# Finally, the Wife Can Join the Nazi Party of Germany **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 4, 2015, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601 "2015-06-04T03:06:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/1 "2015-06-04T03:06:00Z")
It’s that time again. Every 10 years, we renew the wife’s visa for the US. And each time to my amusement, a standard question has been if she had ever been a registered member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Until now. Being asked as recently as 2005, the last time she renewed, that question has disappeared. So finally, we assume it’s safe for her to join up. All sorts of new questions are being asked though including if she’s ever been engaged in terrorist activities or torture or human trafficking or recruiting child soldiers. So I guess she can’t do those things yet. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/2 "2015-06-04T14:22:00Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > It’s that time again. Every 10 years, we renew the wife’s visa for the US. And each time to my amusement, a standard question has been if she had ever been a registered member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Until now. Being asked as recently as 2005, the last time she renewed, that question has disappeared. So finally, we assume it’s safe for her to join up. > > All sorts of new questions are being asked though including if she’s ever been engaged in terrorist activities or torture or human trafficking or recruiting child soldiers. So I guess she can’t do those things yet. I never understood questions like that. Do they really think a terrorist, or a former Nazi would answer yes? ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/3 "2015-06-04T14:56:24Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > I never understood questions like that. Do they really think a terrorist, or a former Nazi would answer yes? Probably not but it means if the authorities later discover that you lied about it on the application it’s much easier for them to boot you out. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/4 "2015-06-04T15:07:25Z")
Is it my failing memory or is it the case that, back in the 80s when the world was a more placid place, the visa question about genocide only asked about genocide conducted by Nazi Germany and its allies? I’m sure I recall being struck by the fact that other mass murderers were free to go to the US. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/5 "2015-06-04T16:29:11Z")
As I recall, back in the post-McCarthy era, they used to ask if it was your intention to overthrow the Constitution of the United States, and Peter Ustinov always claimed to answer “Sole purpose of visit”- and they never noticed. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/6 "2015-06-04T16:47:00Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > I never understood questions like that. Do they really think a terrorist, or a former Nazi would answer yes? I understood the purpose to be that it gave them a pretext for deporting you - a false statement on the form - if it turned out you were one of those things ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/7 "2015-06-04T17:14:46Z")
You know, there’s a nazi party here, too… chances are she could have joined years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/8 "2015-06-04T17:15:00Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > each time to my amusement, a standard question has been if she had ever been a registered member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Until now. Being asked as recently as 2005, the last time she renewed, that question has disappeared. So finally, we assume it’s safe for her to join up. _Is_ there a party called the Nazi Party of Germany that she could join? Or would she have to start her own? ---
**Author:** ![Ze\_Pr0fes0re](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8dc957/32.png) [@Ze\_Pr0fes0re](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ze_Pr0fes0re)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/9 "2015-06-04T17:46:03Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > As I recall, back in the post-McCarthy era, they used to ask if it was your intention to overthrow the Constitution of the United States, and Peter Ustinov always claimed to answer “Sole purpose of visit”- and they never noticed. Grucho Marx did something similar but on the border pass between Mexico and the US . From ze wiki\> “Groucho’s son Arthur published a brief account of an incident that occurred when Arthur was a child. The family was going through customs and, while filling out a form, Groucho listed his name as “Julius Henry Marx” and his occupation as “smuggler.” In the line asking the price of items brought into the country, Marx wrote “wouldn’t you like to know?”. The customs agents were not amused and the entire family was detained for several hours.” I myself refuse thumb scans on internal flights simply because I can and screw with them until they yield. You gotta mess with them now and then to enjoy yourself in that overtense atmosphere. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/10 "2015-06-04T17:46:45Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > I never understood questions like that. Do they really think a terrorist, or a former Nazi would answer yes? > [@Valgard](#): > > Probably not but it means if the authorities later discover that you lied about it on the application it’s much easier for them to boot you out. It’s like the “report illegal income” instructions on tax forms – nobody really expects compliance, but it’s something else to throw at somebody if they get caught. > [@PatrickLondon](#): > > As I recall, back in the post-McCarthy era, they used to ask if it was your intention to overthrow the Constitution of the United States, and Peter Ustinov always claimed to answer “Sole purpose of visit”- and they never noticed. I also recall a (possibly apocryphal) case where the question was “Do you support the overthrow of the US Government by violence or subversion?” and some of the forms came back with “subversion” circled. