If you select an inappropriate tune, preparation for a crumbled federal entity awaits you.
Dear folks, welcome to the "Vibe-Hangout", the intellectual expressions of a kind-hearted soul! While you unwind and read this without giving it much thought, I'm doing my part, looking after my buddy's pup so he can jet-set while his best friend isn't left home alone.
No sweat: Despite my multicultural background - my grandpa hailed from Austria, my mom was from the German-speaking region of Greater Poland - I steer clear of pet cuisine, neither feasting on dogs nor cats, although they seem a tad suspicious to me, with their ability to sense pet-loving humans.
I ain't got no beef with it, honestly. I leave the furry-cat feasting to Alf. He, you see, was a sort of refugee, hailing from Melmac and taking up residence in the United States after his spaceship had to make an emergency landing. It's astonishing that an average American family allowed for his residence for more than 100 episodes, even though he was a rude, sarcastic alien who had a penchant for grilling cats for dinner. Of course, it's all make-believe. But as reality melts into fiction, the boundaries blur - nothing is off-limits anymore, it seems.
Bye bye, social utopias
I can recall all too well the uproar when Eastern European vagabonds in Berlin's Tiergarten supposedly caught, barbecued, and chomped down on rabbits and swans. "We didn't witness any poaching ourselves, but we have witnesses – plus, the camps contained leftovers suggesting this," the district of Mitte informed the public back in 2016. At the time, Stephan von Dassel, a no-nonsense Green Party politician, held the reins of Mitte. He cleared out tent camps of homeless people, following his no-nonsense approach: "We're not making progress with our current policies."
Von Dassel called for the deportation of the particularly belligerent vagabonds, arguing, "I don't actually care what the party says. I'm first and foremost accountable to my employees." At the time, haranguing and threats were commonplace. The man from the Greens took aim at "thought taboos," considered it ridiculous that "an urban infrastructure engineer abandons his post to focus on cycling lanes," and remarked about the renaming of Mohrenstraße, which is in Mitte, by saying: "The hysteria surrounding the N-word isn't helping us. We're losing those who dare to question their linguistic choices."
Obviously, such remarks didn't go over well with the Green Party's state association, whose top candidate apologized publicly for admitting to having daydreamed about becoming an "Indian chief" as a child, a testament to her gender-defying aspirations. Although progressive, as far as I know, her statement also indicated that girls pondered male-dominated careers before the language of gender was invented. Regardless, the party faithful cried: "Discrimination! Not like that!" The top candidate duly apologized to appease indigenous folk a world away who threatened to excavate folding chairs with nuclear weapons - or something like that.
Von Dassel lost his job in the town hall due to a botched interview, and the Greens swiftly distanced themselves from him, the law-and-order advocate. In September 2022, the parliament of Dassel ousted him from office despite the votes of his own party. Meanwhile, the Green Party's Minister in charge of Child Protection, Youth Services, Family, Equality, Refugee Affairs, and Integration in North Rhine-Westphalia, despite being responsible for inadequate deportations, was able to continue her work, even following the murders in Solingen. Strange.
Right on trend
Speaking of strange, shortly after the elections in Thuringia and Saxony, the Green Party's leader Ricarda Lang was asked by ARD if migration and its consequences could have cost the Greens votes. "I don't think that's the pressing concern keeping voters up at night," she said. Absolutely not. Instead, it's discontent with the nuclear phase-out and conversion programs moving too slowly, as well as newspapers failing to adopt gender-neutral language. This sets AfD supporters' fuses ablaze, while they remain unbothered if refugees feast on cats, dogs, or a plethora of other choices.
Lang and company are in tune with the times and know what the people want. They've got their fingers on the pulse and understand people's issues. Recently, Monika Herrmann, a moral compass and former mayor of Berlin's Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district, left the "Hoffest" dancefloor in protest. The DJ played "L'amour toujours" by Italian DJ Gigi d'Agostino late in the evening, which, although translated as "Forever in love," is now courting controversy in the media.
There were negative reactions. "That's not acceptable," according to reports, Frau Herrmann voiced her disapproval. Mayor Kai Wegner shared her sentiment. He had his spokesperson declare: "The song has become a widely recognized symbol associated with the far-right faction. Consequently, it's not appropriate to play it at the Mayor's Festival." Especially since the event is funded by hundreds of thousands of euros from taxpayers and public enterprises. Furthermore, "We will take action and will not collaborate with the DJ again next year, and we will scrutinize the playlist more thoroughly in our planning process."
The Significance of Choices
Takeaway: In the Fallen Federal State, playing the wrong tune and being perceived as being on the wrong side can result in dismissal. Even if the DJ maintains, "This is a great song, I won't let the fascists spoil it for me," it might not be long before "Les Préludes" by Franz Liszt lands on the banned list. A fragment of it was utilized by the fascists, in a militant rendition, as an identification motif for their propaganda reports on the battlefront and in newsreels. The piece is played extensively in German concert halls today, even by state-funded orchestras in Berlin. Will someone eventually catch on and the musicians lose their jobs, leading to the renaming of Liszt streets?
Perhaps Kai Wegner is intent on maintaining the Greens as his coalition partner. It appears so. For the government heading by Wegner is continuing in the footsteps of the preceding red-green-red coalition, concentrating on significant matters like the music at the "Mayor's Festival". Wegner had promised by the end of 2023, anyone seeking an appointment at the citizen's office could secure it within two weeks. He shows a light-hearted side, as he recently withdrew this commitment - no damage done, as no one truly believed it - and announced: "I believe that for many Berliners, this two-week objective may not be of great importance in all honesty." Faith is significant for Christians and Christian Democrats. And as Jesus once said: "Love forever."
Despite the recent controversy surrounding the playlist at the "Mayor's Festival," I can't help but wonder - What about the freedom of artistic expression? Should songs be banned based on their perceived associations?
However, it seems that in the political sphere, choices can have significant consequences. Just as Von Dassel learned when he lost his job due to his controversial remarks. Sometimes, the cost of standing out is higher than we realize.
