edition in German at a local used book store. Good thing I am fluent in German and can read Fraktur script.

  8. Michael Woodbridge

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    I borrowed my first copy of ‘Mein Kampf’ (Murphy edition) from Beaconsfield County Library when I was 14, and have never been the same since!

    Coincidently the same Library had a good selection of Sir Oswald Mosley’s post-War books such as, ‘Europe Faith and Plan’. I feel sure there must have been a few genuine racial-patriots in my home town at that time. After all South Bucks was represented by Sir Ronald Bell M.P. (knighted under Mrs Thatcher). He was Godfather to Enoch Powell’s daughters and would refer shamelessly on television to immigrants as “mud people”. Now I’m not suggesting that gratuitous insults are a good thing, but rather that in those days there was an innocence and complete lack of self-conscious “political correctness”.

    1. frederickdixon

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      Ah, the great Sir Ronald! Proud to have had him as my MP for a few years. If the Conservative party had consisted entirely of Sir Ronald’s there would be no need for us.

  9. jackdaw

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    Now all we need is “The Protocols” to get on the best seller list and we could be in the midst of some sort of enlightenment . . . . fingers crossed.

  11. Steve

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    I have gone on Amazon & bought the hardcover 1939 reprint but if Arthur Kemp publishes a better version, then I’ll buy that too.
    It’s about time I read what the fuss was about.
    Mind you I should read “Das Kapital” etc but I understand it’s a bit boring & long winded.

  12. ChrisN

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    Being unable to read German, I have heard various reports on the available translations: Murphy: cobbled together, incomplete; Manheim: hostile, wooden; Ford: Ford says his is the best translation (does anyone else?).
    Short of learning German (which I’ve never managed, alas), the publication that Mr Kemp mentions is to be welcomed.

    1. Max Musson

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      Hi Chris, I have made a comparison of the various versions and as long as you choose an ‘unabridged’ or ‘unexpurgated’ version there is very little to choose between them and what differences exist are largely matters of interpretive style. I have yet to find evidence that any of the translators have corrupted or perverted the meaning of what Hitler wrote.
      .
      Personally, I would avoid the Ford version because I have not found that translator as a wordsmith to be very erudite. As I have already stated, my suspicion is that the James Murphy version, which I found eminently readable and satisfactory, will be virtually identical, if not the same as the new version that Arthur Kemp speaks of.

  13. ChrisN

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    Thanks for the recommendations Max. I was dubious about the Ford translation in any case: someone who goes on about how much better their work is than its rivals invites incredulity. The Murphy translation would be my preference mainly because it is available as a free download. ‘Mein Kampf’ tends to be overpriced by publishers in order to discourage sales; not that this strategy has worked because it is a perennial bestseller!

  14. Shaun

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    I’m glad people are starting to read Mein Mampf. I’m not a scholar, but I will say this: it is worth a read.

    Hitler’s early life was hard and this formed his character. The Marxists will say that the harshness of the bougiouse created his aggression, but the truth is much harder to swallow: Hitler felt the suffering of the people around him. This is well explained in his early experiences that are documented in Mein Kampf.

    For me, the fundamental ideas Hitler expounded in Mein Kampf are relevant in all walks of life.

    Grounded in Neitzche, Hitler believed the masses followed objects of strength. Look at today’s world, why are the traitors in parliament still allowed to rule? Answer: they are followed because they are strong.

    Grounded in Gusteuv Le Bon, Hitler understood that propaganda should be simple, emotional, and include social proofs. In other words, you create abstract symbols and you perform emotional rituals and represent them through large displays of power that draw people into your agenda. This is done today through the mass media — it is ironic, isn’t it?

    Hitler’s idea about the state was really the antithesis of modernist liberalism. Under liberalism the state is a body that preserves Enlightenment ideals while a shadowy cabal manipulates the masses from the background. Under fascism the state is a body designed to protect, strengthen and advance the race. The ”debate” over which political system is best is still relevant today.

    Amongst the masses, a collective that Hitler rightly believed are stupid, Hitler’s fascist ideas are not liked because they don’t understand what fascism really means. To the National Socialists this meant a strong government, a strong army and a strong people. With a fascist state, your duty is to work for the good of the state and the state’s duty is to work for the good of the people.

    The modern belief in stormtroppers bursting through your doors at every moment just isn’t true. If you supported the central ideas of the National Socialists such as love for family, folk and fatherland you would be left alone. If you were a Marxist trying to put the government under Moscow’s control or some lowlife pimp, thief or bankster you would be dealt with. What’s wrong with that?

    Hitler’s economic policy of social credit is something that could be used today. Releasing money interest free and encouraging the people to invest the money in businesses always makes sense. Unless, of course, you’re a modern liberal who defends the banksters through supporting every social system that they have created.

  15. Byrhtnoth

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    Because the ethnic nationalism of whites is always being associated with National Socialism it makes it difficult for white people to express what they really feel about multiculturalism. For example when Bodil Sidén, the press secretary of Sweden’s New Moderate Party used the phrase ‘keep Sweden Swedish’ it caused uproar because one of the so called ‘far right’ parties was named Bevara Sverige Svenskt’ (Keep Sweden Swedish). Wanting to keep Sweden Swedish ought to be regarded as a perfectly legitimate aspiration whatever your political orientation, and it is probably secretly desired by the majority of Swedes who do not want Shaun’s ‘strong state’. Really all they want is the ethnically and culturally homogenous society that existed before the 1980s along with the powerful welfare state and liberal political institutions. This is also all that the Sweden Democrat party wants, but realizing that they cannot turn back the clock they can only aspire to damage limitation.

    1. Max Musson

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      It is not because nationalism has always been associated with National Socialism that anyone uttering a nationalistic statement is branded a ‘Nazi’ or ‘far right’, it is because the media in Sweden, just as the media here in the UK, want to stifle nationalism and in order to do so, they label any nationalistic statement ‘Nazi’.
      .
      In the minds of the liberal-left and the immigrant minorities and especially Jews, any suggestion of White racial solidarity or White racial preference IS a manifestation of’Nazism’, no matter how moderately expressed.

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