Quote Originally Posted by SWCAdmin View Post
Rather than saying that neither anti- or pro-war are preferable or true, I took Lastdingo to be saying almost the opposite in that the lack of a pro-war demonstration validated the anti-war demonstration and gave it more virtue. Not to me, it doesn't.
There's a special German custom that you are most likely not aware of.
It's about demonstrations and counter-demonstrations.

Whenever the extreme right wing (let's call them neonazis) organize a demonstration, they have to announce it tot he police in advance (traffic regulation and so on).
The result is that the left wing mobilizes for a counter-demonstration with several times as much individuals.
This phenomenom is widely considered to be a useful proof for what's reality in Germany - the extreme right wing is a minority. The democratic instrument of demonstration is being used to demonstrate the fact.

That's why I consider the size of opposing demonstrations as something that can provide useful information on the attitude of the majority.

It's possible to downplay some demonstration as it never includes a majority or even large minority of the people. But to dismiss it that easily is not fair, as the opposing political direction is often unable to mobilize their followers for any respectable demonstration at all.

Furthermore, it dismisses a democratic expression of will - and such an attack on democratic dispositions (I don't mean the party here) is something that makes me react.


About the nihilism thing: I'm best-informed about my disposition - there's nothing nihilistic, so my post cannot have been nihilistic as well. I as author am the only expert on this matter and have the right to tell which interpretation is correct and which is not - file closed.