# Arnold might lose his Austrian citizenship **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 24, 2005, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391 "2005-01-24T07:56:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/1 "2005-01-24T07:56:17Z")
According to [CNN](http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/01/22/austria.schwarzenegger.ap/index.html), a member of the Austrian Green Party wants to revoke Arnold’s Citizenship because he is againest Arnold’s support for the Death penalty. My questions: 1.What are the chances of this happening? 1. Is this a good call on the politicians part or more of a petty blow againest Gov. Arnold for a stance he disagrees with(Yes, I realize the Death Penatly is looked down upon in Europe)? 2. Do you think Arnold would be upset by this? ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/2 "2005-01-24T08:10:31Z")
Taking away citizenship because he differs on a political issue? Oh my. Never did leave their totalitarian baggage far behind, did they? Anyway, the last poll I saw had 40% Europeans agreeing with the death penalty and 60% Americans. Hardly this great insurmountable gulf it’s made out to be. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/3 "2005-01-24T08:13:24Z")
What export is Austria better known for than Arnie? I can only think of wine with anti-freeze in it and Kurt Waldheim. Those tree huggers mess with Arnie at their peril. ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/4 "2005-01-24T08:14:59Z")
Well Adolf comes to mind. Wasn’t the anti-freeze from Italy? ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/5 "2005-01-24T08:19:56Z")
Yes, but didn’t want to mention the war and all that. I believe the anti-freeze started in Austria and then kind of took off across the Dolomites. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/6 "2005-01-24T09:34:21Z")
Sounds like the Green Party guy walks with his knees locked. Doesn’t Austria also make those chainsaws? ---
**Author:** ![richardb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/96bed5/32.png) [@richardb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/richardb)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/7 "2005-01-24T09:38:32Z")
Are you guys forgetting that some people are making noises about Arnold running for President? Here’s a link to one [story](http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/state/california/2004-11-14-schwarzenegger-pres_x.htm). If Arnold ever does run, a foreign citizenship will hurt more than help. This gives him the opportunity to ditch the foriegn citizenship in the most favorable light possible (favorable with the American voters, that is). I’m sure it’s nice to have an Austrian passport if he ever wants to go back and visit family, but really, what good does it do him? I think you’ll see Arnold play this to his advantage. If he doesn’t just ignore the Austrian brouhaha (the Greens are not in power, are they? So who really cares what they think?), he’ll use it as an opportunity to give up his Austrian citizenship and “declare his love” for his adopted country. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/8 "2005-01-24T09:56:56Z")
Wow, quasi-Godwinisation in the first reply. Well done. > [@](#): > > Taking away citizenship because he differs on a political issue? Errrrr, no, it’s because he condemned a man to death. > [@](#): > > the last poll I saw had 40% Europeans agreeing with the death penalty and 60% Americans Cite, please - and that’s a cite for _Austria_, not for Europe. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/9 "2005-01-24T10:16:14Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Errrrr, no, it’s because he condemned a man to death. Surely it was the court that convicted the man and imposed the death sentence? ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/10 "2005-01-24T10:28:15Z")
Reading the article, it appears that we have one (1) politician, one Peter Pilz, an MP from a small opposition party, launching this campaign all by himself. This is likely to get Pilz and perhaps the Austrian Green Party in the headlines for a few days, but doesn’t look likely to have any practical effect, beyond causing lots of discussion about dual citizenship. (Dare I hope it will help clear up some myths? Probably not, no.) Arnie will almost certainly be allowed to keep his Austrian passport as long as he cares to. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/11 "2005-01-24T10:48:12Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > Surely it was the court that convicted the man and imposed the death sentence? OK, fine, quibble over the language I used…‘Arnie took an active role in the use of capital punishment’ - will that do? ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/12 "2005-01-24T11:15:12Z")
