NCJ Number
62339
Journal
ROUND TABLE Volume: 269 Dated: (1978) Pages: 75-80
Date Published
1978
Length
6 pages
Annotation
A BRITISH OBSERVER DESCRIBES THE HISTORICAL AND ECONOMIC BACKGROUND AND THE EARLY BELIEFS OF THE WEST GERMAN TERRORIST MEMBERS OF THE BAADER-MEINHOF GANG.
Abstract
TERRORIST GANG MEMBERS, SUCH AS GUDRUN ENNSLIN AND ULRIKE MEINHOF, SHARED THE VIEWS OF MANY WEST GERMAN STUDENTS IN THE 1960'S WHO FELT THAT WESTERN CAPITALISM WAS AS OPPRESSIVE AS LENINIST COMMUNISM, THAT IT EXPLOITED BOTH MEMBERS OF THE THIRD WORLD AND WEALTHY WORKERS ON THE WEST, AND THAT TOTAL LIBERATION AND REPUDIATION OF THE BOURGEOISIE WAS REQUIRED. COLLECTIVELY, THE TERRORISTS COULD BE LIKENED TO THE NAZIS WHO BELIEVED THAT MURDER WAS JUSTIFIED IN THE PURSUIT OF A GOOD END. THEIR IDEALS, PARTICULARLY THOSE OF MEINHOF AND ENNSLIN, WERE DIFFERENT. BOTH STARTED OUT FROM STRICTLY CHRISTIAN BACKGROUNDS, WERE MOTIVATED BY LOVE AND COMPASSION, AND WERE DISTURBED BY WHAT THEY SAW AS THEIR COMPLICITY IN UPHOLDING THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE. BOTH BEGAN AS PACIFISTS AND CRUSADED FOR THE CHILEAN POOR, THE SOUTH AFRICAN BLACKS, AND THE WORKERS OF DUSSELDORF. IN ASSESSING THE ROOTS OF TERRORISM, WEST GERMANS SHOULD ALSO ASSESS THEIR OWN INSTITUTIONALIZED FORMS OF VIOLENCE AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF LABELLING AS SYMPATHIZERS THOSE WHO SOUGHT HUMANE TREATMENT FOR THE TERRORISTS. (AOP)