"Zersetzung" Returns to Germany

General
#1

For those not familiar with “Zersetzung”, it is a word used in former East Germany to describe how the secret service would “corrode” political dissidents.

I am sad to say that the German tabloid Bild has just engaged in this practice by publicly denouncing a private citizen based upon his financial donation to a political cause with which they do not agree. To see the article is chilling.

The citizen in the article made a large donation to a group of climate activists who glue themselves to city streets in order to disrupt traffic and draw attention to the climate crisis. Whether or not this is a good idea is irrelevant. The Bild populist tabloid does not agree with these protests, and has publicly shamed its largest donor – possibly putting the man and his family in physical danger.

I am horrified by this new low.

#2

Important post, and a reminder that we should remain vigilant against history repeating itself. I am not from Germany but I would like to respectfully submit that to compare this article to what happened in former East Germany could be a bit of hyperbole.

#3

I disagree that it is hyperbole. This man’s face and name were posted in a national newspaper because the editors did not agree with his political contributions. In some ways it is worse than Zersetzung in former East Germany because that was done, ironically, with a degree of privacy for the victim.