Hitler’s birthplace is moved and his honours removed: a cautionary tale about local body reform

He was a cute little bastard at this age...

Funny buggers, your Austrians.

They gave civilization Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Mahler and a bunch of Strausses.

But they contributed to decivilization, too.

They gave us Maria Anna Schicklgruber, who spawned an illegitimate baby who became a bigger bastard when he grew up.

One of the great bastards of history, actually.

Yep. Adolf Hitler.

But it has taken some time for some bits of Austria to recognise it’s a bad look to keep Adolf on as an honorary citizen.

A few weeks back, several towns in Austria were checking their archives to see if Adolf Hitler was still an honorary citizen of their communities.

It follows an announcement by the town of Amstetten that – more than 60 years after his death – it was finally revoking Hitler’s honorary title.

Hitler visited Amstetten – west of Vienna – in 1938, and was made an honorary citizen the following year.

Just one thing bothers Alf about this.

It’s the small matter of the role played by the Green Party in having Hitler dishonoured.

How does the UN eliminate human rights abuses? By giving the elimination task to seasoned abusers

"Come and read this, Eva - the UN has put Austria on its Human Rights Council."

Alf’s laughter after the naming of new appointments to the UN Human Rights Council could be heard throughout Eketahuna North.

The idea that the world’s human rights should be placed in the care of some of these countries (some would say all) is absurd.

According to the Press Release, six countries that have never previously served on the council are among 15 new members of the Geneva-based body.

It was all deliciously democratic and involved a round of balloting among UN Member States.

It would be great to know which ratbag countries NZ supported.