General Discussion

Here in Germany, "the Greens (die Grünen)" have evolved from a splintered, strictly environmental party, infiltrated by the Soviet-backed East Germans in the 1980s, to a mature, sensible left-of-center party who have refined their economic goals to something approaching reality, and have yet kept their environmental emphasis alive. They have since been part of nationally governing coalitions, and have held the equivalent of the governorship of one of the major states in the Federal Republic (Baden-Württemberg). They are about as similar to Ralph Nader as an aardvark is to a blue whale.

On the other hand, back in the Reagan years, a former SS officer wanted to start up a neo-Nazi party, but due to the fact that that is outlawed here in Germany, he had to search around for another name. He found it with his soulmates in the good old USA, and called his party "die Republikaner." I used to taunt Republicans with this, because I knew exactly how they would react. "Are you calling us Nazis?" they would angrily demand. I would answer, "not at all. I'm just saying I find it unfortunate that a bunch of Nazis needing another name would find you so inspiring as to want to adopt yours." By the way, "die Republikaner" got a few percent (never over 5%) for the first few election in which they participated, and then fizzled back into the nothingness from whence the sprang.