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App Detects Neo-Nazis Using Their Music
Daniel_Stuckey writes "German newspaper Der Spiegel reported that the country's interior ministers will meet this week to discuss use of an app developed by local police in Saxony that has attracted the unofficial name of 'Nazi Shazam.' Just like Shazam works out what song you're hearing from just a few bars, the system picks up audio fingerprints of neo-Nazi rock so police can intervene when it's being played. The whole situation sounds pretty insane to an outsider, but apparently far-right music is a big problem in Germany, where it's considered a 'gateway drug' into the neo-Nazi scene. The Guardian reported that in 2004, far-right groups even tried to recruit young members by handing out CD compilations in schools. That sort of action is illegal in Germany, where neo-Nazi groups are outlawed and the Federal Review Board for Media Harmful to Minors is tasked with examining and indexing media — including films, games, music, and websites — that may be harmful to young people."
I thought far right was considered conservative, one of the only political groups that supports Israel. Its usually the far-left that is saying for middle east peace Israel needs to be wiped from the planet and shouldn't get support from the US. Just last week Obama is letting Iran, who has stated they want to nuke Israel, to continue enriching Uranium in return for the sanctions on them to be lifted. If that isn't anti-Israel (neo Nazis in agreement) I'm not sure what would count.
I guess this is just one more case of the left trying to blame their hatred and racism on others.
Eh, historically the constitution was pretty routinely ignored too. Even before the final draft lawmakers were making it clear that they did not intend to follow its literal interpretation and instead had all sorts of 'well of course we didn't mean XYZ, use common sense!'. Much of the bill of rights only really started gaining legal traction over the last few decades as civil rights pushed literal meanings more. For instance, cases involving religion, until very recently, assumed that freedom of religion only applied to 'real' religions such as Protestants. Quakers, Mormons, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, even though they were 'close' were not considered 'real' religions and thus the establishment clause (and freedom of speech) did not apply, and religions not from the same tree were even less protected.
Just because you identify with the left and don't like the nazis doesn't mean they weren't left wing. They were socialist. Their entire political platform and justification was to take away money from the evil jews and give it to the poor hard working Germans. Now, whether that's what they did or not, that was the platform and justification, and how they came into power. You can choose to ignore that because it's uncomfortable for you to accept, but thems the facts.
It's all pedantic anyway though, as when push comes to shove, you go far enough left and you end up right, and you go far enough right and you end up left. People call libertarians anarchists even though anarchy is a clearly a well established left wing political institution (extreme left mind you, not any normal version of left). There is nothing more progressive then eliminating all government after all. A conservative would never approve of such a drastic change as eliminating government, that's not the status quo after all.
>Absolute (well, for the MOST part... except for speech determined to "incite violence", or speech determined to be a "threat", or speech which violates a copyright, or...)
Yep.
For what it's worth, I think it's fair to say that in much of the rest of the world, Left and Right are about wealth distribution, and about who should be in control of means of production (investers or workers). Not saying this is better, or worse, just noting the difference. That said, it is probably also fair to say that most international observers, assuming they use this classical economic notion of left/right, would consider the US to be pretty far off to the right. Again, just saying.
Gosh, thanks. That must be why the other ships call me Meatfucker -- GCU Grey Area (Eccentric)
You do know where the term left and right wing actually originated? The German parliment, where the communists sat on the far left, and the nazi party on the far right.
The terms "left" and "right" appeared during the French Revolution of 1789 when members of the National Assembly divided into supporters of the king to the president's right and supporters of the revolution to his left. One deputy, the Baron de Gauville explained, "We began to recognize each other: those who were loyal to religion and the king took up positions to the right of the chair so as to avoid the shouts, oaths, and indecencies that enjoyed free rein in the opposing camp." However the Right opposed the seating arrangement because they believed that deputies should support private or general interests but should not form factions or political parties. The contemporary press occasionally used the terms "left" and "right" to refer to the opposing sides.