You’d think Austrians might have a little more sense given their proximity to the threat presented by historical Fascism. They even flirted with a local version from 1934 until 1938, when Nazi Germany took political control of the nation and introduced them to the real thing.
A habit we can see domestically when Republicans act like Democrats only to be replaced by them in successive elections.
The current regime in Austria calls itself center-right, Catholic-anti-Socialist, and liberal-conservative. The original Austro-fascists were Catholic-anti-socialist, corporatist nationalists.
A rotten apple by any other name?
It is difficult to find clear writing about recent governments (or the ÖVP Christian democratic, liberal-conservatives) in Austria because they are tainted mainly by left-wing writers with Trump Derangement Syndrome.
But Fascism shares a great deal in common with Marxism, evident not in labels or the historical reimaginings of so-called academics or journalists but by actual action. You can see the Fascism regardless of what name tag its advocates wear.
“Hello, my Name is Antifa,” for example, is a group that uses fascist tactics in support of Marxist-Leninism. Their interest is more oppression, not less, but they sell themselves as something else.
Austria, whatever it is, is acting like a fascist government when it announced that all citizens will be vaccinated for COVID19 or else.
The government said it was preparing the legal groundwork for a general vaccine mandate to come into effect from 1 February, with exemptions for those unable to receive a jab on medical grounds.
The age from which people will be required to be vaccinated has not yet been determined, the government said.
Those refusing to be vaccinated are likely to face administrative fines, which can be converted into a prison sentence if the fine cannot be recovered.
When they announced their fourth lockdown, Ed Mosca noted rightly that,
“… in order to prevent Austrians from becoming infected with COVID, the Austrian government is locking down Austrians who have not taken a vaccine that does NOT protect you from being infected with COVID or transmitting COVID to others.”
If the problem is positive cases then vaccinating them will not solve that problem. Well, that’s not entirely correct. If the “vaccine” kills them, they won’t be spreading anything ever again.
The fact they are given no choice in the matter is also a feature of historical Fascism, and yet here they are, doing it, so I have a suggestion. A common variant of Austria’s red and white flag includes a spread eagle holding a broken chain in its talons.
You’ve relinked the chains, so if we’re being honest, you need to fix that.
