Failure lacks any appealing aspect
In the political landscape of modern Germany, a new wave of Romanticism is making its presence felt, albeit not extensively documented in recent sources. This contemporary interpretation of 19th-century German Romanticism, often characterised by art, culture, and a mythic sense of national identity, is sparking complex debates around free speech, Enlightenment values, and legal frameworks like Section 188 of the Criminal Code.
Historically, German Romanticism contrasted with Kantian enlightenment ideals, merging art and myth in ways that blurred boundaries between truth and fable, posing philosophical challenges to strictly rational or scientific viewpoints that underpin free speech and reason-based legal norms. The 19th-century German Young Germany movement, a reaction against exaggerated Romantic nationalism, sought to promote social reform, political justice, and free expression, but faced censorship and opposition due to its challenge to established authorities and norms.
Fast forward to the present, scholars like Dr. Jeffrey Champlin are exploring how Romanticism intersects with fundamentalism and political extremism, suggesting that "rebirth" tropes in Romanticism resonate in current political-cultural debates, potentially including challenges to liberal democratic order and secularist assumptions.
Section 188 of the German Criminal Code, traditionally pertaining to insult or defamation, especially involving the public order or state authorities, criminalizes certain speech acts that may threaten social or political stability. The tension arises in balancing free speech rights against laws protecting public order or individual dignity, particularly in political contexts influenced by romantic nationalist or fundamentalist sentiments.
While no direct recent sources specify changes or controversies precisely about Section 188 and new romanticism, the broader cultural-political landscape suggests that romantic nationalist impulses may encourage narratives that test the limits of free speech under German law, especially if romanticized nationalism clashes with Enlightenment ideals of universal rational discourse and pluralism.
The constitutional foundation in Germany, rooted in Enlightenment and democratic principles, prioritises freedom of expression but also permits limitations to prevent hate speech or threats to democratic order, areas where Section 188 could come into play and where new romantic or nationalist rhetoric might face legal scrutiny.
In summary, the current implications of new romanticism in German politics involve a philosophical and cultural debate over the role of myth, national identity, and emotion versus Enlightenment values of reason, universalism, and free rational discourse. Potential political tensions arise where romantic nationalist rhetoric intersects with legal limits on speech, including the interpretation and enforcement of Section 188. The risk is that romantic or fundamentalist political disclosures might challenge liberal democratic order, complicating free speech protections.
These dynamics continue to be the subject of academic analysis and political-cultural discourse, reflecting ongoing negotiations in Germany’s commitment to free speech, historical lessons from past romantic nationalism, and the defense of democratic Enlightenment principles. However, concerns have been raised about an erosion of freedom of speech in Germany, with critics warning that the new romanticism, now wielding political power and shaping state intervention, often values emotion over logic and failure over progress.
The media, too, has been accused of being part of this movement, seeing themselves as guardians of democracy rather than the fourth estate. The new romanticism is now an ideological project of a failed milieu, waging a struggle against reality, enlightenment, and recalcitrant citizens. Critics of the new romanticism risk more than mere annoyance, with Section 188 of the Criminal Code being used to prosecute citizens systematically. A new government that aims for an era of enlightenment and political reason should reform or abolish Section 188 StGB to protect citizens, not the powerful.
A group of "dissenters" is growing slowly but steadily, likely referring to those who still value reason, criticism, and individual freedom. The new government faces a tough start, as it needs to cater to the sovereign, not the literary critic. The means of the new romanticism have shifted from rhetoric to repression. Reality is seen as too complex for the average citizen, leading to pedagogical paternalism instead of enlightenment.
Habeck's ideology, a key figure in this romantic shift in German politics, died during his tenure, but beautifully, according to the new romanticism. The media has settled into consensus and stylizes any doubt as a threat to democracy. This new romanticism values emotion over logic and failure over progress. The romantic glorification of the traffic light coalition is puzzling, given the disdainful incomprehension for the current government that follows. The new romanticism in Germany, as seen in politics, media, and culture, is a mental attitude that opposes reason, critical publicity, and individual freedom. Criticism is often seen as offense, and control as betrayal by the media in this context.
Digital platforms are being utilised to enforce this prosecution, even over trivial internet memes. The means of the new romanticism have shifted from rhetoric to repression. The media has settled into consensus and stylizes any doubt as a threat to democracy. This new romanticism values emotion over logic and failure over progress. A group of "dissenters" is growing slowly but steadily, likely referring to those who still value reason, criticism, and individual freedom. The new government faces a tough start, as it needs to cater to the sovereign, not the literary critic. The means of the new romanticism have shifted from rhetoric to repression. Reality is seen as too complex for the average citizen, leading to pedagogical paternalism instead of enlightenment. Habeck's ideology died during his tenure, but beautifully, according to the new romanticism.
In this evolving cultural-political landscape of contemporary Germany, a discourse around the fusion of Romanticism and various trends like lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, travel, and other areas beyond the realm of traditionalpolitics is emerging. This amalgamation could potentially blur the lines between free speech and public discourse, especially when married with romantic nationalist sentiments or fundamentalist ideologies, potentially leading to challenges to democratic openness.
As Romanticism's influence infiltrates the media and shapes public narrative, questions arise about the balance between objective criticism and emotional appeals in portraying reality, a concern that overlaps with debates around the role of Section 188 in policing free speech, particularly regarding memes and social media content.
