This quote from Der Spiegel, in their interview with Herfried Münkler, a German political scientist, is making the rounds today:
Two thousand years ago, a Roman politician would have been able to publicly express his pleasure at getting his revenge. The crucial difference is that Western politicians today are people who are influenced by Christianity, people who are bound to the idea of mercy. Only someone who believes in the existence of ‘evil’ and who does not explain ‘evil’ in terms of an unhappy childhood, someone who upholds the Old Testament principle of an eye for eye and a tooth for tooth, is justified in publicly expressing their joy at the death of an enemy and their satisfaction at getting revenge. The Americans’ reactions to bin Laden’s death therefore mainly reflect the fact that they have different values (from Europeans).
Why yes we do — As James Lileks once wrote:
And if we seem arrogant when it comes to beating fascism, forgive us once more, for we have something you don’t.
Practice.
And am I the only one who getting nervous about a German putting quotation marks around the word evil? That didn’t exactly work out so well the first time it was tried.
Incidentally, the article in Der Spiegel is titled, “Europeans Find the Ground Zero Celebrations Somewhat Embarrassing.” As Orrin Judd notes, perhaps it reminds them too much of this earlier Manhattan celebration.
Related: In contrast, the Dalai Lama on bin Laden: Sometimes a SEAL’s gotta do what a SEAL’s gotta do.”
My German’s a bit rusty, but I thought the title translated roughly as:
Europeans Find Every Reminder of their own Ineptness Somewhat Embarrassing
At least Munkler said we had the right to kill OBL. Most German commenters have been concerned about International Law, a trial, violating Pakistan’s borders, UN approval, etc. It’s strange how few German pundits are willing to volunteer to handcuff the bad guys themselves. I guess moral clarity is only possible in a broadcasting studio or within the walls of some peace institute.
GDI, not only is their ineptness embarassing, but to be beholden to uncouth critters like the Amis is worse than using the wrong fork at a state dinner.
Great quote: I minored in German and the quote says: “If we Germans didn’t have a double standard, we’d have no standards at all.” I’ll bet Herfried is a very good example of that German standard.
Lileks is right—every German has a little STASI inside him telling him what to do. May be time for another cleasnsing down the road. And I’m an admirer of [some] German Kultur. Yeah, the socialist prattles on about unhappy childhood—he should prattle about an unhappy Kulturkampf trying to stifle one of Germany’s major religious groups.
2-VB, don’t you think that’s what all of this condemnation is always about? In Euro-think, they can’t forgive us for saving them from themselves in WWII, but they wouldn’t have forgiven us for not saving them.
Also, thanks for the tip. (Note to self: Remember to use a fork at next state dinner.)
“The Americans’ reactions to bin Laden’s death therefore mainly reflect the fact that they have different values (from Europeans).”
Meaning, apparently, that Americans have some.
Equating celebrating bin Laden’s death with celebrating 9/11 — where does one begin?
It is moral to celebrate the death of a wicked man who ordered the murder of thousands of innocents. The biblical quote “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” is actually a prescription to pay monetary compensation to someone who you have injured or disabled, including one’s servant or slave. The proverb “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice” applies to your personal enemy, like an unfriendly neighbor, or a guy in your town who cuts you off on the freeway. Here’s a relevant quote, this time from the Talmud “He who is compassionate to the cruel will ultimately become cruel to the compassionate.”
I am not personally celebrating OBL’s death though I do not begrudge those who wish to. In my mind, a cold-blooded killer was himself cold-bloodedly killed. Justice has been served. ‘Nuff said.
Munkler is 100% correct. Americans do not suffer from the delusional “values” of EUropeans.
Without a doubt, I, as an American believe in evil. The three most evil ideas of the 20th century were varieties of socialism: fascism, nazism, and communism. What do these three evil have in common: EUropean theorists, EUropean politicians, EUropean states, EUropean death camps, and EUropean wars. EUrope is irredeemably evil.
After the fall of Communism, where were the de-communization trials? Where were the executions of Communist leaders for crimes against humanity? Where were the Communist dictators given the Mussolini treatment? No where, but in a desultory and hap-hazard fashion. Americans would punish the evil men and women who enforced and defended socialism. Enlightened EUropeans felt sorry their great endeavor had collapsed and pensioned them off. Some day EUropeans must come to acknowledge and reject their vile heritage of their corrupt, debased societies.
Did Spiegel omit the word justice from the interview or did the Herr Doktor Professor never use it?