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Die Macht Der Dummheit

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Die Macht Der Dummheit Die Macht der Dummheit André Glucksmann Aus dem Französischen übersetzt von Thomas Dobberkau und Josef Winiger Die Originalausgabe erschien 1985 unter dem Titel LA BÊTISE bei Édition Grasset & Fasquelle, Paris. ISBN 3-421-06293-5 Inhaltsverzeichnis Vorwort zur deutschen Ausgabe....................................................................................................... 3 1. Agnes............................................................................................................................................ 13 2. Lob der Cremetorte ............................................................................................................... 17 Ein Kapitel nur über Frankreich 3. Wie die Dummheit weltweit wurde.................................................................................. 37 3.1 Zu den Waffen ..................................................................................................................... 38 3.2 Der post-totalitäre Geist...................................................................................................... 43 3.3 Der Stoff, aus dem man Geschichte macht...................................................................... 55 4. Politik der Dummheit............................................................................................................ 58 4.1 Wer befragt wen?................................................................................................................. 59 4.2 Das Zeitalter der großen Weltbilder ................................................................................. 64 4.3 Die Beharrlichkeit des Unverstands.................................................................................. 69 4.4 Die Linke verliert ihre Welt ............................................................................................... 74 5. Die Dummheit als Daseinsform und als Logik............................................................ 83 5.1 Ich lache, also gibt es die Dummheit................................................................................ 84 5.2 Das Wörterbuch ................................................................................................................... 91 5.3 Der absolute Dualismus...................................................................................................... 97 5.4 Die geistreiche Parade....................................................................................................... 101 6. Theorie der Idiotie in sechs Punkten............................................................................. 107 6.1 Nekroskopie........................................................................................................................ 110 6.2 Maschinen-Liebe ............................................................................................................... 112 6.3 Rausch................................................................................................................................. 114 6.4 Mittag, wenn der Schatten am kürzesten ist .................................................................. 118 6.5 Urszene und Endszene ...................................................................................................... 122 6.6 König Narziß...................................................................................................................... 127 7. Verteidigung des Intellektuellen ..................................................................................... 134 7.1 Ein Grab für Napoleon...................................................................................................... 134 7.2 Yves Montand und drei Generationen............................................................................ 139 7.3 Für eine Moral der äußersten Notsituation .................................................................... 144 7.4 Die sonderbare Fähigkeit, im Dunkeln zu sehen........................................................... 149 7.5 Der Vier-Hindernisse-Lauf .............................................................................................. 153 7.6 Abschied von der Predigt ................................................................................................. 158 7.7 Die Zukunft der Dummheit.............................................................................................. 163 Nachwort .............................................................................................................................................. 167 Aus den Notizen eines Lesers von Helmut Kohlenberger Anmerkungen ...................................................................................................................................... 