Thomas Glavinic zur österreichischen Mentalität

Aus dem lesenswerten Artikel How many more of our missing are stuck in some underground prison? von Thomas Glavinic (der u.a. auch den Bombenanschlag von Oberwart 1995, bei dem vier Roma ermordet wurden, thematisiert) aus dem gestrigen Guardian … stellt sich die Frage, ob es in vielen ländlichen Regionen beispielsweise der BRD gross anders ist

The countryside hates everything that is at a distance: the government, the EU, the Americans, the Jews. There are old-boy networks and there is peer pressure. Those who don’t work for their local voluntary fire brigade or at least donate money to their village fete are branded oddballs or outsiders. The rest, on the other hand, could beat up their wives and kids in their spare time. We wouldn’t care. „It’s just none of our business.“

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„Him? I can’t believe it! He was always so polite!“ That’s what acquaintances said about Josef Fritzl. It’s what they always say.

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Most Austrians think that someone who greets them politely on the street is a decent man, and they would see no reason to question that theory even if that same person had a blood-smeared body bag hanging over his shoulder.