Magazine: Schwarzenegger Disrupted 1964 Neo-Nazi March in Graz, Austria

AFP via Yahoo! Germany ^ | October 3, 2003 | AFP

[pogo101]

According to a Jewish magazine, a young Arnold Schwarzenegger helped to disrupt a march of Neo-Nazis in his Austrian homeland.

As the magazine "NU" reported in its September issue, the 17-year-old Schwarzenegger helped anti-fascists heckle a demonstration of Neonazis.

The budding bodybuilder, along with other athletes, protested against the right-wingers in the city of Graz, 80-year-old Alfred Gerstl told the magazine. Gerstl, previously an active supporter of conservatives in Austria, feels he knows Schwarzenegger based on characteristic statements from that time, when Schwarzenegger was a friend of Gerstl’s son Karl.

[pogo101]

Translation is my own. Follow the link if you wish to see this short article in the original German.

Obviously, if Gerstl is telling the truth, this devastates those on the left, and an unfortunate few of the more adamant and bitter McClintock supporters, who gleefully wish to tar Arnold as a Nazi sympathizer.

My only caveat is that this is all according to one guy who appears to like Arnold and probably has reason to feel defensive on Arnold's behalf as a fellow Austrian getting pounded with Nazi allegations. Grain of salt, therefore.

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[ElkGroveDan]

Yeah, but he was a young man back then. He has changed. We aren't supposed to pay attention to the things he did when he was young right? Or are we?

[pogo101]

Keep digging, Dan.

[ambrose]

He obviously only did this to make him look good in a future run for office.

[My2Cents]

Headline in the NY Times on this story: SCHWARTENEGGER VIOLATES DEMONSTRATORS' CIVIL RIGHTS!

[martin_fierro]

Du ist der Mensch!

<|:)~

[Diamond]

The budding bodybuilder, along with other athletes, protested against the right-wingers

What's with the "right-wingers" stuff?

Cordially,

[ElkGroveDan]

I'm sure Arnold will issue a statement that he has no recollection of that, since he can't recall more recent events.

[pogo101]

He obviously only did this to make him look good in a future run for office.

Tell me you're being tongue in cheek. Because if not, how can you square his wild 1970s behavior with (supposedly) doing something in 1964 "only to make himself look good in a future run for office"? Seems to me one of the more believable things Arnold's said is that he did not conduct himself with an eye to political respectability!

Besides, do you have any evidence, or do you just hate Arnold out of bitterness as to McClintock?

Me, I don't even know if it happened, as you'll notice when you read my initial post. Arnold for one has never said that it DID happen .. and one must wonder why he doesn't, if it did.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

LOL

[areafiftyone]

I think Arnold was very prepared for the onslaught by liberals before he made his decision to run. Apparently we need more strong candidates like him to win elections. He is not afraid to confront every allegation and if they are true apologize or admit it to the public. Bush (another strong candidate) did the same thing with the DWI episode that the liberals conveniently brought up just before election day. Bush was right about Arnold - he said he would make a good governor. The Democreeps are having a good week but If I were them I wouldn't count my chickens!

[shadowman99]

How does one confuse the "National SOCIALIST Worker's Party of Garmany" with a right wing group?

[Sir Gawain]

Don't expect consistency on this issue if there's no consistency on the sex issue from Clinton to Arnold.

[Republican Red]

protested against the right-wingers

Isn't Nazism extreme left-wing?

NAZI stands for National Socialists Party

[Uncle Hal]

You will not see this story in the LA Times. Guaranteed.

[Grand Old Partisan]

The Nazis were National SOCIALISTS.

[ambrose]

do I ALWAYS have to put on a "< /sarcasm" tag or something? geez, some of you folks need to lighten up...

especially the big Tom supporters. Our man said to be very skeptical of these last minute sleaze bombs.

[EternalVigilance]

How does one confuse the "National SOCIALIST Worker's Party of Garmany" with a right wing group?

Brainwashing.

[B Knotts]

Wow. OK...I admit it...these guys are good. They were ready for the slime.

