L'esprit d'escalier

L ike many other newspapers, also raises the "young world" their Marxist-oriented ^one mag at the Leipzig Book Fair free of charge to the people. This then leads to perhaps the vague hope of being able to win the one or the other readers.

As we know from experience that sometimes comes up with this hand and unintentional humor selbstparodistischen trains, one resorts to in order to browse in a quiet moment, when again hungry for a satire, it can. When it comes time to do a parallel world in which we vary between laughter and horror. An example, where the two compete fiercely with each other emotions, was here in 2006 on the basis of a "young world" printed obituary for Slobodan Milosevic documented. It paid tribute to the accused as a war criminal Milosevic as a "heroic defenders of Yugoslavia and international law" and as "internationalists, socialists and anti-imperialists". ²

In this year's Free Edition is now a first twelve-page supplement "Marxism" contrary to, finally, Marx's death in 2008 marks the 125th Time of his birth even to 190th Time So now we keep the issue in the hands and body begins to habit, from behind the pages.

First, we read there, that Bernd Stange, the former coach of the East German national football team ^three , just turned 60 years old, and that it had drifted to him now Belarus. That's right, the DSFler the "young world" do not say "Belarus", but in the old East German-style "Belarus", what comes naturally and thus closer to the original name is correct. It is always inconsistent. Consequently, one must say "Bielarus" ^four or even "Belarus". But such considerations play in the parlance of the "young world" probably a minor role. More important seems to be identifying with the language of the defunct East German state ideal.

In a sense, somewhat one-dimensional way, the "young world" language that is not all the same. Exactly one looks back at the mainstream media. So on page 13 of the edition of 14 March 2008, a little article with the headline "LTI date". This one has the basis of relevant examples indicate that the program director of Radio Germany, Günter Muechler, in an interview in just three minutes four times a lingua tertii Imperii have used (see screen capture). In fact Muechler used as a rather strange and certainly sounding to LTI vocabulary. ⁵ In particular, the fact that Muechler talking about poetry, appear to be strange that terms like "clean shot", "smashed" and "offensive" fall. Well, there is the "young world" apparently a bird "shot down" (LTI?).
The language of lovers of the "young world" is so well but hopefully not to notice that Victor Klemperer has not stopped since 1945 to write. So you will have the "young world" safe even from the so-called "LQI" heard or read. Regarding the Tongue Quartii Imperii Klemperer noted:

"I have to start gradually, systematically paying attention to the language of the Fourth Reich. Sometimes it seems to me less of a distinction than that of the third as the Saxon Dresden from Leipzig ⁶ . For instance, if Marshal Stalin of the largest of the currently living, is the most ingenious strategist, etc. Or when Stalin speaks in a speech from the beginning of the war by Hitler, of course, with the utmost right, as of the "cannibal Hitler." Anyway, I want our newsletter, and the German People's Daily, which is now sent me to study exactly LQI sub specie. " ⁷

"Every day I see again the continuation of LTI in LQI." ⁸

"LTI = LQI!" ⁹

"LTI LQI does with skin and hair. Even cup - more's the Limit - writes constantly combative. Mrs. Kreisler amazed when I "in character" objectionable. In an essay that praises the humanity of the present penal (prison command), the inmates are taught to "enthusiastic" people. " ¹⁰

"[...] And this whole concentriert more and more on integrating the one differs a lot less of Nazi attitude and method. Say instead of working-class race, and both movements are identical. Tyranny and narrowness to take daily. Religious persecution, youth initiation, struggle against "ideological coexistence," against "factionalism," against "petty bourgeois arrogance" - all this is LQI. ¹¹

How about love "Young World", if you section "LTI currently" one more "current LQI" entitled hinzufügtest? Create a site should provide sufficient material for it for now.

What Klemperer's relationship to communism is concerned, but also repeatedly quoted from his diary:

"It gives me this afternoon realized that communism is equally suitable for drawing primitive peoples from the primeval slime, and in the primeval slime zurückzutauchen civilized. In the second case it is hypocritical to work and is not only demoralizing but stupefying by consistently to hypocrisy rears. I am just by my trip to China and in recognition of the tremendous achievements made ​​here for ulterior anti-communists. This may not Marx's ideal state have been. " ¹²

But back to football coach Bernd Stange. Now we learn that his birthday at a bar committing Schnittchenbüffet in Minsk to nachzufeiern then in the summer in Jena with a barbeque. Somehow reminds that passage of Loriot lottery winners Lindemann: "My name is ... ... Erwin ... Lindemann, am retired and 66 years ... with my lottery winnings of 500,000 D-Mark, I am taking a trip to Iceland ... then I take my daughter to Rome attend a papal audience in the fall ... and then I open a men's boutique in Wuppertal. " ¹³ - Finally, we read that it was Stange's goal to qualify with the Belarusian national team for World Cup 2010 in South Africa.

