“Europa muss auch die Sprache der Macht lernen” (Europe must also learn the language of power)
says Ursula von der Leyen, President-elect of the EU Commission, a former Minister of the German Merkel government, a fundamentalist catholic conservative and right-wing politician. Since action usually comes before language and thought, it is of course a worry that German centrists (as von der Leyen considers herself) are again on the hunt for MACHT (‘power, might’), this time via Europe. This language is reminiscent of the Nazi ideology, made infamous by the likes of Hitler whose constant invocation of MACHT provided the adrenalin for his deluded admirers. In English as in German, these words are as ubiquitous as those for racism, sexism and xenophobia. Whilst some people are beginning to realize that sexist language, for example, is predicated on the use of certain words, hence one could simply ‘outlaw’ or at least discourage from public discourse. After all, so-called obscene language, consisting of certain key vocabulary, is still on the statute books of some jurisdictions. People confused about the principles of ‘free speech’ are told that this entails the freedom to say anything they like as long as it does not annoy those in power, in which case there are so-called libel laws, designed to protect powerful people and corporations from criticism, accusations or verbal attacks. To outlaw ‘power’ would in this sense cut of the legs the powerful people stand on. If the pen is supposed to be stronger than the sword, let’s make a start with ‘power’. The Guardian for example declared to change the discourse about ‘climate change’ by using the term ‘climate crisis’ instead. So, let’s assume that ‘government’ is not to be equated with ‘power to govern a country’ but with something like ‘the task to serve the country’ (sometimes used as a sweetener for people who are sceptical about too much power). The current power plays executed by all sorts of mad presidents in power are testament to this fatal obsession. It is interesting to note that in the business sector the equivalent to ‘power’ is ‘leadership’ – a notion that Hitler combined with MACHT to absolute disastrous effect, namely to call himself FÛHRER ‘leader’ who wants MACHT ‘power’ at all costs. While post-war German governments have ‘outlawed’ certain symbols of Nazi ideology (like the Swastika) there have not been any attempts to outlaw or even discourage the language of Nazism, under the pretext that this would stifle genuine discussion and debate. Anti-Semitic slurs may be prosecuted but only under a general libel law and newly proposed laws on how to ‘outlaw’ so-called hate speech. So, amidst such sensitivities comes von der Leyen, and à la Nietzsche, philosophizes with a hammer. Whilst I have always maintained that Nietzsche’s Wille zur Macht ‘the will to power’ did not spawn Nazi ideology (as for example argued by Bertrand Russell), there will be comparisons with Leyen’s pronouncements, however misplaced they may be. Leyen, contrary to Nietzsche’s philosophy, aspires to abysmal political and military power for Europe (and Germany), wanting to match US, Chinese and Russian (and whoever joins in) power plays, making Europe great again as a non-sequitur. Leyen is going to give Europeans a language lesson on how to use power as raison d’être, pushing military metaphors, preparing for war to defend peace, to fight terror, to roll back feminism, to bring back the power of the Vatican, his God willing (who is of course the absolute power). Neo-feudalism, the Holy Roman Empire in republican guise, the corporate aristocracies, the grand conferences of the great powers to divide up the rest of the globe and its mineral wealth, the grand dames (von der Leyen – what’s in a name?), queens and presidents’ wives, the photo opportunities, to be in the news 24/7, to revel in the attention of the ‘people’ who have voted for you – and in the end be close to divine inspiration, that is power, that is MACHT. Let’s also not forget this bizarre character, Henry Kissinger, who ordained that ‘power is the greatest aphrodisiac’, subsequently sanctioning the abuse of women, from Clinton to Trump, to name but a few. But let us not fall into the trap and celebrate female power instead. To see the point, recite the list of powerful women who rose above their male counterparts and subsequently ruled the roost, having become indistinguishable in terms of gender and in the lust for bloody wars. No doubt they recited the power mantra every hour of their rule: Oh Lord, give me power, and if you don’t give it to me I will take it from you. So, watch out all you non-Europeans, Europe, led by von der Leyen, is a mighty juggernaut that will roll all over you, subdue you, enslave you, and if necessary seduce you. The EU can speak ‘power’ in some 23 different languages, and Ursula can do it fluently in at least three: German, English and French. Euro-centricity will once again be restricted to the continent of Europe (the Brits can stay on the margins, as ever, and the Russians if they turn the clock back to Tsarist times, speaking French and living in German spas, and generally behaving like good Europeans). Of course, the Americans of German and European descent will be invited to the party as long as they stop going on about how they saved Europe from the Germans, harking back to better times when the principalities of Europe excelled in classical architecture, music, art and Machiavellian power politics, not to speak of the occasional revolution that added spice to the proceedings. Or else, just let’s move forward together with a normal US President who sees the good reason as to why Europe and the USA can share power, at least until all the other powers have been defeated. I mean, what on earth is wrong with this present man, by the good old German name of Trump, pretending to be a rabid American nationalist, when in fact he is the most European president the US ever had? I suppose he lacks political nous, only being interested in economic leadership, doing deals, leading golf courses, leading hotels – being the ultimate business leader. How crass and uneducated the man is! Europe is not for sale, please tell him. Sure he has a great army as well but wait, Ursula, as ex-Defence Minister and leader of the Bundeswehr, will cobble together a European defence force like the world has never seen before. The French Force de Frappe and German generals will combine with the Knights of the Realm (Don Quixote, Hamlet and Othello included) to fly sorties in Airbus planes, protecting oilfields and car factories. The Chinese and the Russians will lay down their arms in view of such formidable foes, and finally submit to a powerful European democracy. For it is this European democracy, that not only confers political and economic power but also spiritual power. Ursula von der Leyen should know: she was first elected and then appointed (and eventually be anointed).
