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You can take Gunter Grass out of the SS, but you can't take the SS out of Gunter

4
researchok4/04/2012 12:58:52 pm PDT

re: #3 Phlebas

I am going to take a quick stab at translating the last paragraph of a truly exceptional analysis and critique of the Grass piece by Frank Schirrmacher, which was published in today’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (link to article is here, for German speakers).

“It is a construct of resentment, it is, as Nietzsche said of resentment, a document of ‘imaginary revenge’ of a generation that has felt morally slighted for a lifetime. He would like there now to come into being a debate, as to whether a German may criticize Israel. However, the debate should be about whether it is justifiable to depict the entire world as Israel’s victim, just so that an eighty-five year old man can make peace with his own biography.”

Indeed.

For much of Europe, demonizing Jews and Israel lets them off the hook somewhat for the war and centuries of antisemitism.

“Well, maybe the Jews deserved some of what happened. Maybe we weren’t so wrong after all”.

Plus ca change, plus ca reste la meme.