A German Newspaper Wakes Up! / Eine deutsche Zeitung wacht auf!

(English translation at end of post)

Kaum zu glauben - eine deutsche Zeitung nimmt Fortschritte im Irak wahr! In der Berliner Morgenpost vermittelt Boris Kalnoky revolutionäre Erkenntnisse:

Freiheiten, Geld und billige Autos

(Man) müßte sich einen Iraker vorstellen, der ein Jahr lang im Tiefschlaf lag ... Nun schlägt er die Augen auf. Im Fernsehen läuft CNN, BBC oder - wahrscheinlicher - der unter Saddam ebenso verbotene arabische Fernsehsender Al Dschasira. Sein Bruder spricht gerade über Mobiltelefon mit seinem Cousin in Deutschland. Mobiltelefone waren unter Saddam verboten, und Familien mit Verwandten im Ausland grundsätzlich verdächtig. ... Der Bruder verdient 100 Dollar im Monat, das Vierfache eines Durchschnittsgehalts unter Saddam. Er arbeitet als Korrektor bei einer der rund 150 neuen, unabhängigen Zeitungen des Irak, in denen alles geschrieben und gesagt werden kann, außer Aufrufe zur Gewalt. ...

Fortan keine Besuche der Staatssicherheit mehr, um zu drängen, dass der Sohn den Fedajin Saddam beitreten soll, oder um mit Haft zu drohen, wenn man nicht verrät, was der Nachbar so erzählt. Und überhaupt: Zwei weitere Cousins sind frei, sie waren von Saddam eingesperrt worden, warum, wissen weder sie noch die Familie.

Im Hof des Hauses steht ein glänzender Opel Astra Kombi. Gebraucht und aus Deutschland. 2500 Dollar hat er gekostet, viel für die Familie, jeder hat beigetragen, um die Summe zusammenzubekommen. Aber das Auto ist vermutlich billiger als irgendwo anders auf dem Planeten. Die Amerikaner haben acht Monate lang alle Steuern und Einfuhrzölle gestrichen, mehr als eine halbe Million Fahrzeuge sind seit Kriegsende ins Land gerollt. Unter Saddam war das eine streng reglementierte Angelegenheit, und um zu einem Fahrzeug zu kommen, brauchte man außer viel Geld auch gute Beziehungen.

Der Bruder nutzt das Auto, um außerhalb der Arbeitszeiten als Taxifahrer Geld zu verdienen. ... so kommen noch einmal 150 Dollar im Monat zusammen. Macht zusammen 250, und zwei weitere Mitglieder der zehnköpfigen Familie arbeiten. Einer als Polizist (120 Dollar) und seine Frau als Sekretärin bei der Zeitung (100 Dollar).

Zusammen hat die Familie mehr als genug zum Leben, zumal die Amerikaner Saddams altes System der staatlichen Nahrungsmittelverteilung beibehalten haben. Es gibt also genug zu essen, auch für jene, die kein Geld verdienen. Für Mehl, Reis, Öl, Salz, Zucker, Tee und dergleichen Grundnahrungsmittel ist immer gesorgt.

Der erwachende Iraker selbst betrieb vor seinem Tiefschlaf ein Möbelgeschäft. Seine Frau und sein erwachsener Sohn haben es in seiner Abwesenheit verwaltet. Das Geschäft boomt, zumal keine Steuern mehr zu zahlen sind. Vor allem Büromöbel sind derzeit gefragt, allenthalben werden neue Unternehmen gegründet. Eben debattiert die Familie, ob man nicht ein neues Geschäft starten sollte, es gibt für Existenzgründungen bescheidene Kredite bei der Besatzungsbehörde.

Alles in allem bleibt genug Geld übrig, um einen Computer zu kaufen. ... "Internet" lautet das neue Zauberwort, wer es nicht hat, der will es, und auch das war natürlich unter Saddam vollkommen undenkbar. In Bagdad sind die Internetcafes wie Pilze aus dem Boden geschossen. Selbst in entfernten Kleinstädten findet man welche. Die Iraker lernen schnell, und da die alten Telefone stumm sind (die Telefonzentrale ist immer noch nicht vollkommen repariert), haben viele eine Email-Adresse.

