Explore every episode of the podcast Mad in Germany

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A spectre is haunting Germany - the spectre of the left party passing the 5 percent hurdle in the upcoming Bundestag election. But how did things get so bad for the party and how are they turning it around? Long-time left-watcher and critical supporter Loren Balhorn explained the "Stalinist" roots of the "anti-deutsch", why the left is so white & middle class, and why he still has hope for a better society.

Director of Photography: Tom Wills Producer: Lya Cuéllar

Did you know that Germany, which is proud of its "social market economy," has the same wealth inequality as Mexico? Most wealth is inherited, not earned, and some comes with dark secrets. Martyna Linartas, co-founder of Ungleichheit.info, thinks the solution is simple: tax the rich!

Author and investigative journalist Mohamed Amjahid author of "alles nur Einzelfälle? das System hinter der Polizeigewalt" explains why Germans treat police like a religion, the history of violent plots by police and his pessimistic ideas for reforms.

Producer - Lya Cuéllar

Melina Borčak is an expert on anti-Muslim r*cism,  genoc*de and a Bosnian genocide survivor, author of bestselling “Mekka Hier Mekka Da” about how linguistic and media framing contributed to r*cism. She explained to @madingermanypod the brutality of what’s happening in G*za, what anti Muslim racism looks like and why it’s so prevalent on the left, and why Europe “co-operated” in the Bosnian genocide.

Germany and Israel have a historical relationship of mutual benefit, argues political scientist Daniel Marwecki, whose extensive research in the archive showed a disturbing pattern of antisemitism among postwar German officials, including those who supported the Jewish state. Their goal was to make Germany acceptable in the eyes of the world, "whitewashing" its reputation, rather than to help Jews, and they made deals to keep Nazi war criminals out of custody to achieve that.

"Israel must end the occupation as soon as possible". Professor in International Law Matthias Goldmann explains why Germany's support for Israel can be in conflict with the rule of law itself domestically and internationally, why the term Staatsräson is highly problematic, and whether police treat pro-Palestinians differently from neo-Nazis.

For the second part of this conversation, we spoke about Germany's complex relationship with its own past, the far-right influencing discourse on Israel and that impacting Germany, and her court case with Mirna Funk.

Stay mad.

"I experience German society as deeply antisemitic." In the first episode of Mad in Germany, Berlin-based independent journalist James Jackson interviews Deborah Feldman, author of Unorthodox & Judenfetisch. She is a leading commentator on Germany's "fetishizing" relationship with Jews and the way that Zionism has become a way for Germany to whitewash its history. Part 1 of 2.