Vocabulary used for political defamation in Germany
Within the last years and crises, the atmosphere for discussion in Germany has deteriorated drastically. While people themselves apparently have more and more problems with diverging opinions, politicians and mainstream media facilitate this decrease of discussion culture by narrowing the spectrum of which is “speakable” as well as emotionalizing and moralizing topics. Instead of arguing facts, they increasingly use defamation and the respective vocabulary to shut down persons or groups with positions different from their own. This little encyclopedia provides nine common examples of a meanwhile large and inflationary used vocabulary of defamation existing in Germany.
Conspiracy theorist (in German: Verschwörungstheoretiker)
Probably one of the most frequently used terms on this list. While initially brought into the mass media by the CIA within the Kennedy association, for a long time it was used to describe people with quite unrealistic opinions (e.g. chemtrails, flat earth). But nowadays, basically, everyone who doubts or criticizes the official/mainstream narrative while providing alternative conclusions or explanations will be branded with this term.
Denier, e.g. climate denier, covid denier (in German: Leugner, z.B. Klimaleugner, Covidleugner)
Especially used in the debate about climate change as well as Covid 19 to defame doubting or critical people, e.g. regarding the threat or the proportionality of countermeasures. The term makes no sense since nobody denies the existence of a climate and the vast majority of people criticizing the Covid narrative do not deny the existence of the virus. There is only one reason for the use of this term: To create linguistic proximity to the term holocaust denial. As a result of the dark german history, holocaust denial is not only completely negatively connotated and only used by extreme rights, but it is also treated as a crime in Germany. So while this term sounds rather harmless compared to others on this list, from my perspective it is one of the worst, extremely polemic defamation putting the people or groups branded with it in the same line as extreme rights and/or criminals.
Gibberish talker (in German: Schwurbler)
Used to brand people or groups as illogical and their opinion expressed as nonsense serves often as a more polemic synonym for conspiracy theorist.
Lateral thinker (in German: Querdenker)
The most well-known political initiative in Germany criticizing the Covid policy of the government and demonstrating their rights to freedom is called Lateral Thinking (in German: Querdenken). Despite the majority of the members of the movement being normal citizens, they were defamed throughout the mainstream media as egoists, conspiracy theorists, and with other words from this list, so the term lateral thinker quickly became negatively connotated in the public opinion. With this negative connotation in mind, it is intentionally used by itself to defame any critical position to the Covid policy of the government, regardless of whether the expressing persons are political activists or not.
Nazi (in German: Nazi)
Usually used to defame conservative or right positions, e.g. regarding immigration. Regardless if you agree with some of these positions or not, calling somebody a Nazi and thereby comparing him with the people who started a world war and killed 6 million Jews is a really heavy insult.
Moscow/Kremlin/Putin friend (in German: Moskau-/Kreml-/ Putinfreund)
Already being used before as the reporting regarding Russia was very negative since 2014, with the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the use of this increased to a new level. Nowadays, everyone who does not see Russia as the evil itself, mentions a history before the beginning of the war with western responsibility (e.g. Maidan coup, NATO expansion in the east), criticizes sanctions or weapon deliveries or recommends negotiations instead of military escalation will be branded with this term.
Reich citizen (in German: Reichsbürger)
The Reich citizen movement is a heterogeneous group of people denying the sovereignty of Germany. „Classical“ Reich citizens express extreme right opinions, think the german imperium still exists, and partly store weapons. But the term is also used to label preppers and other „self governors“. Furthermore, opinions doubting the independence of Germany (e.g. controlled by the USA) are branded as <reich citizen opinions.
Right (in German: Rechter)
Every opinion nowadays contradicting or criticizing the mainstream narrative held by policy and media is labeled as right and therefore has to be fought against. Even if the expressing persons or groups are leftists. For defamation purposes, right is often used synonymously with extreme right.
Tinfoil hatter (in German: Aluhutträger)
A more polemic synonym for conspiracy theorist, alluding to the insanity of irrational people putting hats made of tinfoil on their to supposedly protect themselves from brain-controlling radiation.
Which vocabulary do they use in your country to defame critical people thinking outside the mainstream bubble? Feel free to write a short article, we would be happy to gain some insight from several countries.
By Peter Mueller
[1st edition/23, page 4]
