Fact: Bundesbank (German central bank) has called on the country's president to dismiss Thilo Sarrazin - one of its board members - over comments he made about immigration and Jews. The call for dismissal is an unprecedented move by the Bundesbank.Mr Sarrazin has criticised German Muslims, suggested the existence of a Jewish gene, and warned of ethnic Germans being outnumbered by migrants. President Christian Wulff said he was concerned Germany's image could be damaged by Sarrazin's remarks. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Mr Sarrazin's remarks were "completely unacceptable" and urged the Bundesbank to act.
VW (View from Wirtland): This situation in a democratic country such as Germany raises many questions. What exactly is the reason to dismiss Mr. Sarrazin from his bank? Has he committed a crime, is he under trial? No. It appears he is being fired for his personal views. A little bit surprising, for one of world's most advanced democracies. How exactly "Germany's image can be damaged" by his remarks? Please clarify, Mr. President Wulff. Sarrazin is not a public politician, or a government executive, who represents German state or any political party.
What is so "unacceptable" in a private person's opinion, Ms. Chancellor Merkel? An assumption about a "Jewish gene" may sound illiterate to biologists, but Mr. Sarrazin is not a scientist. One does not need to be a biologist to see that nations do share common features - call them genetic or not. Many Irish are red-haired, many Dutch are tall. Quite a lot of Jewish people share common features, too. Is that a reason to use unprecedented government pressure to fire a private person, breaking all basic rules of a democratic state?
If it requires the country's President to dismiss a central bank board member, does that not make the board member a public official? And if a public official makes public comments forwarding the insanity of the Nuremberg Laws, shouldn't that public official suffer the consequences?
ReplyDelete