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0 pointsgarmaine5y ago0 comments

Heck, I remember it getting drilled into me in middle school that the Nazis were able to kill so many Jewish people because they had complete records of where everyone lived and their religious affiliation. When the time came, they knew what doors to knock on. It boggles my mind that this system still exists in modern Germany, of all places.

The American model is highly distributed and need-to-know. Many government forms ask for your current address, but it is not automatically shared with the police and there is no requirement to update it in a timely manner.

Many Americans are highly skeptical of the police, and for good reason. Expecting people to go to the police to register when moving would be a complete non-starter in most neighborhoods that I have lived.

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7 comments · 2 top-level

chrisseaton5y ago· 3 in thread

America is even more extreme - there the state asks you for your political affiliation in many cases. That’s absolutely crazy to me.

twic5y ago

This is somehow connected to the fact that US political parties are mostly not mass membership organisations.

Everywhere else in the world, if you strongly support a party, you join it, and pay a membership fee, and the party adds you to a register. Then, you can take part in party activities, like internal elections.

In the US, you register as a supporter of a particular party with the state. Then, everyone registered can take part in (some) party activities, like primaries.

It's a weird system, and i don't know how it started, but because Americans don't realise it's weird, there isn't much written about it!

mcntsh5y ago

Hmm I've never been asked this on any official form other than when I register to vote (so I can join a party), and that's optional.

chrisseaton5y ago

Right... but why does the state want to know which party you're a member of? This doesn't get supervised by the state in other countries. It's usually a personal, private matter between you and the party.

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littlecranky675y ago· 2 in thread

Race and religion are definitely not required (=optional for you to give) when you register for permanent residency in Germany. Source: I am a german who completed the form multiple times after moving.

mcntsh5y ago

AFAIK there's a direct connection between the church you are apart of and the government via Kirchensteuer.

As it relates to ethnicity, you're right. I can no longer edit my original comment though.

garmaineOP5y ago

I think you can say “no religion” though and then not pay your tithing taxes, no? There’s no requirement that if you are Jewish you register as such (but then, your synagogue misses out on money).

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