Röpke's warning
As I read Wilhelm Röpke's insightful and morally challenging book, The German Question, I am struck by the implicit warning that we -- the defenders of Liberty -- must speak out, in the various media, against our current situation and likely path, lest we suffer the condemnation of our posterity.
For us the cry is not "To Arms! To Arms!," rather it is "To Pen! To Pen!"
Comments (4)
jeffrey
I'm so glad that you are reading this. I found this book incredibly inspiring. It is just a tragedy that it was somehow lost in the history of liberalism. Compare to the fame of Road to Serfdom, for example.
I would be interested to hear other thoughts that you have on this book.
Published: August 23, 2008 7:38 PM
Jim Fedako
Jeffrey,
There is a lot to the book. As a political history of Nazi Germany, I put it near Omnipotent Government. They both review the same history through parallel lines of thought. The German Question will cause me to end up reviewing OG once again. I say that since I need to fully understand Mises's thesis in order to synthesis this book with OG.
One other text that also brings German history to light is Rothbard's History of Economic Thought, where he reviews the movements within the German states throughout history.
I recently finished Democracy in America which sets the stage for a possible American Question -- though I hope and pray that never comes to fruition.
Like you, I highly recommend this book to all.
Published: August 24, 2008 2:58 PM
Arnim Sauerbier
I managed to read the first third of it.
The book is dated, in the sense of being written in exile just after the vast catastrophe of WWII. In addition the author was personally a victim of the nazi purges, which makes it valuable as an eyewitness testimony, but also leads it to come across as a bit of a drawn-out and hyperbolic cry de-coeur.
For those of you who haven't personally dealt with the combination of thuggishness and self-righteousness that characterized the true-blue nazis, count yourself lucky. I may elaborate on this at more length someday.
Published: August 26, 2008 8:17 AM
Jim Fedako
One troubling passage is the comment that the inscription ove the entrance to Belsen (the concentration camp) read "My country right or wrong."
I found another reference to that statement. For many, even when wrong, their country is right.
Something to consider.
Published: August 27, 2008 10:55 PM