Austrian Neo-Nazi politician dies of bad karma.
I remember Joerg Haider well from my year abroad in Austria, 1993-1994.
Oct 10th, 2008 | VIENNA, Austria — Austrian politician Joerg Haider, whose far-right rhetoric at times cast a negative light on the Alpine republic, has died in a car accident at age 58.
Police said the accident happened early Saturday morning in the south of the country when his car veered off the road near the city of Klagenfurt. He suffered severe injuries to his face and chest. It was not immediately clear if he died at the scene or in a hospital.
Haider, who was born Jan. 26, 1950, was governor of Carinthia and leader of the far-right Alliance for the Future of Austria at the time of his death.
“For us, it’s like the end of the world,†Haider’s spokesman, Stefan Petzner, told the Austria Press Agency.
In 1999, Haider raked in 27 percent of the vote in national elections as leader of the Freedom Party. The party’s subsequent inclusion in the government led to months of European Union sanctions over Haider’s statements, which were seen as anti-Semitic or sympathetic to Adolf Hitler’s labor policies. He had since significantly toned down his rhetoric.
Over the summer, Haider staged a comeback in national politics and helped his Alliance for the Future of Austia significantly improve their standing in Sept. 28 national elections.
Haider is survived by a wife and two daughters.
The usual inclination to respect the dead can be forsaken here; this guy was a Hitler-lovin’ scumbag and everybody knew it. But the right wing is the right wing, wherever you go…
-jb
October 11th, 2008 at 1:47 am
Haider was surely not Hitler-loving! In addition in Austria its forbidden to be a Nazi but in your country…
October 11th, 2008 at 5:36 am
JB
Mr. Haider was governor of a 500.000 people province. He was important for democracy in Austria and in no way a Neo-Nazi. And compared to American politics, he would have been a Democrat.
I assume that you are US citizen. Well, you’re talking about politicians! Who messed up in Afganistan and Iraq! And what makes Amerikans think that European countries should rebuild everything their so good Bush administration bombed away. Who set out the geneva convention on detainees? What about Guantanamo? Is that human? But hey, that’s the american way of life!
Dream on….
October 11th, 2008 at 7:34 am
how on earth did the Haider apologists find this site
October 11th, 2008 at 8:38 am
Wow!!!
And they’re attacking us over Bush? Hey, fascists, try reading a site first!
Incidentally, Klagenfurt is the city I lived in when I was there.
The “Haider would be a Democrat in Ameri(k)a” line is because over there socialistic capitalism is accepted as the standard model from which politics begins. That’s about it.
October 11th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Well, if he died of “bad karma”, then Heinz-Christian Strache must be God’s favorite Chosen right now, because the death of Haider, a “paleo-conservative” style reactionary that was interfering with the forward march of National Socialism in Austria, just doubled Strache’s majority in parliament.
October 12th, 2008 at 12:09 am
Of course Haider would not be a democrat under American politics. His stance against immigration and his parents former occupations would not even allow Haider to register under either Democrat or Republicans in this era. Racism in America is much more severely scorned then in Austria…evidently judging on the votes he has accumulated and Austria’s past.
On Haider’s death I say good riddance for humanity and a great gift karma delievered to his racist mother.
October 12th, 2008 at 12:10 am
* Haider died trying to get to his Mother’s 90th Birthday.
October 12th, 2008 at 1:10 am
Bill: Sounds more like Strache was Haider’s former disciple…which wouldn’t exactly speak to Haider’s virtues simply because Strache is even more radical. Doesn’t exactly make Austria look so hot either.
October 13th, 2008 at 4:58 am
Although it is always sad to lose a human being, this time it is unusually the bad guy who has gone. Haider was indeed the powerhouse behind the neo-nazis in Austria, and especially in this area. He has made it extremely unpleasant and often dangerous for non-Aryan citizens to walk round the streets, and difficult to progress in jobs and find housing and so on.
It is important not to overestimate the neo-nazi movement in Europe, nevertheless it has been there since the war and has become increasingly acceptable. Racism is used as a propaganda machine for these evil people, and this has had terrible consequences, with attacks on individuals and even murders.
The anti-Muslim rubbish we hear everywhere and the invasion of Iraq have also served to fuel their fire. We should all take this seriously and do our part in promoting peace everywhere we go. Congratulations to the people on this site whose humanity shines through.