Internet Roundup

In another testament to their loss in the intellectual battle against revisionism, the German government has turned to denial of basic human rights. The government in Bonn has approved legislation designed to curtail freedom of speech on the Internet. This latest attack on the freedom of Germans is known as the “German Multimedia Legislation.” The new law, which will take effect in August, is designed to squelch political dissent on the Internet.

Earlier attempts to censor the thoughts of Germans on the Internet were aimed at the on-line service providers. One of the most recent targets of the German Thought Police was CompuServe (as reported in SR 38). The technical and practical application of fines to service providers such as CompuServe turned out to be too much for German legislators, and so the plan was dropped.

In its place, the new law targets those who post controversial material to World Wide Web Sites, Internet Newsgroups, and even private e-mail. The law calls for the introduction of digital signatures on all Internet postings and e-mail. The German legislators hope to overcome the anonymity which is so prevalent on the Internet by determining through encoded signatures, who is responsible for posting objectionable material.

Clearly one major source of concern for the German legislators is the growing library of revisionist materials which have been posted in German. CODOHWeb has established a major International page which features numerous articles in German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, and Swedish. Numerous works which have been censored in Germany are now available to anyone with a computer, an on-line service provider and a modem. CODOHWeb has posted the entire volume, Grundlagen zur Zeitgeschichte (Foundations of Contemporary History), which was confiscated and ordered burned by a German judge last June. Similarly, CODOHWeb has established an entire Germar Rudolf page which features many of his articles, most of which are banned today in Germany. We have linked to the Zuendelsite’s presentation of Das Rudolf Gutachten (The Rudolf Report) and have posted Rudolf's most recent work, Kardinalfragen zur Zeitgeschichte (Fundamental Questions of Contemporary History).

German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel commented, “We will not allow the Internet to be used as an electronic meeting place for the extreme right wing.” The German government has exposed its hand. Germans must awaken to the threat which is looming over them. The average German citizen must stand up and voice his opposition to the current wave of thought control. Revisionist author Carlos Porter has written that “Germany is on its way to becoming an eyesore on the map of Europe.” How long will this once proud people lick the boots of their oppressors? How will the German legislators deal with Americans who are protected by the Constitution? When will the German Thought Police come after CODOHWeb? These are the questions which face us as 1997 begins. The increased pace of revisionist intellectual victories and draconian legislation by those who fear open debate seems to be the harbinger of some coming resolution.

The sides are lining up for the final showdown for intellectual freedom. The images for the future contrast as starkly as the Dark Ages and the Renaissance. Now is the time to stand up and champion the right of man to speak and be heard.