Politspective

Being controversial is HC Strache’s main tool for drawing media attention, no doubt about it. After all, who is not tempted by using controversy in times of mass media and yellow papers? Surely only the few.

But there is a big difference between breaking taboos aiming the assurance of civil liberties and basic principles, and a controversy done by overrunning the Constitution and the Human Rights with the obvious intention of provoking social groups prompt to be prejudiced. This all while forgetting the basic civil liberties which have to be guaranteed by the government.

“Occident in Christian hands” (“Abendland in Christenhand”) may sound rhythmic – at least in German – but it is the best summary of the threat for the core civil liberties and principles on which modern Austria is based. Reducing “Austrianship” to being Christian does not only jeopardize the separation of church and government, but in particular the freedom of Religious Beliefs and the neutrality of the State upon them. Is Europe not the place of liberty? Is Occident not as well of jews, agnostics, Buddhist, atheists and simply everyone?

But come on, would somebody say, you know he was addressing fanatic Muslim terrorists and just wanted to express it in a funny easy-to-remember way. Sure he did. But there is exactly the problem.

By that way of doing politics, infusing fear, generalizing, prejudicing and offering rhymes as solutions, HC Strache puts the State of Law in an one way ticket to authoritarianism and fascism. He makes some people believe that the solution to the world problems is looking away, closing all windows and doors, and praying to God. And even while the latter could be a good solution, no Religion as far as I know preaches reward with no action. There is were I think Mr. Strache makes the biggest mistake, by trying to convince some people that the Christian principles of love, tolerance and justice are relative and that standing for them against every difficulty is not so important, that truly patriots and God loving people are only those who renounce to them when political power is at stake and that he has the moral authority to decide who is Christian and is allow to live under its benevolence.

He forgets that above every political play, campaigning and, of course, above winning elections there are the political and social principles which should not be put in play in order to drawn attention. It is a question of what one does want to achieve with politics, if the aim is justice, peace and freedom, the way to it is for sure not provoking and assaulting the differently minded.

HC Strache is a threat for all Religions, for religious and for not religious people. By using Christianity as his Cooking-Recipe to governing he makes use of the strong belief in God people have as a cheap campaigning machinery which will make the personal interpretation of religion dependant on his own vision of it. And who does, in the end, wants the moral of Austria in Strache’s and FPÖ’s hands?