Someone will, sooner or later, object that banning certain vocabulary will not change Ursula’s thinking but then again language is all she has to express her thoughts. Of course one can argue that even if language and thought depend on each other, there is always the possibility to coin new words or to change the meaning of existing ones to suit one’s train of thought. Comparisons between languages on that front, even closely related ones like English and German, equally do not yield promising results: just because German has retained honorifics, while English has not (unless one addresses the Queen) it does not follow that Germans are somehow more polite or more submissive to authority than English speakers – although there might be some non-linguistic evidence to support such a notion. Banning sexist-gender pronouns seems equally pointless although the introduction of titular Ms to equal Mr seems to have worked. So the point is not to ‘ban’ or outlaw words like MACHT or ‘power’ but to engage in discourse that devalues and discourages such concepts. An alternative strategy – much in use these days – is to exaggerate the use of such words and thus render them ‘useless’ by poking fun at them, satirizing them, using them in black humour and making them the staple expressions of clever cynics. As one on-line comedian/talk-show host has commented, these days the high and mighty, like President Trump, supply all the lines that make you laugh and cry at the same time. The great Bavarian comedian, Karl Valentin, poked fun at Hitler and his regime by having the lights switched off during his show and proclaim that the ‘lights went out’ because of the LEITUNG, which in German is ambiguous between ‘electrical cable’ and ‘leader/ FÛHRER’. Needless to say that comedians cannot defeat dictators and their ilk but sometimes they can take out a bit of the wind from their overblown sails.
That Europe is ever faster lurching to the right (see latest election results from Spain) of the centre must be of great concern of anyone who cares about the future. By investing politicians like von der Leyen, the gates are opened for far more extremist neo-Nazis, like the German AfD and what have you for the rest of the EU. Wilhelm Reich foresaw the future in 1933 but was all too late to forestall the fait accompli. Centrist politicians of the Weimar Republic opened the floodgates for the likes of Hitler, all in the shocking belief that ‘power’ must be maintained for the state, for big business, for morality and family values – and that such ‘power’ must reside, ultimately, with military might, that power resides in the barrel of the gun, that the good foot soldier will resist the insane orders of the powerful generals. Power/MACHT became personified in the FÛHRER, and there was no way back to a civilized Europe and the world. This is what Ursula von der Leyen should ‘un-learn’, namely power/MACHT. Power/MACHT is a dirty word – in any language. If you say this word again, we will have to employ a good-old-fashioned remedy: wash your mouth out with soap and water!
As an addendum, and to dispense more soap and water, there is more evidence of this general malaise from down-under (my place of residence, that also suffers more and more from environmental degradation), in that women’s emancipation as an expression of getting equal rights with men only focuses on getting the right to be equally stupid as men. Take this interview with NZ’s Helen Clark, done by OZ’s Kelly Doust, featuring in the Guardian, and harping on about ‘power’:
What does power mean to you? Power in itself is a neutral concept – I think it can be put to good or bad ends, and I like to think I put it into doing good. For me, it’s about having the platform to build a better, happier, healthier and more inclusive society which is considerate of nature and the environment.
Sorry, Helen, power is not a ‘neutral concept’, and all one can say about your execution of power is that you did less harm than some of your more insane political compatriots in NZ and at the UNDP. In any case, why on earthy did you consent to contribute to a book called The Power Age, A celebration of life's second act, concocted by Kelly Doust, whose claim to fame is having written various monographs on fashion (and no doubt on power-dressing). I suppose you follow the celebrity dictum of better being in some/any news rather than in no news.
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