SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW? - AT 7:53 A.M. ET:

BERLIN (Reuters) - Roughly one in twenty 15-year-old German males is a member of a neo-Nazi group, a higher proportion than are involved in mainstream politics, according to a study released on Tuesday.

Many politicians fear a resurgence of right-wing extremism as unemployment creeps higher in Germany, which is facing its deepest recession since World War Two. Government figures have shown anti-Semitic crimes rose at the end of last year.

"It is shocking that right-wing groups have more success recruiting male youths than the established political parties," said Christian Pfeiffer, author of the report issued by Lower Saxony's criminal research institute.

COMMENT:  Pretty creepy, but not entirely shocking.  It's very difficult to rid a nation of the darker parts of its history.  We don't know how far this will go in Germany, but the Nazis were bound to try for a comeback at some point.  Even if they don't achieve substantial status again, they can still influence elections, even swing them. 

March 18, 2009