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The Cold Kiss Of War.
German literature, and especially its most celebrated figures, remain silent about the dictates of war propaganda that our own government imposes on us all with the help of its devoted and embedded press organs and virtually all other media.
I ask: How is it possible for you writers to allow such primitive incitement to war—such bellicose language—to dominate German reality without using your means to oppose it?
Or are you simply in agreement with it? And likewise with the censorship they impose on us to stifle or criminalize all dissent?
Or are you simply too busy working on important literary texts that might have a chance at the Büchner Prize, which could bring you €50,000 in prize money and a mention in some literary encyclopedia of the future if you win?
This certain Büchner was not above daring to turn against the authorities in his day with his two-page pamphlet “Der Hessische Landbote” (The Hessian Courier). This earned him a wanted poster and flight from Germany.
This reminds me of the fate of a journalist who, with nothing more than a few tweets—in other words, just a few words—provoked “our” state to such an extent that it responded in such a radical and devastating manner— perhaps even “legally” secured—in a way that clearly shows the intention to reduce the fate of this man and his pregnant girlfriend to that of a louse in a laboratory mouse, by blocking their accounts, banning them from working, prohibiting them from leaving the country, and withdrawing their health insurance. (Links with information at the end)
Of course, no one can dictate what you write about— I certainly don’t. There could be so many reasons for your silence on this issue that I can’t even imagine. But it would be important to learn about some of these reasons.
But it’s just that, out of desperation and hopelessness, I came up with the idea of turning to you, wordsmiths and poets, in view of the overwhelming media barrage we are subjected to about the impending war against Russia (even though Russia has repeatedly made clear statements that no attack against Germany or Europe was ever intended), to turn to you, and hope that some of you — at least a very few of you — might offer some kind of literary resistance… or at least a point of view, – beyond the hullabaloo and chatter of talk show debates and the staging of complacent interviews with the powerful and their constantly repeated phrases of “hybrid warfare” and Russian drones, without ever having presented any facts or evidence to support them –
but which, of course, still achieve the desired threatening effect on the general public, – infiltrating these drones into their dreams and surrounding them with towers of fear whenever they think of Russia and this fear-stricken people watch the daily news and synchronized talk shows.
Peace and the long-fragile social community in this country are being betrayed once and for all by a few ignorant and deluded leaders who also refuse any communication with their delusional opponents so as not to have to correct themselves, instead maintaining their accusations and continuing on their war course. Presumably, however, the creation of the “Demon Russia” serves above all to save our incompetent party personnel and the profiteers attached to them.
For years, the country has been drifting aimlessly in an abyss of panic and fear, promising salvation only through completely insane armament, which is a robbery of its own resources and thus a robbery of our future generations, primarily for the benefit of the US arms industry.
And there are so few valuable voices defending peace that speak out against this in public.
And then, of all things, “literature” has nothing to say about it.
You remain silent, and your silence is so terrible—
as terrible as this government’s stranglehold on its own people, condemning them to guilt and ruin — and ultimately to crime.
PS
1.
https://www.nachdenkseiten.de/?p=139878
https://www.nachdenkseiten.de/?p=139433
https://znetwork.org/zvideo/he-was-banned-for-exposing-gaza-truths-now-he-speaks-out/
2. Handke gave back the Büchner-Preis for polit. reasons.
https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_19990407_OTS0135/aus-protest-gegen-nato-schlaege-handke-gibt-den-buechner-preis-zurueck-und-tritt-aus-der-kirche-aus
3. If I have missed any literary commentary on the subject, please let me know. – I confess that I haven’t read the feuilleton pages for a long time.