I thought America was not fond of dual citizenship or is that my arse speaking? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/13 "2005-01-24T11:21:24Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#): > > I thought America was not fond of dual citizenship or is that my arse speaking? That’s one of the myths. What appears to be awkward is when people living abroad attempt to claim American citizenship to which they’re entitled - but I don’t think America’s unique in the bureaucratic nightmare of doing such things from afar. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/14 "2005-01-24T11:33:37Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > OK, fine, quibble over the language I used…‘Arnie took an active role in the use of capital punishment’ - will that do? No. Arnie didn’t pardon the little bastard; that’s it. Not quite an ‘active role’ in my book. Regardless, even if Arnie personally flipped the switch, I don’t see why some folks back in Österreich are getting freaked out about. Is this some ‘Look! See how unNazi we are now?!?’ thing they are playing at? ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/15 "2005-01-24T11:38:39Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Wow, quasi-Godwinisation in the first reply. Well done. bah… un-quasi-bullshit. There isn’t anything remotely Godwin in that reply, quasi or otherwise. First off I was referring to the European left’s notorious fawning for totalitarian communist regimes, such as Stalin, Mao and Castro and such. Second proposing to strip a man from his citizenship for being unworthy is a proposal worthy of a totalitarian state. But while we’re on the topic of Godwin, it is striking that, according to Peter Pilz, neither of Adolf Hitler, Eichmann nor Kurt Waldheim or any of the many, many other Austrian Nazis seems unworthy of Austrian citizenship – even post-mortem,. > [@GorillaMan](#): > > Errrrr, no, it’s because he condemned a man to death. Errrrr, no, it’s because Peter Pilz has considered his person and found him unworthy. Meanwhile, hundreds of real murders each year in Austria. None of which are served with a stripped citizenship. > [@GorillaMan](#): > > Cite, please - and that’s a cite for _Austria_, not for Europe. Ain’t worth it. MPIMC ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/16 "2005-01-24T11:41:38Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > No. Arnie didn’t pardon the little bastard; that’s it. How is rejecting clemency not an active role? > [@](#): > > Is this some ‘Look! See how unNazi we are now?!?’ thing they are playing at? Flirting with Godwin once again :rolleyes: You guys do realise that Austria has an abolishionist history going back to the eighteenth century? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/17 "2005-01-24T11:45:02Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > First off I was referring to the European left’s notorious fawning for totalitarian communist regimes, such as Stalin, Mao and Castro and such. Yeah, right. “Never did leave their totalitarian baggage far behind, did they?” was referring to Cuba? :dubious: > [@](#): > > …even post-mortem… Excellent. You’re criticising somebody for not doing the impossible. > [@](#): > > Ain’t worth it. MPIMC ‘MPIMC’? And anyway, why not provide a cite, if it’s being claimed that there’s no significant difference between Californian and Austrian attitudes to the death penalty? ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/18 "2005-01-24T11:55:59Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Yeah, right. “Never did leave their totalitarian baggage far behind, did they?” was referring to Cuba? :dubious: Man, this is stupid. You apparently completely missed the whole point and now you insist in stamping further in it, and apparently tell me what I mean. Let me repeat myself _“Stalin, Mao and Castro”_. Read the whole sentence, will ya. But Cuba is a perfectly acceptable example of a totalitarian regime if you want. > [@GorillaMan](#): > > Excellent. You’re criticising somebody for not doing the impossible. Oh man, again! No I’m criticising somebody for trying to do the possible. > [@GorillaMan](#): > > ‘MPIMC’? And anyway, why not provide a cite, if it’s being claimed that there’s no significant difference between Californian and Austrian attitudes to the death penalty? Because it has little to do with the subject. Even were there significant difference, it should still matter nothing. You do not strip a man of his citizenship for a difference of opinion. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/19 "2005-01-24T12:02:49Z")
This anti-left rant is just idiotic. We could just as easily talk about other European political allegiances and their support for Pinochet. It has nothing to do with the topic. > [@](#): > > Oh man, again! No I’m criticising somebody for trying to do the possible. Errrr, you were criticising the guy for not attempting posthumous revokation of citizenships. That’s the impossibility I was talking about. > [@](#): > > You do not strip a man of his citizenship for a difference of opinion. No - but for his _actions_? ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391/20 "2005-01-24T12:03:32Z")
Never gonna happen. For one thing, Arnie is one of the biggest things to come out of Austria. Not sure the populace would go for it. For another, this is just a stunt by a politician to get his name, and of course the party too :rolleyes: , in the papers. Gorillaman, do you have a cite that shows a general interest in Austria to revoke his citizenship? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-might-lose-his-austrian-citizenship/286391.md?page=2)