The German journalist, writer and politician Bodo Uhse (1904 – 1963) would have completely disappeared in the mist of history, had not his one decision - to leave Hitlers NSDAP and to join the KPD... Show moreThe German journalist, writer and politician Bodo Uhse (1904 – 1963) would have completely disappeared in the mist of history, had not his one decision - to leave Hitlers NSDAP and to join the KPD in 1931 – saved him from oblivion. His determined and apparently spectacular step, did provide him, from the very moment he returned to East Germany in 1948, with a prosperous career and a reputation of being one of the more heroic antifascists in the country. This study – formally a biography - describes the development of Uhses political stance, from about 1921 till the moment he left the NSDAP and became a member of the KPD, and tries to shed a fresh light on why he made his move in the first place, why the despised communist party suddenly ended up as a welcome home for his political ideas. A clarification of the “Konservative Revolution”, a generic term for a number of right wing groups propagating similar ideas on how German society should be changed, and an analysis of the change of direction set in by the KPD in 1930, by issuing a manifesto, introducing a national and social agenda into her program helps us to understand Uhses ‘switch’, and, similarly, putting it in perspective. Show less
Politicians, columnists and talk show guests __ anyone and everyone who appears in the public arena __ might at times be accused of talking rubbish. But what is rubbish? The criteria are not always... Show morePoliticians, columnists and talk show guests __ anyone and everyone who appears in the public arena __ might at times be accused of talking rubbish. But what is rubbish? The criteria are not always clear. This problem is characteristic of modernity. In former times, the chatterbox was literally sick of talking. But due to the fast passed media developments of the last two centuries, it is no longer obvious who has a right to speak and who does not. Control is no longer possible. This also applies to modern literature. Literature no longer determines what constitutes an acceptable use of language and in response, now claims the right to chatter too. Literature uses the residue of speech for example to test whether it is possible to un-talk language. The surprising conclusion is that this is far from simple. Even the highest degrees of bullshit are not yet devoid of all meaning. In addition to this, literature presents extreme situations in which the speakers have no alternative but to keep chattering, even when they are prepared to assume their societal obligations. In this way, literature proves that talk without chatter is ultimately impossible, whilst at the same time teaching us how to enjoy rubbish. Show less