Now the already amused gaze further down and stays at the following startling headline to: "Cuba betrayed". A shudder seizes at once the reader who wonders then anxious, who have betrayed the world in Cuba? The first suspect is asking that the entire former Eastern bloc - except of course the "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il - is meant. But these suspicions are dashed once, the page 16 of the "young world" but the sport reserved. So you read further. After a qualifying match of the Cuban Olympic team, it says, five Cuban players were not returned to their quarters. Among them befänden both the goalkeeper and the captain.

Then, the "young world" indeed a lucky hand proved that she placed this item directly to Cuba under those of the former coach of the East German national soccer team. So it makes it easier for the reader to remember that the State Security of the GDR did prevent a lot better that East German athletes committed desertion. In the GDR, Republic of Volatile ever been persuaded to stay by shooting in livable socialism. The Caribbean people are a little sloppy because obviously, so that can go just five people at once through the network. Well, the matter becomes more complicated if one stays in the middle of the country of the imperialist enemy. Therefore, Cuba has, however, by its insularity turn a home advantage in the prevention of illegal emigration.

In the eyes of the glorified "Young World", the Cuban athletes have thus betraying Cuba and most likely committed to socialism as a whole. By definition, treason "breach of a fiduciary relationship" means ¹⁴ has one or all of these five other Cubans ever wondered if the Cuba of the Maximo Lider, whether socialism and everything that goes along with him, that's what they want? Or rather, not the people being forced to his "luck"? Where there is between the people and Government of Cuba, North Korea or Belarus, a relationship of trust that can be broken? Or is it not rather a dependency relationship in which they happened to enter into or was born and from which you want to break whenever the opportunity arises? How must a country worth living in, the return trip even privileged cadre athletes just like the back?

It reaches the people of Cuba do not like having one of the highest literacy rates and densities doctors and one of the lowest infant mortality rates and high life expectancy? Extend them for the beautiful beaches not in respect of which it draws tourists from around the world to Cuba? Not to mention the wonderful climate. What he want, the Cuban thankless subject. What could he miss that?

Is there someone told liberties? Now, how is it in Cuba ordered by the civil liberties? It states, for example in the 2007 annual report of "AI":

The rights to freedom of expression and association continued to be severely restricted. [...] Political dissidents, independent journalists and human rights defenders continued harassment and intimidation, or were imprisoned, some without charge or trial. [...]

All press and broadcast media remained strict state control. Reprisals and intimidation of independent journalists and dissident operators libraries increased. Persons who were suspected of contacts with dissident groups to entertain, or be committed to human rights, were arrested and imprisoned. The number of arrests for "crime prone to danger" (peligrosidad predelictiva) reported an increase. Access to the Internet outside of state government agencies and educational institutions remained extremely limited. The journalist Guillermo Fariñas went on for seven months on a hunger strike to get an internet connection, but his protest was unsuccessful. [...]

During the reporting period, a growing number of cases of public harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders and political dissidents by government-related groups using so-called de actos of rejection was noted. This regime is rotten abiding citizens in large numbers along the flat of a dissident or opposition to insult him, threaten and sometimes physically attack or throw stones at his house or other property. ¹⁵

Similarly, reads of the Human Rights Watch World Report 2007:

Cuba remains the one country in Latin America that represses nearly all forms of political dissent. [...] The government continues to enforce political cubane conformity using criminal prosecutions, long-and short-term detentions, mob harassment, police warnings, surveillance, house arrests, travel restrictions, and politically-motivated dismissals from employment. The end result is that Cubans are denied basic rights to Systematically free expression, association, assembly, privacy, movement, and due process of law. [...] The government forbids the country cubane's citizens from leaving or returning to Cuba without first Obtaining official permission, Which is often denied. Unauthorized travel can result in criminal prosecution. [...] The government also frequently bars citizens engaged return in authorized travel from taking their children with them overseas, essentially holding the children hostage to guarantee the parents'. Given the widespread fear of forced family separation, these travel restrictions cubane Provide the government with a powerful tool for silencing critics and punishing Defectors. [...] The government maintains a cubane media monopoly on the Iceland, Ensuring that freedom of expression is virtually non-existent. Although a small number of independent journalists manage to write articles for foreign websites or publish underground newsletters, the risks associated with these activities are considerable. According to Reporters Without Borders, there are currently 23 journalists serving prison terms in Cuba, most of them charged with threatening "the national independence and economy of Cuba." This makes the country second only to China for the number of journalists in prison. ¹⁶

