ok. and you linked articles that are two+ years old?
https://www.apnews.com/438bb0ac98d04459ab2e392f3c4fc5ef
I inked the first articles that popped up. And sadly 95% of news sources are biased and pushing an agenda. Didn't look like there were any left leaning sites that covered anything about Merkel saying it to clarify if she was taken out of context or not.
First, the notion that all papers have some level of bias is true, but to say that they all have the same degree of the bias is a different story. The likelihood of a paper or website to use falsehoods, hyperbole, or hatred to convince or scare a reader into believing something varies quite a bit. Saying "Oh, well they're all biased" is the same as saying, "Reynolds and J Rogers are the same because they are both 'crazy.'" Reynold's and "the madness" is no where near the out of control insanity of J Casanova. Serious right/left journalism (Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Christian Science Monitor/NY Times, Harpers) has its flaws, but these flaws do not compare with problems within the fear mongering (far-right) half-truth conspiracy websites or tabloids. Sadly, conspiracies, fear, and hatred sell really well.
Second, Merkel's utterance--out of context--is disconcerting (and it makes a great headline). Her statement does give me some pause and allows me to question if I missed something in all my time in Europe. However, the repeating of her statement is weak, because she offers zero evidence nor does she even define her term. Without her offering any supporting evidence, this lone statement isn't enough to get me to rescind my own observations, renounce previous stories published on the topic, or abandon my moral panic hypothesis, which has been true in similar situations. The headline is an opportunity for those who want to believe that Muslims “are taking over” to say, "I knew it!" I'm yet to see any significant evidence that there are whole communities that have shrugged off secular law and replaced it with theocratic law.
Third, her statement—in context—certainly doesn't disprove my moral panic theory. Merkel, the leader of a conservative party, said, “The state has to ensure that whenever people or meet in public areas they feel safe.” [CUT to Interviewer] Interviewer, “What exactly does that mean? Zero tolerance?” Merkel, “It means for example that there cannot be any no-go areas, that there cannot be areas where people are afraid to go, but such places are a reality. So we have to do something about them." Then she rambles on about being tough on crime. I don't doubt some people are afraid to go to certain places in Germany, just like I don't doubt some people were afraid to go to LOVE Park because of the "scary" skateboarders or Deck Park because of the "scary" street people. Hell, I have relatives who are afraid to leave the rural sections of my province and I was recently (irrationally) worried about driving into the deep south of America, but that doesn’t mean any of these places are objectively dangerous nor does it mean that spaces people view as safe are nearly as safe as they like to believe. Sadly, people's perception of reality is not the same as reality itself and being “tough on crime” is a great way to get (re)elected. Sometimes the fear of x, says more about the fearful than the space/people they are afraid of. Crime exists, people do shitty things, but not on the level most people think. It is strange to me that a skater who has been at the center of a moral panic doesn't question the validity of a moral panic that surrounds another group people. Skateboarding has been vilified many times over, rarely, do our actions live up to our scary reputations.
Fourth, right-of-center and far-right politicians have been telling me scary stories my whole life in order to get me to abandon, hate my fellow citizens, and view myself as lone individual trying to survive in a world where everyone is corrupt. For roughly 40 years, American presidents have pushed for the "free" market, the removal of safety net, and the disbanding of organized labor, all while trying to ramp up punishment and incite hatred and distrust. Reagan and the New Dixiecrat Clinton completely redefined their parties and entrenched us in a neoliberal-libertarian world (Thatcher/Blair did this in England). Their dramatic pushes rightward (remember Clinton cut the welfare rolls in half, introduced workfare, and oversaw a great deal of "de-regulation" while the stock market boomed) were supposed to make our (white) lives better, but economics for the average person has become more insecure, wages have stayed flat and pensions have vanished. All the while, they told us the real villains were the minorities, young people, non-Christians, gay people, unruly skateboarders, Dungeons and Dragons players, etc. and if we allow them to lock all the “outsiders” up everything will be ok. It has been 40 years since Thatcher and Reagan (with the help of Milton Friedman) redefined the whole Western world and all I've seen is more fear, more people in prison, and insane rise in the stock market. None of this does shit for me or anyone who works for a living. Sadly, Duffy’s and the far-right's claims of disorder only double down on the shitty solutions that haven't been working for any of us (who aren't millionaires). This kind of shit only drives us right back to Hobbes's state of nature where everyone is nasty, brutish, and mean and life is really fucking short and miserable or towards some Francoist hellscape.
Finally, my offer still stands and I'll even switch from the Netherlands to Germany if you like (even though I enjoy the Netherlands quite a bit more). As long as you don't drag me to Hannover (because it has to be the most boring city in all of Germany), we will see if we can actually locate one of these mythical places. Berlin is one of the best cities in the world and I love the dudes at the local shop in Bremen (Attitude), we can start in either of those cities if you like.
Even with the editing of Express this is a non-story
https://www.express.co.uk/videos/529057/Angela-Merkel-admits-there-ARE-no-go-areas-in-Germany
Here is the full interview that is even more benign