170 2 Vorwort zur deutschen Ausgabe Dieses Buch erschien in Frankreich, als der Präsident der Vereinigten Staaten gerade mit einem Deutschlandbesuch den vierzigsten Jahrestag der Niederlage des Naziregimes beging. Eine schönere Einführung in die Macht der Dummheit, die auf den Begriff zu bringen ich mir vorgenommen habe, läßt sich schwerlich erdenken. Man braucht die gute Absicht des Präsidenten und seiner europäischen Ratgeber gar nicht in Frage zu stellen, er tat, was man von ihm erwartete, er gewährte, was man von ihm begehrte, und erfüllte die Wünsche der Anwesenden, wo immer er hinkam. Im ehemaligen Konzen- trationslager Bergen-Belsen rief er beschwörend, wie es sich gebührt: Don‘t forget, ver- gessen wir es nicht. Auf dem Soldatenfriedhof Bitburg, wo, neben anderen Toten, auch Rekruten der Waffen-SS liegen, bedeutete er: forgive, und seine so umstrittene Gegen- wart dort schien eine blutige Vergangenheit dem Vergessen anheimzugeben. Als er sich am Tag darauf an die »deutsche Jugend« wandte, tat er, was jeder politische Entschei- dungsträger tut, seitdem Athen die Demokratie und die Demagogie gleichzeitig erfun- den hat: er appellierte an die junge Generation, ihre Zukunft selbst in die Hand zu neh- men. Für sich genommen, mochte jede Zeremonie schicklich und neutral erscheinen. Zusammen ergaben die drei eine ebenso unglaubliche wie erbärmliche Kakophonie. Was hätte man dem Präsidenten raten sollen, um ihm eine solche Enttäuschung zu er- sparen? Diese oder jene Etappe auszulassen? Ausgeschlossen, denn an jeder wurde er erwartet, und es wäre wenig loyal erschienen, wenn er sich davongestohlen hätte, da es doch um die Begegnung mit der Geschichte ging. Man kann nicht an den Krieg 1940- 1945 erinnern wollen und seine entsetzliche Grausamkeit vertuschen. Bergen-Belsen mußte also sein. Hätte man Bitburg um jeden Preis vermeiden sollen? Auch nicht, denn die abendländischen Friedhöfe stehen jedermann offen, auch Präsidenten, und die Frie- densschlüsse, derer man dort gedenkt, nehmen niemanden aus, nicht einmal eventuelle Mörder. Wenigstens solange wir uns mit Antigone in Einklang mit jenem ungeschrie- benen Gesetz wissen, das die Konten mit dem Leben bereinigt und allen die Gleichheit im Tod gewährt. Jeder Sterbliche, wer er auch sei, hat das Recht auf eine anständige Grabstätte, und jedes Opfer auf ein Gedenken; diese beiden Regeln unterscheiden unse- re Gesellschaften von den totalitären Regimen, wo die Vergangenheit je nach dem au- genblicklichen Nutzen retuschiert wird, während auf den sorgfältig heruntergespielten Massengräbern Spinat und Porree wachsen. Erinnern, vergeben, versöhnen: der Weg eines Gedenk-Präsidenten führt notwendiger- weise durch diese Stationen hindurch. Das verhindert aber nicht, daß jede von ihnen zur Falle wird. Das Verhalten der Amtsträger scheint den örtlichen Gegebenheiten perfekt angepaßt zu sein: zu angepaßt eben. Immer in redlichster Gesinnung, paßt sich Reagan den Erfordernissen des Augenblicks an und verkündet von Fall zu Fall das, was sich ge- rade schickt. Anders gesagt, seine Berater sperren ihn ins Labyrinth der ersten, elemen- tarsten Dummheit ein, die ich im Kapitel »Die Dummheit als Daseinsform und als Lo- gik« dieses Buchs untersuche. Worin besteht sie? Systematisch, Zug um Zug, wird die spontane Geste mit der Etikette, die Frage mit der Antwort lupenrein in Übereinstim- mung gebracht. Diese vollkommene, also primäre und mechanische Entsprechung von Begriff und Sache ist der Motor von zwanghaftem Handeln, das vorgefertigte Meinun- gen auf stereotype Situationen aufpfropft. Man erspart dem erlauchten Besucher auch nicht die zweite, hier (im Kapitel »Theorie der Idiotie in sechs Punkten«) als Idiotie um- schriebene Dummheit, die vor den Problemen, Konflikten und Antinomien flieht, indem sie sie von vornherein als gelöst erklärt, und sich arglos in der besten aller Welten häus- lich niederläßt. Auf den Spuren des Dostojewskischen Idioten wandelnd, schien das Ge- folge des Präsidenten die Widersprüchlichkeiten der verschiedenen Zeremonien nicht zu bemerken, auch nicht, als Journalisten und Publikum die einzelnen Deklarationen er- staunt miteinander verglichen. Ohne mit der Wimper zu zucken, verhielt sich der Präsi- 3 dent so, als sei die Versöhnung des deutschen Volkes mit seiner Geschichte eine unum- stößliche und bereits existierende Tatsache, obwohl es sein eigentlicher Reisezweck gewesen war, diese Versöhnung in die Wege zu leiten. Kurz, der Krug ging nicht zu Bruch, denn es gab gar keinen Krug. Die viele Mühe und der ganze Medienaufwand wären vielleicht nicht umsonst gewesen, wenn der Präsident die sklavische Anpassung an die Umstände verweigert und sich auf die Strategie des Slapstick nach Buster Keaton besonnen hätte. Vielleicht hätte er dann seine Energie darauf verwenden können,
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