On the side of the Foreign Office is also reads the following:

Individual civil rights and fundamental freedoms are denied to Cubans largely as before. The Pope's visit in 1998 brought some improvements to the church, including approval of public processions, but not the expected easing of some long-term process. [...] According to independent sources, Cuba has one of the countries in the world compared with the highest ratio of political prisoners per capita and the highest proportion of the population in prison. ¹⁷

Who tells so who here? Five athletes Cuba or Cuba, but rather basic human rights? Imagine only the "young world" would be denied because of their political beliefs, access to the Internet! As the hue and cry would be great. Then you would the "FRG" loudly berate an injustice system. If one does not already? Imagine, further, an editor of the "young world" could not travel as he pleases! Imagine also, a member of the "young world" could not participate in demonstrations! Imagine, the "young world" would receive no permission to appear! Imagine, employees of the "young world" would be detained without charge or trial, just because they think! Imagine, employees of the "young world" would be government by a mob of loyal citizens publicly insulted and threatened, pelted stones at her house! Imagine, employees of the "young world" would be placed under house arrest, because their opinion differs from the official government opinion!

No, as far as one thinks of the "young world" probably not. All these concerns can be in the milieu of the "young world" safely dismiss with a "Hasta la victoria siempre". From the perspective of the "young world" is practiced in Cuba reprisals against dissenters and the denial of basic civil liberties probably nothing compared to the fact that the "young world" is under observation of the constitutional protection of the federal government. There is the real enemy. The imperialists are watching the "Young World"! It probably weighs much heavier than all the human rights violations in Cuba. The motives of the Communists to handle a weapon and for the curtailment of rights are likely to always noble nature, during the war of the imperialists and their rights are always pruning from the ground up evil and dishonest. While the imperialist ringleaders let the "young world" watch "," be intimidated journalists in Cuba, detained, threatened, publicly humiliated and assaulted, and they are denied access to the Internet.

In the case of Cuba, as for the human rights abuses, however, does not even serve the otherwise at Revolution romantics very popular argument, that it is to "teething problems" the principal, in the wake of the overthrow of capitalism inevitably unites councils, in reaching the ideal form of society but disappeared. Nearly fifty years after the revolution, but one can not talk about teething? Well, you probably should not take a human life as the standard. Perhaps the childhood of a social development takes not ten, but 100 years, maybe even longer? Cuba may be about hurting another fifty years of human rights, to the local social development finally reaches adolescence?

Since then sit the members of the "young world" in Torstrasse 6 in Berlin, enjoy almost complete freedom in this world and offend five Cubans as traitors, because they allowed themselves to take advantage of an obvious liberty to them in their home country , among many other freedoms are denied. Because remember, the "young world" but a lot of the times when she was still "the central organ of the Free German Youth," and with a circulation of about a half million copies, the population of workers 'and peasants' state indoctrination. Given such political bigotry can understand very well that in 1997 the "Jungle World" is a non-dogmatic and unorthodox left-wing daily newspaper of the "young world" secede. It was probably hard for continuous bearable to work together with stubborn nostalgia, homage to the States, come what basic rights underfoot but demonize the United States, for example, if these fundamental rights disobey. People who think pragmatically and not be monopolized by a single way in exclusivist ideology, are not very compatible in the long run, with people seeking their salvation alone, for example in Marxism.

So much for the editorial part of the "young world". The day before, was found on page 7, a display, was called in solidarity with Cuba, signed by Frank Schwitalla from "Network Cuba - Information Bureau eV". It is to form a human chain around the site of the Embassy of Cuba in Berlin on 18 March 2008 called. The occasion was the announcement of the apparent association "Cuba - Democratic Future," on the same day a demonstration outside the embassy "for a peaceful reunification and for a better future for everyone" and to try to prevent the release of political prisoners.

