Germany Has Fallen, Pt I

On December 2nd, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the introduction of new restrictions put in place exclusively for the unvaccinated. Germany is following the example of Austria who recently instituted a worldwide first ‘lockdown of the unvaccinated’ — which was, a few days later, extended to a lockdown for all. For all those paying attention, it was clear that Austria had set the train in motion for other countries to follow, and Germany was hot on its neighbour’s heels. 

What are the new restrictions in Germany?

Speaking of the new restrictions, Olaf Scholz (SPD), the German Vice-Chancellor and successor to Angela Merkel, said that the pandemic “is a great national struggle” with lockdowns for the unvaccinated being “about solidarity.” But it is not about solidarity — it is about division, punishment and segregation. According to the latest figures, 68.8 percent of Germans are fully vaccinated, which means 31.2 percent of the population are being stripped of many of their freedoms and rights.

Wanting to know the new rules’ impact on the everyday lives of normal Germans, I called friends who I know remain unvaccinated and opposed to the mandates. “I feel pretty depressed,” said one friend. “A lot will change in my life because I am not willing to get the vaccine, I will lose my job as soon as mandates come into effect.” 

“When we enter shops, an employee at the entrance checks our vaccination code. In some shops, they ask for your ID as well. Since we are not allowed to enter shops anymore (apart from for groceries), we can’t buy clothes for winter or gifts for Christmas … I have to get tested every day at work. My vaccinated colleagues do not. A young colleague, who is vaccinated, told me that her husband, who is also vaccinated, had Covid. I told her to call our boss because I assumed she would have to isolate, but because she is vaccinated she was, per government guidelines, allowed to come to work unless she developed symptoms, which she did a few days later. Two weeks after he first tested positive, her husband was tested again positive twice but was allowed back to work which was in accordance with German guidelines.”

Another friend, conceding that the new mandates “don’t affect [him] much” due to being retired, said he was aware that “families are being torn apart by whether you are vaccinated or not.” Indeed, under the new system, 30 or more family members, friends, and even strangers could gather in a house to celebrate Christmas as long as they are vaccinated. Yet, if just one person was unvaccinated, this meeting would be illegal. In this light, how easy will it be for families to deem those who are unvaccinated as selfish, unreasonable, and anti-social? It is easy to see how such a condition could tear communities apart in the coming months. 

When asked about the public mood, he responded: “There is only one topic — Corona.”

“The first question many people ask when meeting with others is whether you are vaccinated or not and those who are, avoid those who are not, often treating them with fear, disrespect or even insults. It’s like with the Nazis. When you turn on the TV, Covid is all you hear, and there is only one narrative. It’s psychological warfare … Those who are responsible for these unlawful mandates and restrictions of human rights need to be held accountable. We need the Nuremberg Trials 2.0. Those who knowingly participated in this madness need to be taken out of positions of power and influence.”

For balance, I reached out to a friend who had “got the vaccine because it was expected from work.” She revealed that some of her co-workers are still unvaccinated which, for many, meant they would not attend the annual work Christmas dinner because they would not be able to afford to get a test for €80 (£68, $90).

“I was not comfortable with this segregation. We should all be treated equally. Unvaccinated people are not even allowed on public transport in my area and I heard about a Christmas market being divided by a fence for the vaccinated and unvaccinated. The un-vaxed were also not allowed to eat or drink because they have to wear a mask at all times and adhere to social distancing. None of these rules apply for the vaccinated section behind the fence, no mask, no distancing.”

This story, evoking imagery of a small Nazi ghetto, sounded unbelievable to me. Upon researching her claims, my friend’s experiences were proved correct, as this article about a Christmas market in Hamburg, unfortunately, shows. I asked if the German people could not see the parallels between the government’s new mandates and the abhorrent restrictions placed on Jews and other minorities by the Nazi regime less than 100 years ago. Her answer startled me: “Well nobody is being killed yet and nobody’s property is being taken away, so I don’t think it’s an accurate comparison.”

When I confronted her with the fact that Jewish people in the early years of Nazi Germany were initially largely only subject to negative portrayals by the press, ostracisation, dismissals from their jobs, and the requirement to show ‘identification’ papers in order to complete elementary activities, she couldn’t help but see the similarities. “Protect your side, your group, your family,” she said with sadness in her voice. “‘The others’ are the enemy, [they] are dangerous. That’s what we are being told. The unvaccinated are now blamed for everything, even things that haven’t happened yet.” Her response made me shudder.

Here in the UK, are we safe from these dangerous new trends emerging on the continent? Though Brexit and the estranged relationship between the UK and Europe might be a protective barrier, keeping us relatively safe from the spread of a new European totalitarianism, Wales and Scotland seem very open to expanding government regulation and control under the pretence of ‘health and safety’. And, while England was and is a small beacon of hope, the government surely can’t be trusted, especially in light of the nonsensical mask rules being reintroduced. 

I am afraid that nobody is safe from what is coming. Thus, it is freedom-loving individuals’ duty to stand up for their liberty, here and in other countries, to speak up, and to deny compliance to the infringements of our rights. Not everyone is indeed in the same position to speak up and take action, but together we can oppose this madness. I will end this article with one of my favourite German quotes, often referenced when warning of totalitarianism: Wehret den Anfäengen — be wary of early beginnings. As a German, I have always asked myself “why did people not speak up and fight back against the Nazi party in its infancy?” The answer? Complacency!

Philipp Tanzer - born in Germany, moved to the north of Scotland in 2012. He was best known as the award-winning Gay porn Star Logan McCree but is now an advocate for men's rights as the founder of the organisation GenderParityUK and ran in the 2021 Scottish Election for the Socially Conservative Scottish Family Party. Besides addressing discrimination affecting men in areas such as family court, service provision, education, and legislation, Tanzer stands against the erosion of the nuclear family and against the negative influence of pornography and LGBT+ ideology on society; both areas he personally has experience with.