Kultur 3

For the first group of readings I read “Germany looks to tighten up drinking rules”, “Forget the Mett try a Frikadelle”, and “What about the Turks? An Introduction to Germany’s real fast food joints”. Regarding the first article, it is very understandable that a cultural tradition renders the enforcement of the law difficult and its practical benefit minimal. Yet, I was startled to see that the main argument was this opposed the drinkers’ civil rights. In America, we would say that you only have a right ‘to’ something so long as it does not conflict with an individual’s right ‘from’ something. I don’t know German law but I am assuming that to some degree intoxicated people are freed from conscious intent in the legal system. Enforced interaction with this person would then definitely violate others’ civil rights. I was very amused by the “Optimists are Idiots” article and it was a great example of German ideology. Yet, I hope that Kimberly Bradley never makes an attempt to interpret a philosopher again. Or at least next time she should say ‘according to my feeble interpretation of someone’s summary of Nietzsche’. The first claim was fine, the last three were not. I am amused that the death of a figure who banishes endless people to eternal hell for trivial sins, or per Dante, even intellectualism, could be listed next to “we’re all doomed”. Sam Engel