Polish writer Nina Witoszek warns that people who have lived under Communist regimes are struck by a strange feeling of dejá vu regarding the censorship autopilot in Western Europe: “Soon we shall all write in a decaffeinated language: We shall obediently repeat all the benign mantras such as ‘dialogue,’ ‘pluralism,’ ‘reconciliation’ and ‘equality.’ […] We prefer safety above freedom. This is the first step towards a voluntary bondage.”...
At the end of the day, the cause matters less than the result: The state is now an enemy. Giving more money to the state isn’t going to solve any problems since it’s is no longer willing or able to serve you. It is merely interested in extracting more money from you for doing less and less, and for sustaining its bureaucratic machinery through projecting the illusion that it is still there to protect the interests of its citizens. How are we going to deal with this culture of lies and a hostile state? I don’t know. But Western Europeans will have to find the answer to that question soon.Bits and pieces of this article seemed applicable to little old NZ, and I must admit I thought the phrase 'decaffeinated language' poetic and apt. Such heady discussions as these are fun to consider, ideally over a strong expresso. Our politicians keep offering us decaffeinated skim milk lattes with chai, nutrasweet, and a twist of lemon.
Don't give me what you think I want to drink, just gimme a damn good coffee. Short black. That's what I pay my taxes for.
Hattip: Redbaiter: A culture of lies
Well done Zen, a good article to highlight. I am now searching the net for other articles by Nina.
ReplyDeletePoland is a loverly country - I visited it recently.