Bootleggers and Baptists — The Rotten Core of Political Culture in Germany

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Often in history, religious fanatics (baptists) and criminals (bootleggers) form an alliance that may be unwitting, except when the two roles are played by one and the same person, as seems to be the case with this reporter of DER SPIEGEL, who diseminated lies about people with a plight while raking in donations to the invented victims for his personal gain.

This is the fundamental formula, by which Germany's myth makers take advantage of a population craving to be told lies.

The discovery of the journalist's misconduct is a blessing in disguise for the German media, it gives them a wonderful opportunity to convince the gullible and complicit public that this is an exception perpetrated by an unusual villain.

The fact of the matter is that the scandal signifies the rule in Germany rather than a rare exception.

The country is gripped by politico-religious fanaticism – politics and the media drive and are driven by the mania.

The German appetite for a creed of absolutes has been successfully rekindled and will not go away soon. Democracy and open-minded debate are at a steep discount. Germans want leaders, better still a leader, who leads them where the craze is pointing them.

No one cares when this leader overrides the constitution, demanding the destruction of national integrity. No one cares when the country does its best in just about every aspect that matters to fall behind the international competition.

There is a huge official, state-driven black (but seen as gold) market for subsidised myths such as global warming and the Energiewende. Worship and perpetuate these myths and you will be rewarded with the subsidies. This is how baptists and bootleggers hang together in Germany.