Man darf übrigens wieder einmal daran erinnern, welchem Martyrium die Iraker entronnen sind. Ein irakischer Übersetzer:

Unter dem alten Regime war ich Lehrer für Englisch und englische Literatur für drei bis vier Dollar im Monat. Jetzt verdiene ich 15 Dollar am Tag als Übersetzer. Ich war auch ... Soldat. Es gab ein dünnes Brot zum Frühstück für zwei Soldaten, wenn man Glück hatte. Es gab kein Mittag- oder Abendessen. Man mußte sich das Essen von zuhause mitbringen oder in Geschäften kaufen. Es war ein miserables Leben. Die Armee kümmerte sich nicht um ihre Soldaten. ...

Ich habe Aufnahmen vom Training der Fedayeen (Saddams persönliche Truppe) gesehen. Man hat kleine Kinder vor ihnen exekutiert, um ihre Herzen zu schließen. Hunde wurden auf alte Leute und Kriminelle mit dem selben Zweck gejagt. Saddam zahlte ihnen gutes Geld, und das war der Grund, warum sie Saddam dienten...

Die einzigen Leute, die jetzt gegen die Amerikaner sind, sind die, die früher reich waren. Sie wissen jetzt, sie können nicht zuhause sitzen und reich werden. Sie müssen arbeiten, und das mögen sie nicht. Sie verlorgen ihre Macht und Autorität. Es ist sehr gefährlich. ...

Was habe ich dem amerikanischen Volk zu sagen? Ihr müßt stolz sein auf Eure Söhne. Ihr müßt stolz sein auf Eure Armee. Sie sind Kämpfer für den Frieden.

Genau.      

English translation
Translation by Ray D..

A German Newspaper Wakes Up!

Unbelievable – A German newspaper is noticing progress in Iraq! In the “Berliner Morgenpost” Boris Kalnoky delivers revolutionary insights:

Freedoms, Money and Cheap Cars

(One) has to imagine an Iraqi who has been in a deep sleep for a year … suddenly his eyes open wide. On TV CNN, BBC or – more probably – the broadcaster banned under Saddam just as it is now, Al Jazeera, is running. His brother is talking to his cousin in Germany on the cell phone. Cell phones were banned under Saddam and families with relatives abroad were viewed with suspicion as a rule. … The brother earns 100 dollars a month, four times the average salary under Saddam. He works as a proof reader at one of the around 150 new, independent newspapers in Iraq in which everything can be written and said, other than calls to violence. …

From now on no more visits from the State Security trying to pressure the son to join the Fedayeen Saddam or threatening imprisonment if one didn’t betray what the neighbor was saying. And on top of it all: two more cousins are free who were locked up by Saddam for reasons that they and their families still can’t figure out.

In the courtyard of the house stands a gleaming Opel Astra station-wagon. Used and from Germany. It cost 2500 dollars, a lot for the family, everyone contributed to come up with the money. But the car is likely cheaper than anywhere else on the planet. The Americans have eliminated all taxes and import customs for eight months, more than a half million cars have rolled into the country since the war ended. Under Saddam it was a strictly regulated matter and to get a car one needed a lot of money along with good connections.

The brother uses the car to earn money as a taxi driver before and after work. … This brings in another 150 dollars a month. That totals 250 a month and two other members of the family of ten work. One as a policeman (120 dollars) and his wife as a secretary at the newspaper (100 dollars.)

Together the family has more than enough to live on, especially since the Americans have retained Saddam’s old system of distributing foodstuffs. There is enough to eat, even for those who don’t earn money. Flour, rice, oil, salt, sugar, tea and similar basic foodstuffs are always supplied.

The awakening Iraqi himself ran a furniture business before his deep sleep. His wife and grown son managed it in his absence. Business is booming especially with no taxes to pay. Office furniture is currently in high demand as new companies are being established all over. The family is debating whether to start a new business since there are modest loans from the occupational authority for those seeking to start a small business.

All in all enough money is left over to buy a computer. … “Internet” is the new magic word, he who doesn’t have it wants it, and that was naturally also completely unthinkable under Saddam. In Baghdad the internet cafes are shooting out of the ground like mushrooms. Even in distant small towns you find some. The Iraqis are fast learners and since the old telephone central station is silent (the station is still not completely repaired,) many have an email address.

BTW: One should be reminded once again what kind of a martyrdom the Iraqis have escaped from. A translator:

Under the old regime, I was a teacher of English and English Literature for three to four dollars a month. Now I earn $15.00 a day as an interpreter. I was also a conscription soldier. There was one small loaf of bread for two soldiers for breakfast, if you were lucky. There was no lunch or dinner provided. You had to bring food from home or buy it from shops. It was a miserable life. The army did not take care of its soldiers. . . .

