The demise of political correctness in Germany
The politically correct media “hardly functions any longer” in Germany according to Spiegel’s Matthias Matussek. Commenting on the furor caused by Thilo Sarrazin’s recent anti-Islamic views, Matussek wrote, “[I]t is clear that intimidation from the politically correct thought police of the media and the threats they issue of casting people out of society no longer work. By now the public has a highly developed instinct for fairness.”
Though Germany’s politicians continue to toe the “politically correct” line for now, the general population no longer finds that message so popular. Matussek wrote,
[Y]ou cannot cast away the very thing that Sarrazin embodies: the anger of people who are sick and tired—after putting a long and arduous process of Enlightenment behind them—of being confronted with pre-Enlightenment elements that are returning to the center of our society. They are sick of being cursed or laughed at when they offer assistance with integration. And they are tired about reading about Islamist associations that have one degree of separation from terrorism, of honor killings, of death threats against cartoonists and filmmakers. They are horrified that “you Christian” has now become an insult on some school playgrounds. And they are angry that Western leaders are now being forced to fight for a woman in an Islamic country because she has been accused of adultery and is being threatened with stoning.
Klaus von Dohnanyi, who is defending Sarrazin against the Social Democratic Party (which wants to expel him), told a German newspaper that he believes the country is overshadowed by its Holocaust history and said that a culture had developed where anyone who says “gene” or “Jew” is viewed with suspicion.
Another article in Spiegel last week reported that Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard (who drew the Muhammad caricature that caused violent controversy a few years ago) was honored with the M100 Media Prize on Wednesday for his contribution to free rights speech. Only a few years ago his drawing caused outrage in the politically correct media.
The mood is changing in Europe. Spiegel wrote,
“What a difference a day makes,” the old song goes, “24 little hours.” But sometimes it takes a little longer—five years, say—before someone who has been labeled a fire-starter, an evil-doer, an amateur artist and a would-be tiger trainer is praised as a pioneer of freedom of opinion—and by the chancellor, no less.
The author speculated that it may only be a matter of time before the chancellor stands behind someone like Thilo Sarrazin as well.
As we’ve written in the past, political correctness will ultimately contribute to the demise of the Anglo-Saxon nations. Germany, however, is quickly removing itself from its noose—just in time to free itself for the ultimate clash with radical Islam prophesied in your Bible.
