To “have an opinion” on policy while simultaneously to “have no idea” about the facts the policy confronts appears to be the perfect summation of the kind of intellectual discourse that is considered appropriate in the 21st Century. The role model for contemporary thinkers is Sgt. Schultz from Hogan’s Heroes: “I know nuffink!”
Thilo Sarrazin, the former Social Democratic central banker with a doctorate in economics whose previous book on immigration policy has sold 1,100,000 copies in Germany, has a written a new book, Europe Doesn’t Need the Euro. In the Atlantic, Miss Heather Horn finds herself disturbed by Sarrazin’s sinister reasonableness:
The Controversial German Book Linking the Euro to Holocaust Guilt
It’s hard to think of a good American equivalent to Germany’s Thilo Sarrazin, the politician turned best-selling author. The closest one could be Pat Buchanan: in some circles, he and his writings are considered entirely legitimate. In others, they’re considered shocking and revolting to the point of scandal. …
Now, Sarrazin is addressing the euro crisis. Tuesday, his new book Europe Doesn’t Need the Euro, hit the shelves. If you’re just paging through idly, it doesn’t seem to be as provocative, and, on balance, it really isn’t: you’d expect as seasoned a provocateur as Sarrazin, especially with his leanings towards ideas of ethnic and educational superiority, at least to say some obnoxious and offensive things about Greek people or their ability with a balance sheet. He doesn’t do that. The book, nevertheless, has immediately drawn fire — and with good reason.
I can tell how old I am because I can remember a day long ago when journalists would describe a book as “provocative” and “controversial” to whet readers’ interest in the book. Today, the words “provocative” and “controversial” have become code for Move Along, Nothing to See Here.
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