eugyppius: a plague chronicle

Source: https://www.eugyppius.com/p/amazon-blocks-online-reviews-of-angela

As you might have heard, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has finally published her political memoir. It is a meandering, 736-page brick of a book bearing the dubious title Freedom, and if I seem a little more silent than usual in the coming week or two, that is partly because I’m hard at work reading it. Yes, I am going to review it, and no, I do not look forward to this task that I have set myself.

The book has received long and generally positive reviews in the mainstream press, bcause journalists are still very much in love with Merkel. Fascinating in these pieces is the counter-narrative lurking just under their surface, as if the people penning them are reacting to unstated, suppressed critiques: Again and again one must read about Merkel’s rationality (and not her quiet plotting), her nuance (and not her obfuscation), her sober tone (and not her crazy policies), her modesty (and not her carefully calibrated self-presentation), and her success as a woman in the male-dominated field of politics (and not her objective failures).

Amazon readers are markedly more sceptical. The world’s largest online retailer reports that Freedom enjoys an unspectacular 3.5-star rating. This figure would be even lower, were it not for all the five-star clapping seals complaining that book reviews are not the place to vent generalised displeasure at Germany’s single most destructive postwar chancellor and that Merkel really was fantastic, really she was. Merkel’s online critics – some them transparently CDU supporters – regret in particular her lack of self-reflection and her refusal to admit to mistakes.

“Angela Merkel’s book … is disappointing right down the line,” reads one of the top-ranked reviews. “Instead of an honest reflection on her 16 years as chancellor, she presents a self-satisfied justification of her policies, without any self-criticism.”

Merkel consistently avoids admitting mistakes. Neither the controversial energy transition nor the challenges of the euro crisis nor the polarization of society by her migration policy are critically examined. Particularly striking is her lack of insight into the tensions that have been triggered by the mass influx of migrants and asylum seekers in Germany. Between the lines, it is clear that Merkel would still stick to a borderless admission policy today – regardless of the social consequences …

The book is written in a dry and sterile style. It lacks vibrancy, empathy and a genuine understanding of the concerns and fears of the population. Merkel seems out of touch and detached from the realities of many people’s lives. Instead of insights or critical moments, “Freedom” presents a propagandistic homage to her own reign – a piece of historiography that no one but the author herself would approve of. …

“Freedom” is ultimately a book for a small elite that wants to feel vindicated in Merkel’s political decisions. …

In the end, the book comes across as a laboured attempt by a former chancellor to maintain control over the interpretation of her political legacy.

Happily, as the Berliner Zeitung first reported, Amazon has now put a stop to all of this dislike by blocking the review function. Anyone trying to leave a review – as I just did – is met with this error message:

Unfortunately, we cannot accept reviews for this item. This product has restrictions on the submission of reviews. This could be for a number of reasons, including unusual review activity.

Big think emoji.