extremists and EXTREMISTS

But before I go, a sombre tale from the aforementioned continent of Europe. A couple of days ago, Alois Mannichl, chief of police in Passau, Bavaria, was stabbed on the street and seriously wounded. No one has yet been charged. But his assailant allegedly had a shaved head and shouted "Left-wing s***-cop!" before stabbing him.

Immediately there was an outcry. The German tabloid Bild talks openly of a "Nazi attack", as if the motive were as clear as day. Social Democrat member of parliament Sebastian Edarthy called extra-severe sentences for violence with a "right-wing extremist background", i.e. for punishing people for their opinions as well as their acts. Green parliamentary leader Voelker Beck wants even more taxpayer's money to be channelled into anti-rightist propaganda in schools and communities, the so-called Kampf gegen Rechts. Meanwhile, the leader of the local quasi-Nazis points out that none of their number in Passau matches the description of the assailant, and promises to help the investigation in any way it can.

Now switch to Paris. Yesterday five sticks of dynamite were found in a large department store, the Printemps Haussmann. A hitherto unknown group calling itself the Afghan Revolutionary Front claims responsibility, saying its goal is to have the French out of Afghanistan by March 2009. Most people presumed they were Islamists. However, the message contains no reference to Islam, but does contain a reference to "les grands magasins capitalistes". Sinces les grands magasins is a term only used within Paris to designate the Printemps, and capitaliste obviously a favourite word of the far left, Radio France Internationale says the evidence points to "une cause d'extrème gauche".

So here are two crimes within two days - one possibly carried out by a lone adherant of the extreme right, and the other very likely a concerted effort of the extreme left. But which will cause the bigger uproar? Which will have more politicians fretting about making more funds available to combat dangerous, anti-democratic tendencies? Which type of extemism, left or right, is more widespread, more unscrupulous, immune to media criticism, more dangerous? No prizes for guessing!