Austria starts to de-nazify license plates. Is it over the top ?

[Tender Branson]

In Austria, license plate codes are usually assigned on a random digit/letter basis.

But it's also possible to request a personal license number code.

For example, if your name is "Henry Hiller" and you are born on August 8, 1988 and you are just getting your driving license and a car, you can get a license plate with W (for Vienna) and HH8888.

Problem is that "HH" is also a code for "Heil Hitler" among Neo-Nazis, as well as the number "88".

Which would be bad luck for the guy named Henry Hiller, who has no connection with Neo-Nazism.

http://derstandard.at/2000009759290/Wunschkennzeichen-werden-entnazifiziert

Other license plate numbers under circulation that are going to be purged are "KKK", "WP" (White Power), or "NSDAP" and numerous others.

The anti-Nazi "Mauthausen Committee" has worked out a list for the purge.



In the "Standard" article forum, some users have suggested that Neo-Nazis could simply register their cars in Hamburg (Germany) after the purge, because Hamburg's license plate uses "HH" as well (Hansestadt Hamburg) ...

Your thoughts on this ?

[politicus]

In Austria, license plate codes are usually assigned on a random digit/letter basis.

But it's also possible to request a personal license number code.

For example, if your name is "Henry Hiller" and you are born on August 8, 1988 and you are just getting your driving license and a car, you can get a license plate with W (for Vienna) and HH8888.

Problem is that "HH" is also a code for "Heil Hitler" among Neo-Nazis, as well as the number "88".

Which would be bad luck for the guy named Henry Hiller, who has no connection with Neo-Nazism.

http://derstandard.at/2000009759290/Wunschkennzeichen-werden-entnazifiziert

Other license plate numbers under circulation that are going to be purged are "KKK", "WP" (White Power), or "NSDAP" and numerous others.

The anti-Nazi "Mauthausen Committee" has worked out a list for the purge.



In the "Standard" article forum, some users have suggested that Neo-Nazis could simply register their cars in Hamburg (Germany) after the purge, because Hamburg's license plate uses "HH" as well (Hansestadt Hamburg) ...

Your thoughts on this ?

I think its reasonabl to weed out acronyms as symbolic as KKK or NSDAP. Banning two letter combinations like HH and WP seems over the top. They are not official acronyms and I doubt the average citizen would associate WP with White Power.

[Tender Branson]

I agree that stuff like NSDAP should definitely be removed, as they have a clear connection to Nazis.

But what about 168 (a code for the OK City Bombing), which is also on the list (but I guess only 1 or 2 Austrians know about that code).

Or 444 ("Germany for the Germans") ?

The Traffic Minister also is not amused with the increasing number of sex-related, but sometimes very creative, license plates under circulation - such as "W - PE 4 NIS" and so on ...

Should they be purged too ?

[Tender Branson]

Another example:

"S (for Salzburg City) - I8PUSSY"

Purge ?

[Hifly]

I have a better idea: purge the Mauthausen committee instead.
They seem to be superlatively unhappy with the state of Austria and the fact that their only field of expertise involves complaining about some of the most inconsequential issues suggests their remaining presence in Austria only emphasises a disturbing kind of masochistic behaviour. The most obvious way to cure this would be to emigrate to somewhere else that would better suit their totalitarian needs, or form their own colony on some godforsaken place in the Antarctic.

If your license plate is not promoting violence, there should be no issue.

[Platypus]

A former neighbour of mine has a silver Mercedes with the number plate HH 1942, which is definitely a personalised plate, and I've always wondered...

[Franzl]

The entire city of Hamburg has plates that begin with "HH".

[Beezer]

I find it somewhat hard to believe that Austrians were able to drive around with "NSDAP" plates up until now. So yeah, these probably ought to be banned but some of these other number combinations are just ridiculous. I doubt anyone looks at 168 and immediately thinks of far-right militias (I initially wondered if that was the date of bombing). Shouldn't we also outlaw other extremist number plate combinations? What about W-KP 251017 (date of the October Revolution). And I'm sure S-HZL 15548 (Herzl + independence of Israel) will enrage certain Muslim Austrians.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I was born in 1988 (and in the eight month). Should my birth date be de-nazified?

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

I have a better idea: purge the Mauthausen committee instead.
They seem to be superlatively unhappy with the state of Austria and the fact that their only field of expertise involves complaining about some of the most inconsequential issues suggests their remaining presence in Austria only emphasises a disturbing kind of masochistic behaviour. The most obvious way to cure this would be to emigrate to somewhere else that would better suit their totalitarian needs, or form their own colony on some godforsaken place in the Antarctic.

