Austria’s Great Loss: the Death of Jörg Haider

Upon casually checking news headlines via google news earlier tonight, I thought I must have been having a bad dream when I say the headline “Jörg Haider Killed I Car Crash.” This headline won’t mean much for most Americans, many have never heard of Haider. But as an American of German descent who’s spent the past several years living, working and studying in Germany, and is both familiar with and fond of Haider, I feel a deep sense of loss and sadness.

For me, Haider represented a real hope for Austria. I, like many Austrians and Germans familiar ad fond of the man, revere him for his willingness to put his nation first, even before himself. So rare among politicians is the courageous man of principle, who remains uncorrupted, outspoken and true to his principles. I consider Haider to have represented all that. In America, we are lucky to have a few politicians like Haider. In Germany however, I am sorry to say that I know of none like him.

Clearly, Haider is beloved by much of the Austrian population. In 1999, the party he lead (the Austria Freedom Party or FPÖ) received 27% of the year’s election votes. Just one week ago on 29 September 2008, In 2005, the numerous conservative Austrian politicians including Haider formed the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ). This party attracted as much love as it did hate. Many Austrians felt this party to be the only one really in favor of Austria’s interests, the only one willing to govern by Austrian traditions/values/norms, the only one against further European Union integration schemes and the only one which had not sold out to globalist interests. This is clearly why the new party received approximately 30% of the votes in the recent election taken place on 29 September 2008. Certainly, this is a huge gain for the party; those threatened by the BZÖ’s gains include: all European Union institutions; socialist political parties around Europe; and individuals with an interest in increased EU integration, increased immigration into Austria and the greater EU, as well as those advancing a pro-globalization agenda. That’s a pretty long list of enemies!

Austrians and immigrants to Austria in favor of increased immigration, globalists in favor of increased European Union integration and increased, and socialists fervently attacked both Haider and the BZÖ he played a significant role in leading.

Some individuals accused Haider of being a “NAZI,” even though he never once advocared support for National Socialism. Haider openly advocates respect for elder generations, on account of the hard times they suffered through.

Some individuals attacked Haider for his parent’s past in the NAZI party. But we must understand that Haider is not his parents. Moreover, most Germans and Austrians joined the NAZI party early on –like Haider’s parents did- due NOT on account of anti-Semitic sentiment, but rather, as an angry reaction to the Versailles Treaty (e.g., how it broke up the Austria-Hungarian Empire; reduced Germany in size by 30%, this land having gone to Poland, Czechoslovakia and France; reduced Germany’s military to approximately 100,000 men; and forced Germany to pay £11.3 billion in reparations.

Moreover, Haider was commonly criticized for his pro-Austrian nationalistic and anti-immigration sentiments. Haider believed large scale Muslim immigration is threatening Austrian society. Apparently, many other Austrians feel the same. Many Austrians believe Haider was very pro-Austrian, he was willing to risk his reputation and life in order to defend traditional Austrian values, traditions and culture in the political arena. Similarly, he believed the European Union was a leviathan type of governance structure, which he perceived as a threat to Austrian society’s best interests. I certainly perceive the EU as a threat to the best of every nation within its boarders, as do many European Union citizens. Incidentally, anti-EU sentiment is on the rise, and EU leaders along with the globalists they serve are becoming increasingly worried about this phenomenon.

Certainly the death of Haider is very suspicious. As of yet, the official story as reported by Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE49A2IM20081011) maintains that Haider’s car; a government Mercedes, spun out of control, took out another car with it and rolled over several times. This all is show to have occurred in a residential district, where the speed limit is 70 km/hr (approximately 45-50 miles per hour). As shown in photos, the car was crushed.

What makes this so tragic is that Haider’s party had just won a huge victory; approximately 30% of the votes, in recent election; taken place on 29 September 2008. This meant that Haider was finally going to be in a position, along with other party representatives, to make some real changes within the Austrian political sphere.

It’s too bad Austria lost such a wonderful patriot, it’s too bad there are not more like him, and it’s too bad Haider will not live to further the Austrian people’s interests. However, my only hope now is that where a great man has fallen, other like men and women will rise- not only in Austria, but throughout Europe and across the globe as well.