For the "Network Cuba," the matter is clear. First of all, it is his view is that only "so-called" political prisoners. The implication is likely that the Cuban government detained here just ordinary criminals - if not thieves, murderers, rapists, but then determined agents who acted out of imperialist motives so low and so completely right to sit in jail. In addition, for the "Network Cuba" clarifies that it is the demonstrators are "Cons" that is counter-revolutionaries IN QUESTION. The term "contras" was coined for the United States in part on revenue from secret arms sales ¹⁸ and drug-financed guerrillas who operated mainly in the eighties from Honduras to the Nicaraguan Sandinistas, but he can obviously wonderful for anything as bad and Perceived imperialist apply. But the term "Cons" alone leaves you not. It disqualifies the demonstrators as "stooges of the U.S. state terrorism" that would have otherwise referred to as the "overthrow of the government cubanischen and the socialist system". For this reason, therefore, called on Cuba to the network, "Cubas independence and sovereignty" and "the majority will of the people cubanischen to [sic] an independent socialist path of development" to defend. The end result is the exclamation: "The Contras no chance! Cuba is not alone! "

So back to the editorial section. On 18 March 2008 printed from the "Young World" on page 4 is a small article about these two demonstrations, which reads almost like an event announcement, because at the end of "9 clock, Stavangerstrasse 20, 10439 Berlin" is. Well, this event probably only good for reference for spontaneous as well as for persons who are not members of the working population - one is inclined to accept. But, when it comes to counter-revolutionaries to act, can the typical "young world" readers likely to drop everything. For all the wheels stand still, if your strong arm, it will ...

Conclusion: One can confidently another year with the reading of the "young world" exposure. It reads today as 20 years ago and will probably see again next year as well. To internationalism is preached, but in reality it is probably why the people in their respective countries to imprison patronize, to control, spying. On the other hand seems to be at least not be. What do you want too different from a leaf expect that from the press of the class enemy, the Springer publication "World Online" namely, as a "rallying point for the Stasi cadres" ¹⁹ is classified, for example because its editor Arnold Schölzel noisy "world online" been an unofficial member of the State Security and was spied on for years as an IM "André Holzer," a student opposition group at the Humboldt University was that he had joined for this purpose? Even the Head of internal politics of the "young world", Peter Wolter, have been borne by the Stasi as a Western journalist information and was sentenced to probation. Rainer Rupp, a commentator on foreign policy, have worked under the codename "Topaz" as one of the Topspione the GDR in the Federal Republic. A native of Saarlouis Rupp was convicted in 1994 of aggravated treason to twelve years imprisonment, of which he was serving seven years ²⁰ . Such persons are in the milieu of the "young world" most likely be regarded as a martyr.

So then next year!

© Stefan Fix, 2008

1. Self-reported on the website of the paper [ ← ]
2. Obituary of Slobodan Milosevic: Young World (. 18-19 March 2006) [ ← ]
3. become known nationwide as coach of the Iraqi national team from 2002 to 2004 [ ← ]
4. Transcription of white soot. Беларусь [ ← ]
5. You could also simply interpreted in his favor as an attempt to curry favor with the young target audience. After all, in the interview to the student competition "lyrix". The attempt to use youth language, even with so many older semesters like to go back. Anyway, the "young world" does not want to interpret Müchlers favor, which is their right. [ ← ]
6. For non-Saxons, these two varieties can be distinguished from the Saxon difficult. [ ← ]
7. Klemperer, Victor: So I sit between all chairs. Entry from 25.06.1945. Volume 1: Diaries 1945 - 1949, p.24. [ ← ]
8. Ibid. Entry from 12.10.1945, p.126. [ ← ]
9. Ibid. Entry from 10.26.1945, p.133. [ ← ]
10. Ibid., Entry dated 10.15.1945, p.127. [ ← ]
11. Klemperer, Victor: So I sit between all chairs. Entry from 02.14.1958. Volume 2: Diaries 1950-1959, S.673. [ ← ]
12. Ibid., Entry dated 10.24.1958, S.723. [ ← ]
13. Loriot: The Breakfast. Collected stories with dramatic Klöbner Doctor and Mr. Mueller-Lüdenscheidt, Mr. and Mrs. Hoppenstedt, Erwin Lindemann etc. Zurich, 2003, p.269 [ ← ]
14. Duden - German dictionary. 4th revised and expanded edition. Mannheim, 2001. [ ← ]
15. Source: Amnesty International Annual Report 2007 Cuba [ ← ]
16. Source: Human Rights Watch World Report 2007 Cuba [ ← ]
17. Source: Foreign Office to assess the political situation in Cuba [ ← ]
18. Iran-Contra affair [ ← ]
19. Jana Hensel: The beautiful young world of the Stasi veterans, articles on 03.31.2007 [ ← ]
20. including time in custody [ ← ]