If your license plate is not promoting violence, there should be no issue.

Dear God, chill.

[NewYorkExpress]

While it's probably unnecessary, with the Nazi's and their ilk, it's generally better to be safe then sorry.

[Hifly]

While it's probably unnecessary, with the Nazi's and their ilk, it's generally better to be safe then sorry.

Just like all your posts, this doesn't mean anything. Can you clarify further? Is a Nazi takeover, co-ordinated by custom license plates, imminent?

[BaconBacon96]

I disagree from a freedom of speech point of view.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I'm surprised that KKK is on the list, considering how much that was an American phenomenon. Are there Austrian ultra-nationalists associating themselves with it?

[AkSaber]

     I'm surprised that KKK is on the list, considering how much that was an American phenomenon. Are there Austrian ultra-nationalists associating themselves with it?

I thought the same thing.

[Middle-aged Europe]

    I'm surprised that KKK is on the list, considering how much that was an American phenomenon. Are there Austrian ultra-nationalists associating themselves with it?

I thought the same thing.

Don't know about Austria, but since the 90s Germany's right-wing extremist scene had a few groups here and there who called themselves "Ku Klux Klan" and did some cross-burnings and stuff. Usually, they're founded by neo-Nazis who are well-connected with the "White nationalist" scene over in the States. Total membership never seemed to exceed double-digit numbers though, so they form one of the more obscure phenomena among Germany's neo-Nazi scene.

They did make the news some time ago however, when two police officers down in Baden-Württemberg were identified as former members of the now defunct "European White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan".

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Ah Austria!

It is nice to know that when ever I feel that political correctness in Sweden has gone too far, at least I will know that you guys are far worse.

[Redalgo]

There is nothing wrong with the customized plates. Austria really ought to stop being so communitarian about this along with a handful of immigrant-related issues.

[NewYorkExpress]

While it's probably unnecessary, with the Nazi's and their ilk, it's generally better to be safe then sorry.

Just like all your posts, this doesn't mean anything. Can you clarify further? Is a Nazi takeover, co-ordinated by custom license plates, imminent?

No, but it's worth noting that for many years Austria never lived up to their Nazi past, so the overcorrection here is probably necessary to keep them credible among countries who fought Hitler (Britain US, maybe France), and Israel. 

[Simfan34]

"Stop being so communitarian"?

[Redalgo]

"Stop being so communitarian"?

You know, implementing public policies with an emphasis on leaders' perceptions of harmony, cohesion, and the "greater good," usually accompanied by ethnocentric bias, in contrast to treating social groups alike under the law and focusing on promotion of individual autonomy in the face of threats posed to it by the state, firms, organized religion and labour, other citizens, etc.?

Anyway, I usually am so busy on a given day that when I visit to casually post I do not have much (if any) time to devote to research and brushing up on subjects I haven't studied in years before forming an opinion and typing it out.

In this case I recalled Austria also having laws discriminating against Muslims and seekers of asylum, laws banning symbols and organizations related to Nazism and communism, and subtle forms of discrimination in place against same-sex couples. It is quite possible, however, the OP triggered memories of readings on Germany, Poland, and Switzerland that were then mistakenly attributed to Austria?

[CatoMinor]

To borrow from one of the best films ever, Office Space, why should regular Austrians change? Its the nazis who suck.

[Simfan34]

I know what communitarian means- I consider myself one, after all.  "Right-wing communitarianism" is perhaps the most succinct way to describe my beliefs, actually. I was merely observing that it is a rather unusual thing to say.

I would strongly reject your claims of an "ethnocentric bias", however. The rest is pretty spot on, though, your evident skepticism aside.

[morgieb]

NSDAP/KKK? Sure, they should be banned.

Others seem OTT though.

[Redalgo]

I know what communitarian means- I consider myself one, after all.  "Right-wing communitarianism" is perhaps the most succinct way to describe my beliefs, actually. I was merely observing that it is a rather unusual thing to say. I would strongly reject your claims of an "ethnocentric bias", however. The rest is pretty spot on, though, your evident skepticism aside.

Ethnocentrism is not requisite of course. It's more common among those who are both communitarian and ethnic nationalists. I am a little skeptical though, aye, yet suspect communitarian ideas are better than their liberal counterparts at promoting a healthy society. The tradeoff left-liberals like me make in fixation on individual interests and happiness is to risk creating a society cursed with flagging work ethic, trust in fellow citizens, and commitment to civic duty - I suspect on account of undervaluing discipline!