Friday, August 03, 2012
Disaster imagery and whining the way toward the waterfall (we're talking the EU crisis here)Henryk Broder writing in the conservative Welt Online likes the boat-headed-for-the-waterfall metaphor for the current course of the EU in the euro crisis, Euro-Krise. Nordeuropa arbeitet – und zahlt für den Süden 03.08.2012. And he adds a 1914 reference:Der Untergang des Euro erfolgt in Zeitlupe. Man kennt solche Szenen aus Filmen. Da steuert ein Boot auf einen Wasserfall zu, die Besatzung weiß, welche Gefahr ihr droht, unternimmt aber nichts, weil die Kommandostruktur an Bord unklar ist. Ein Offizier möchte gerne wenden, so lange das noch möglich ist, ein anderer wäre dafür, das Boot auf eine Sandbank zu setzen. Schließlich aber setzt sich der Kapitän durch. Er sagt, es gebe zu dem eingeschlagenen Kurs "keine Alternative". Wie die Sache ausgeht, kann man sich denken.There are limits to using metaphors to discuss political and historical events. As Jeffrey Record has repeatedly reminded us, setting policy by metaphor and analogy can lead to really bad policy and results of similar quality. In this case, Broder is using his analogies, which actually do fit the situation, to bitch and moan about how he doesn't like all these here foreigners coming into Germany. That's part of the problem with metaphors and analogies: even xenophobes and cheap nationalist can use them. Often prefer to use them rather than talking about the real, practical and ethical issues involved in immigration policy. In Broder's dumb and ugly view, homeless immigrants are why the euro is collapsing. And one of Germany's most prestigious papers, the Springer empire's Die Welt, is happy to provide him space for his nasty little rant. This article is a classic example of affluent white people whining. It's never very attractive, although it has a lot of practitioners. Not only in Germany. In fact, you might say that Broder is only of the passengers on his metaphorical boat, standing on deck whining about homeless immigrants while the ship heads for the waterfall. And that's something for anyone following the European economic crisis to be alert for. Some writer like Broder who seem superficially to recognize the risk either don't care or don't know or have no sense of responsibility for the enormous failure the collapse of the euro and possible of the European Union actually represents. Tags: austerity economics, eu, euro, european union, henryk broder | +Save/Share | | |
FEATURED QUOTE
No subject for immortal verse That we who lived by honest dreams Defend the bad against the worse." -- Cecil Day-Lewis from Where Are The War Poets?
ABOUT US
RECENT POSTS
ARCHIVES
RECENT COMMENTS
[Tip: Point cursor to any comment to see title of post being discussed.]
SEARCH THIS SITE
BLUE'S NEWS
ACT BLUE
BLUE LINKS
Environmental Links Gay/Lesbian Links News & Media Links Organization Links Political Links Religious Links Watchdog Links
BLUE ROLL
MISCELLANEOUS
|