[pogo101]

I'm sure Arnold will issue a statement that he has no recollection of that, since he can't recall more recent events.To try to keep things civil, although I don't really have any more respect for your hours of pinging and posting to trash Arnold than I had/have for those trashing Tom in various silly ways:

As I told Ambrose and suggested in my initial post, I wonder whether it happened at all. If Arnold did this and remembers it, then why wouldn't he have mentioned it, or something like it ("I rememmer prodesdigg against da Nazis march in Graaaz back in da sixdees") long ago? We at least agree on that.

[pogo101]

do I ALWAYS have to put on a "< /sarcasm" tag or something? geez, some of you folks need to lighten up... especially the big Tom supporters. Our man said to be very skeptical of these last minute sleaze bombs.

I'm relieved. But yes, I'm afraid with Dan and Clam and the other more-embittered of the Tom supporters posting and pinging to "pommp opp" these Arnold-is-a-sleaze last-minute stories, YES, I could use the "/sarcasm" marker ... :)

[steve50]

"Fascism: a system of government that exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with belligerent nationalism."
American Heritage Dictionary (an older edition)

[jwalburg]

lol

[Rutabega]

I can't believe I am entering the fray here, but I just want to point out that this fellow,Gerstl, has been quoted in other threads as Arnold's mentor, AND as this magazine was out, at least by today, I can only imagine that it isn't some quick response to the new Nazi allegations.

(As you might see in my tag line, this isn't my fight, just thought I might point this out!)

[pogo101]

"protested against the right-wingers"

Isn't Nazism extreme left-wing? NAZI stands for National Socialists Party National Socialist German Worker[s'] Party, yes.

But as a matter of convention, if debatable as to accuracy, German-language media refer to Nazis as extreme RIGHT-wing, and to socialists and communists as LEFT-wing. I see your point, though.

[My2Cents]

Come on Dan, get your spin right...He obviously showed up to grope hot fascist chicks.

[ambrose]

I think there is a bigger issue... I don't think Arnold is a Nazi by ANY means. That's just ridiculous.

The bigger issue is his apparent infatuation with authoritarian figures. He also allegedly expressed admiration for Napolean, Cesar, Charlemein (sic), etc.

But then again, he isn't running for President. I think he will be sadly disappointed when he realizes just how little power a CA governor has.

[cookcounty]

It's sorta like Pol Pot and his coalition of liberals and greens that killed 2 million in Cambodia.

[Reagan Man]

If this was about Bill Clinton and not Arnie Schwarzenegger, FReepers would be pounding "der schlickmeister", 24-7! Guaranteed.

The Arnie Android sycophants can't bring themsleves to face these releases about Arnie's past, even though it shows his viewpoints on politics and outlook on life itself. All this crap may have come late in the campaign, but Schwarzy's people knew, it would be coming nonetheless. I wonder how much else is out there, about this big jerk that people would find offensive and force them into taking a second look. For some Arnoldnauts, its too late. They can't backoff from supporting Arnie now. They'd look foolish if they did make such an abrupt aboutface.

[pogo101]

I expect him to be "3 years and out." Like Ventura, perhaps, albeit hopefully with better results than Ventura.

Thereafter ... Tom time?? :)

[Sabertooth]

As I told Ambrose and suggested in my initial post, I wonder whether it happened at all. If Arnold did this and remembers it, then why wouldn't he have mentioned it

Yep. There are too many loose ends for this Hitler/Nazi thing to be cleared up over the weekend.

Schwarzenegger's work with the Weisenthal center, however, is not in doubt.

Barring some other, genuine smoking gun, I don't think this stuff hurts him much, but we'll see if it gets traction among the less-informed.

[ibbryn]

Headline in the NY Times on this story:
SCHWARTENEGGER: INTOLERENT TO DIVERSE POINTS OF VIEW!

[ElkGroveDan]

To try to keep things civil, although I don't really have any more respect for your hours of pinging and posting to trash Arnold than I had/have for those trashing Tom in various silly ways:

My point was a valid one. Everyone keep saying that the actions of his youth are not relevant to today, and this pops up implying that the actions of his youth indicate what a special person he is. I was trying to make the point that they can't have it both ways.

And for the record, everything I have criticized him for is related to his policy positions and public behavior. I'm sure it sounds like "trash" to Arnold supporters because most are still in denial that they are supporting a very liberal candidate, with a shady past.

