A Very Sad Tale

Guenter Grass beats his Tin Drum...

GG, the indisputably great man of German literature, has published a "Poem"...( more like an essay written in the form of a poem ) in which he expresses his opinion about the looming conflict between Iran and Israel.

"What Must be Said" is the title of this work.

"Why am I silent,
too long with my silence deny
that which is evident
and which has been practiced in maneuvers,
at the end of which, as survivors,
we shall be but foot notes....

It is the insisted upon right
of the First Strike, which could
eradicate the Iranian people,
subjugated by a mouthy braggart
and directed to organized jubilation,
because in its area of power
is suspected the development
of a nuclear weapon.

But why do I deny myself
to call this other country by its name
in which for years, secretly,
a growing nuclear potential
has been available, but out of control
since not accessible to examination?

The common concealment
of this fact, to which my silence
subjugated itself, I sense as an oppressive
lie and compulsion, which threatens
as penalty, as soon as it is disrespected;
the verdict "Antisemitism" is commonly used.

Why only now
aged and with last ink do I say:
The Atomic Power Israel endangers
the in any event fragile world peace?
Since it must be said
what tomorrow may be too late;
since we, - as Germans guilt ridden enough-
could become the suppliers to a crime
which may be anticipated
and why our responsibility cannot
be expunged through the usual excuses.

And admittedly, I do not remain silent
because I am sick of the two-faced nature
of the West.
As well, it may be hoped,
that many will liberate
themselves from their silence
and challenge the creator of
this recognizable danger
to renounce the use of force
and also to insist that
an unfettered and permanent control
of the Israeli atomic potential
and the Iranian atomic installations
be agreed to by both countries.

Only in this way
help can be rendered
to the Israelis and Palestinians
to all people living cheek to jowl
in mutual hatred
in this region, occupied by madness,
and finally to us.


Guenter Grass: Was gesagt werden muss. (what must be said)


Well, here is the poem, translated into English from the original German to the very best of my ability.

A storm of controversy has ensued, practically all over Europe, with the Ayatollahs sitting back, gleefully rubbing their hands and with Mr. Ahmadinejad surely  saying to himself that he could not have bought such advertising with all the oil flowing from his ground in a month of Sundays.

GG suggests that Israel's concern over its own security and a contemplated "taking out" of the Iranian Atomic Plants is tantamount to "eradicating" the Iranian people.
That Mr. Ahmadinejad has described the very existence of Israel as "a cancer which must be eradicated"
 is obviously not worth a mention in GG's poem. That several leaders of Arab Governments have pronounced their intention to "drive every last Israeli into the Ocean" does also not warrant even a line in his poem. The war started by several Arab Nations practically the day after Israel announced its independence in 1948, by collectively invading Israel's territory ( and several other "armed incursions") seems not sufficiently important to warrant even a line, not to mention a stanza in "What Must be Said".

GG identifies Israel as the "Danger to World Peace" and "The Cause of this recognizable danger"
and very cleverly suggests that anybody making such statements will be classified as "Antisemitic".
Therefore: If anyone even breathes the thought that this very latest pronouncement is a sign of GG's latent Antisemitism, he may at once cry out: "You see, I told you so. I speak the truth and right away I am called  Antisemitic...

A very clever line: "Why only now, aged and with last ink do I say the Atomic Power Israel threatens World Peace?"
What a clever line to use, in a society which, almost without question, accepts as the truth a statement made by a person who is about to take his last breath.
"Aged and with last ink" is pretty much the same as "I make this confession in light of my impending literary death"....

Hallo !!!  Must be pretty much the Incontrovertible Truth...

His reference to Germany being "a supplier to a crime which may be anticipated" apparently is based on  the fact that this country is about to sell an atomically propelled submarine to Israel.
That the Iran is acquiring long range missiles (from Russia and/or China ?) is also of no concern to GG.

Some comments in the European media:
"A total reversal of historical facts"
"An  outstanding author is by no means also an outstanding expert in world affairs"
"Comments, tasteless and historically incorrect"
"Grass is the Prototype of the Intellectual Antisemite"
"Grass lost in the Jungle of German guilt feelings"

Let me add my own comment: "Grass, the pathetic, antisemitic intellectual author, with not much more to say."

What a shame: His "Tin Drum", "Dog Years" "Cat and Mouse"  were great works of art.
His last Poem : "What has to be said"  is a biased unthinking diatribe, not worthy of a great author.

I cried when Ernest Hemingway took a shot gun into his mouth and I now cry when GG does something similar.

Bertstravels.