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/11 "2015-06-04T17:50:37Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > It’s like the “report illegal income” instructions on tax forms – nobody really expects compliance, but it’s something else to throw at somebody if they get caught. It’s brilliant - they can get you either for having illegal income or for evading taxes on it. Are you OK if you join the Nazi Party of some other country? ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/12 "2015-06-04T18:52:07Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > It’s brilliant - they can get you either for having illegal income or for evading taxes on it. > > Are you OK if you join the Nazi Party of some other country? The secret is to join the Nazi party of _Austria_. Of course, now that I’ve told you all, I’ll have to hunt you all down … ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/13 "2015-06-04T18:53:00Z")
Sexist Nazis … not letting Thai women join … WTF is wrong with them? ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/14 "2015-06-04T18:57:41Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Sexist Nazis … not letting Thai women join … WTF is wrong with them? I second the call for more progressive Nazis. They were positively _rude_ to my application, just because I’m Jewish. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/15 "2015-06-04T19:02:39Z")
> [@Ze\_Pr0fes0re](#): > > From ze wiki\> > “Groucho’s son Arthur published a brief account of an incident that occurred when Arthur was a child. The family was going through customs and, while filling out a form, Groucho listed his name as “Julius Henry Marx” and his occupation as “smuggler.” In the line asking the price of items brought into the country, Marx wrote “wouldn’t you like to know?”. The customs agents were not amused and the entire family was detained for several hours.” One thing I have most definitely learned is that border patrol guys don’t have a sense of humour. I think it’s plain bred out of them. So, just in case anybody had the hankering to, don’t answer the question “do you have anything to declare ?” with “only a 14 year old prostitute in a suitcase with her ass full of cocaine”. In something not quite, but almost entirely unlike the holy words of AC/DC, say that and you’re on the highway to a rather rough cavity search. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/16 "2015-06-04T19:10:56Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > I second the call for more progressive Nazis. > > They were positively _rude_ to my application, just because I’m Jewish. :mad: That’s just WRONG! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/17 "2015-06-04T19:21:04Z")
Actually, I don’t think they can do anything to you if you do declare illegal income on your income tax forms. If they could, then that question would violate your right to not self-incriminate. ---
**Author:** ![Ze\_Pr0fes0re](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8dc957/32.png) [@Ze\_Pr0fes0re](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ze_Pr0fes0re)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/18 "2015-06-04T19:23:58Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > One thing I have most definitely learned is that border patrol guys don’t have a sense of humour. I think it’s plain bred out of them. So, just in case anybody had the hankering to, don’t answer the question “do you have anything to declare ?” with “only a 14 year old prostitute in a suitcase with her ass full of cocaine”. In something not quite, but almost entirely unlike the holy words of AC/DC, say that and you’re on the highway to a rather rough cavity search. Oh god. Unless these fucking blacklists existed…I would screw around so much. I do wonder what would happen if one brings little baggies of wheat. You know, quality ecological wheat, etc. =) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/19 "2015-06-04T19:54:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Actually, I don’t think they can do anything to you if you do declare illegal income on your income tax forms. If they could, then that question would violate your right to not self-incriminate. That’s backwards, sort of: they can’t make you report it. If you _do_ report it, you can be prosecuted. See [Garner v. United States](https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/424/648/case.html). > [@](#): > > In summary, we conclude that, since Garner made disclosures instead of claiming the privilege on his tax returns, his disclosures were not compelled incriminations. He therefore was foreclosed from invoking the privilege when such information was later introduced as evidence against him in a criminal prosecution. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601/20 "2015-06-04T19:57:02Z")
Does the original Nazi Party (NSDAP) even exist anymore? I know that the old East German Communist Party survives as _Die Linke_, but I was under the impression that Hitler’s party was simply shut down with no specific successor organization specified, and that the “Neo-Nazi” parties were all independently founded. Am I wrong? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-wife-can-join-the-nazi-party-of-germany/721601.md?page=2)