The Oh, Hello and

welcome to Behind the News. My name is Doug Henwood. A break with convention, three guests today.

First, imminently, Joel Shalit will explore the rise of the far right in Germany.

Then Marisol LeBron talks about the role of debt in impairing Puerto Rico's recovery from Hurricane Maria.

And finally, Shana Potter of the band War on Women will talk about being a feminist punk rocker.

First, Joel Shalit.

Joel is a frequent guest in behind the news, but this time he's not talking about

Middle East politics, but those of Germany, where he's been living for the past seven years.

Joel is the author of

Israel versus Utopia. He's the editorial director of the Webzine Sousiant and has just

started as an editor at Dialogue of Civilization, so grandly named think tank based in Berlin.

Joel Shalit.

So how do you feel about having a right-wing party in the German parliament for the first time in 80 years?

I always love that comparison because 80 years ago it's the Nazis

so here we are repeating history in some unpleasant way right? There were always

far-right elements in German politics throughout the post-war period.

Let's not forget that the CDU and the CSU sheltered a lot of those people.

It's just that the less rational ones fell afoul of the political establishment and tried to live in the open as neo-Nazis and neo-fascists.

You have had a legal neo-Nazi party in the country since the late 60s

it's called the NPD, but what's different now is that the CDU has moved to the center left under Merkel.

They're more of a social democratic

and they're more of a green party

...