So....the Rammstein/Till Lindemann controversy has basically been over for a while. The authorities found no evidence he did anything wrong, and I'm pretty sure that the original accuser's accusation was false.
This controversy has kind of scarred the fan base though. It has divided a lot of us for a while, with many engaging in cancel culture and breaking from the fan base, only to be slowly slinking back while pretending nothing has happened more recently.
I know for me it caused me to more publicly break from social justice ideology, and to realize the full extent of what damage it poses to liberal democracy. Between encouraging people to believe claims with no evidence, to engaging in cancel culture and witch hunts, this behavior is toxic and undermines several pillars of our free society like freedom of speech, the presumption of innocence, and the rule of law. While it has to, within reason, be tolerated, insofar as liberal values require, I would not say it should be encouraged and that I have hard broken away from those guys over this.
One of the reasons I'm more hostile to the left now is because of this. I had been breaking with SJWs for years now, but this really was one of the straws that broke the camel's back for me. And it's one of the reasons I've been building up the brand of being culturally centrist. I've come to realize that politics is a bit like horseshoe theory on these issues, with my liberal belief system distinct both from the illiberal social justice left, but also the illiberal conservative/alt right.
And reading this poem, I kind of see stuff in that too.
So, this is the english translation of the poem from deepL:
To all who are
and have been with me.
I wish you many GOOD years!
Red becomes brown
They walk the paths in boots
Loudly towards the past
What is spoken is in the mind
To whom one points, directed towards
What is lied about is true
Red becomes brown, nothing is as it was
Black on white it is there
What is written is true
High the heels close to God
Verbally [pleasure yourself]* in conspiracy
Heavy falls the snow,
No longer hurts
Lay flowers on my grave,
Let rest
Because they don't know what they're doing
So much envy in hollow veins
Outside the hyenas are howling
But with respect, you've failed
I'm fine
Yes
It goes on
*I edited a word out to make it a little less NSFW.
So yeah. It seems very clear that this is political. The concept of red becomes brown has been speculated to be about leftists (normally identified as red) becoming fascists (identified as brown). I would agree with that interpretation. It also speaks of how right now it seems like the world is turned on its head. Nothing makes sense, the battle lines have been blurred. What was simple is now complicated.
In a lot of ways, we've had a bit of a realignment lately in politics. Both in the US and Europe, it seems like liberal democracy is being tested, to put it lightly. It almost as if things are falling apart at the seams. People are losing faith in the system and both extremes are rushing toward a dark authoritarianism.
In the US, on the right, we have trump and the GOP. In Germany, they have the AFD. In the left, some aspects of the left are embracing cancel culture. In Germany, which is more left than we are, it seems almost amped up to a 10. I mean, seeing this play out in germany and how much institutional power the social justice left has, it really has made me realize how much these guys threaten liberal values. And it really does seem like there's a lot more political extremism lately, as the overton window fails to adjust more naturally to what citizens want. In the social justice left, there's a rejection of liberal institutions as flawed, and requiring the need of direct action to solve problems, like....in the minds of some, sexual assault. Because they see the justice system as favoring perpetrators, they see the need for them to step in and enact their own justice. Which is, again, what I find so scary about those guys.
But yeah, it seems to be talking about lies being taken to be true, and that's true here. A lot of action was taken by these guys, based on mere hearsay. There was no evidence, and the SJWs had this rallying cry of believe all evidence. Basically, act against someone accused without proof that they did anything, because our system that requires proof doesnt get the convictions we want.But it doesnt get the convictions because it's designed to let people walk free unless is proven, which it wasn't here.
It also seems to discuss the self righteousness of the SJWs and their cause, going on about how they're so high and mighty, and also about their obvious...circlejerking behavior. Ya know, the word...I removed, to make this a bit more....family friendly. But yeah. It does seem to discuss that.
Of course the second verse has a double meaning. While red to brown can mean leftists are becoming fascists in a sense, it can also mean that he is healing. That wounds that were once fresh (red) are now brown and scabbed over. That the fallout no longer hurts him. And it seems like he just wants to move on and let the issue go. The people don't know what they're doing, and those who wished harm to him have failed, and he's going to be fine.
He also thanked those who are with him on this ordeal. And you know what? You're welcome, dude. Till has helped me a lot with his music over the years, and I feel like the least I can do is defend him in his time of need. Hence why I discussed the issue last year on this blog, and spent so much time defending him on forums and social media. I hope he too has many good years ahead of him.
Now, some people I've talked to don't think he should have posted this. That he shouldn't have addressed the issue and potentially inflamed tensions. I say screw it. Dude has a right to say what he wants to say. And ya know what? If you censor yourself, you're giving these cancel culture jokers what they want. Become ungovernable. Become the kind of person who the SJWs want to cancel, but in a GOOD way (as in, dont become a bigoted POS). I still think Rammstein never should've removed "pussy" from the setlist in their concerts over this, and honestly, I think Till should be free to do whatever he wants. Haters gonna hate. Let them. And if they retaliate, they are legally in the wrong.
Dude shouldn't hold his peace forever. He's been pretty "cool" about this all things considered. Let him have his moment of writing a thinly obscured poem discussing his feelings on the matter.
Anyway. I just wanted to discuss this issue. I focused on it last year and given I sometimes like to interpret till's work on here when it has political implications, I decided to do so.
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