Germany names its 'ugliest' word of the year: 'People's traitor'

[muriel_volestrangler]

Germany's ugliest word of the year is "traitor of the people" - or Volksverraeter, a panel has decided.

The word is seen by many as having Nazi overtones and has been used recently by right-wing groups.
...
In recent times, members of Germany's anti-Islam movement Pegida and the right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD) have taken to using Volksverraeter as an insult.

The panel - four linguists and a journalist - called it "a relic of dictatorship".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38571487

There are far right German posters on international forums who do throw "traitor" around (eg about Merkel) like they mean it, and would throw her in prison if they ever got the chance.

[HassleCat]

1. I'm surprised we haven't imported that for our right wing use.

It has the imagery of rats, so it makes a good graphic. I hope we can get someone from Germany to give us a better appreciation for how Germans view the use of the word "Volk" in a populist context.

[ElkeH]

2. Definitely Nazi overtones

A traitor is a Verräter in german. Adding Volks or "of the people" is suspicious. Even Volkswagen, or Car of the People, has Nazi overtones, after Hitler in the 1930s ordered the production of a car that would be available to the common person.

Apparently we are now to the point where Trump supporters are no longer trying to hide their racism. There have now been reports of them using the term "Lügenpresse" or lying press, a term which did not originate with Hitler but was used by his administration a great deal. Now German right-wing extremists like Pediga are popularizing the word again, and I believe Lügenpresse was actually the ugliest word of the year of 2014.