[pogo101]

Du ist der Mensch!

(You mean, "Du bist der Mensch.") Thanks! Have to scrape the rust off my German, as one private-messager put it. But bear in mind my caveat in #1: this may be a "helpful memory" by a pro-Arnold guy at work. Who knows?

[slimer]

Good find!

[pogo101]

My point was a valid one.

I agree about avoiding double standards, and some on FR appear to apply them. But I believe you obscuring your valid point -- that a candidate's past matters somewhat -- with your unmistakeable glee at the tarring of the person largely blamed for McClintock's not winning more GOP support in the recall race.

If your tone were more sober, if you at least acknowledged that the timing and, at least in part, the content of these smears are suspect, it'd go a long way towards civil discourse. But if you post smarm and sarcasm, it doesn't; it reveals only bitterness instead.

[Sir Gawain]

It's funny. It's almost like the left and some on the right have switched sides. You have lefties saying he's unfit for governor because of his sexcapades (hypocrites), and you have Republicans saying "Can't we just move on? Personal behavior in the past has no connection with the job he will do" (hypocrites).

[Tribune7]

Exactly. Hitler was a socialist.

[chudogg]

"Fascism: a system of government that exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with belligerent nationalism." American Heritage Dictionary (an older edition)

The very essence of right wing is the seperation of government and business leadership. This isnt a difficult concept. BASIC knowledge and common sense stipulate that the rightwing keeps business away from government control and the leftwing merge them togethor.

You should do a little more research than opening up a dictionary. See how the NAZI's nationalized many industries, increased regulations and taxes, etc. etc. That is what they mean when they say merging business with government! Now what political spectrum advocates those policies???

In essence, fascism is merely Middle Way Socialism, how do i know, Because Mussolini coined the term. Now of course they call it THIRD WAY

[Dataman]

What's with the "right-wingers" stuff?

Amen. Socialists are leftists as illustrated by our liberal members of Congress.

[dinasour]

Headline in the LA Times on this story:
SCHWARTENEGGER: GROPED NAZI'S IN AUSTRIA

[chudogg]

Until we about a half dozen accusations of Rape and attempted rape, you still cannot compare Ahnold to Clinton.

[DoctorZIn]

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[steve50]

The very essence of right wing is the seperation of government and business leadership.


Not the German version of right wing. Communists take over ownership of industries, Fascists just control business ownership by who is allowed to succeed. Kind of like the private/public partnerships that are the rave here lately. Not to mention the Wall St. frauds that go unpunished.

[Natural Law]

"Du bist"

[rustbucket]

What's with the "right-wingers" stuff?

I suspect there are two factors involved. First, in the old, old days, socialists who advocated local socialism (as opposed to international socialism) and who did not advocate violent revolution were called right wing. They were right wing only when compared to other socialists and communists who were advocating international socialism and revolution. Here is a speech of Lenin's where he refers to subgroups of the socialists as right wing: Lenin 1920 Speech.

The second aspect of this is that the left wants to foist Hitler off as somehow connected with conservatives or the right wing of American politics. The media play right along with this line. They continue the old right wing definition of Lenin. However, some of today's neo-Nazi groups advocate some of the same 'nationalize big corporations' goals that Hitler wrote into the Twenty Five Points of the Nazi Party. Hitler's Nazis were clearly socialists and left wing by American definitions of the term.

The Nazis weren't called 'National' Socialists for no reason. They were German 'national' socialists as opposed to German 'international' socialists.

[onedoug]

I see considerable difference in contrition, and in wanting do do right.

[KellyAdmirer]

I don't think anyone is going to forget disrupting a Nazi (probably some original ones still around in 1964, forget the "neo" stuff) march. Now, with the Hitler thing, regarding one of hundreds of interviews given in his youth, is it realistic to think he forgot that? Not a stretch to forget that at all. I don't remember much about 1975 at all, to tell the truth, though I vaguely remember Barry Bonds was playing for the Yankees and Tom Seaver had a good year.

The cynicism, sarcasm and petulance by some of the McClintock supporters on these boards because their man does not have the votes is most discouraging. I expect better from conservatives. If they continue the sour grapes after the election, they will become a real annoyance.