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In the past several months, the number of car-burnings in Berlin has soared. By July 1, 2009, it had reached 85, compared to 113 for all of 2007, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung reports. "The only clue the police have as to the reason for these arson attacks is anonymous messages claiming responsibility for the deeds, in which the wrongdoers express their distaste for 'luxury cars' and their desire to 'hurt the rich.'" Many in Berlin left wing circles suspect that the culprits belong to radical leftist fringe groups. How should one judge these actions? "Berlin's champagne socialists sympathise, more than anything else," the Swiss daily tells us. Political discourse, it pursues, is full of attacks on "the rich", whether on the part of Die Linke (The Left party) or the media. Even the conservatives seem to have abandoned "the rich" as a political base. "Does this hostile climate promote the autonomist scene?" the NZZ wonders. "Does it legitimise vandalism?"
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