So now we have our own fake Republicans on this side of the salt-watery divide. A few hours ago there was a big^ protest gathering, a proper "Volksfest" (the ZEIT reports on-line), by those so very "worried" Mad Hatters of the Pegida: A hardcore subset of the mainly East-German crowd in our republic, that contains quite a few ultra-right Neo-Nazi types as well as the now radicalised remainder of the once mainly anti-€ political party AFD, which has swapped in big chunks of anti-migrationism into its ever-populist agenda.

At least as many "#nopegida" people marched against that crowd in historic Dresden, though. And the famous Semper opera house paid for a huge LED poster in front of its main entrance, showing the picture of the German majority, "colourful" Germany, many of them welcoming refugees, putting their hearts before any possible hate. Interspersed with texts like "we are the wrong background for racism".

Free speech is a burden as well as a boon. I learnt that again, today.

It means I get to occasionally pick up rhetorically banal crap like, "if you don't love Germany, leave it"; implying that only these dull-brained dealers in fear - probably mainly their own, coupled with insecurities of all sorts - really love their country. They're playing on leftist folk in Germany having a tradition of denying national pride of any kind, which they have been doing ever since the Nazis so badly abused that concept just seven decades ago.

Well, I'm proud to be German - if you'll please excuse these "partying" retro idiots. Who are a small minority. Who abuse the right to free speech, e.g. by calling Moslem women "baby throwing machines"* - a hateful label that I think is too denigratory to be legal.

Utterances of the kind that probably led to the knifing of the front runner of the Cologne mayoral election day before yesterday. Well, she's still alive! And she won!

I've decided to, in my life, put away these texts and posts and tweets by this ugly German version of the Tea Party. Because they are in fact a minority who have gotten far too much traction in sensationalist (print) press (on its last legs?) and the o so social Social media.

I put them out of my mind and look at what I can do, here in the Kreuzberg quarter of the capital, to make refugees welcome. Offer some clothes, games, sanitary accessories, whatever. Donate a hundred Euro or so. Go out to actually meet some of them.

I'd far rather be doing that than watch/read some Germans-by-name-only gush on about their fears, and people from other countries as if they had the slightest idea what motivates these people to go on such terrible, arduous journeys...

These "partyers" are a minority, constantly complaining about their lot in one of the richest countries in the world, where everyone has medical aid coverage, and a living minimum provided by the state. That same state I, ever of average income, have constantly paid taxes for, for the last three decades, never taking a cent's support at any time in return. In contrast to most of them.

Begone! And stay out of my sight (in the Twitterverse, on TV, in parliament). I have better things to do. And more worthwhile people to meet.

Goodbye, Dresden. Hello, world!