I have seen recordings of how the Fedayeen were trained. Small children would be executed in front of them to harden their hearts. Dogs would be set on old people and criminals with the same purpose. Saddam paid them good money, which is why they served Saddam. ...

The only people who are against the Americans now are those who were rich before. Now they know that they can’t sit at home and get wealthy. They will have to work and they don’t like it. They lost the power and authority. It is very dangerous. ...

What would I say to the American people? You have to be proud of your sons. You have to be proud of your army. They are fighters for freedom.

Exactly.

BTW: Have a look at the tall German chancellor... It took Bill a full 20 seconds to recognize what was so funny about this photo. "And it is indeed funny".

Comments

[kid charlemagne]

But wait, I thought the Iraqis were all suffering under the brutal American occupation. Tell them to suffer! They're supposed to be suffering!

[Adrian]

Great find, thanks for the link! I emailed the article to several people.

[Mike Lastort]

The translation leaves out quite a bit, especially the first few paragraphs which mention problems Iraqis face, and the last paragraph which compares Iraq to a prison.

It also adds a few paragraphs at the end. The last four paragraphs are not in the original story at the Berliner Morgenpost.

Here's a more accurate translation:

--- begin ---

Freedom, money and cheap cars.

The inhabitants of Iraq aren't quite able to appreciate many things that should've already been natural.

Nothing is more powerful than day to day life. This is true in Iraq as it is everywhere else. Little is more important than to bemoan one's own misfortune. This applies particularly in Iraq. But there is also a light in the country which stands at the beginning of a new era.

Baghdad - The Iraqis see, if they think about their situation, lack of electricity, long lines for gasoline, unemployment, rising prices, and the unhindered growth of crime.

In order to see things differently one would have to imagine an Iraqi who has been asleep for a year, a little like the ailing mother in the film "Good Bye Lenin." The awakened Iraqi's last moment of consiousness was in Saddam Hussein's Iraq of January 2003. Now he opens his eyes. On TV, CNN, the BBC, or more than likely the Arab language network banned by Saddam, Al Jazeera is playing. His brother is using a cell phone to talk to his cousin in Germany. Cell phones were banned under Saddam, and peopel with relatives living abroad were viewed with suspicion. There's cash lying on the table - yesterday was payday - there are American dollars. The brother earns $100.00 per month, about quarduple what he was making when Saddam was in power. He works as a proofreader at one of the approximately 150 new independent newspapers, in which anything can be written or said except for calls to violence.

More amazing than anything else, and at the same time the thing that explains it all, is the absence of Saddam's picture on the wall above the living room cabinet. Saddam himself, the Iraqi experiences, is part of the past. If he is a Kurd or a Shiite, then this news is more important than all other news. If he is a Sunni, he is also happy - but he hears that the Americans are running the country, and that when they leave more than likely the Shiites will have power and the Kurds will have a large autonomy.

From now on there are no more threats from state security forcing sons to join Fedayeen Saddam, or imprisoning people who do not betray what their neighbors are doing. And above all, two cousins who had been jailed by Saddam for no reason are now returned to their family.

In the yard of the house is a shiny Opel Astra station wagon. Used and from Germany. It cost $2500, a lot for the family, and every family member contributed to the purchase price. But the car is probably cheaper than elsewhere on the planet. The Americans have suspended taxes and import duties for eight months, more than half a million cars have rolled into the country since the end of the war. Under Saddam car purchases were strictly regulated affair, and one needed a lot of money as well as good connections to get one.

The brother uses the car to moonlight as a taxi driver. A very difficult task because traffic in Baghdad is a vision from hell. Too many cars and the American roadblocks are everywhere. Nevertheless, it brings in an additional $150 per month. All together, it's $250, and there are two other breadwinners in the family. One as a policeman ($120) and his wife as a secretary at the newspaper ($100).

Together the family has more than enough to live, particularly since the Americans have maintaned Saddam's old system of national food distribution. Flour, rice, oil, salt, sugar, tea and basic foodstuffs are always available.

The awakened Iraqi himself ran a furniture store before his deep sleep. His wife and his adult son ran it in his absence. The business is booming especially since there are no taxes to pay. Aboce all office furniture is in high demand because new enterprises are being started everywhere. The family debates whether or not to start a new store, because moderate income loans to start a business are available from the military occupation authority.

All in all there remains enough money to buy a computer. For the children. Iraqis have always attached importance to the education and training of the children, and computer science seems to be the occupation of the future. "Internet" reads the new magic word, and those who don't have it want it, and of course under Saddam it was perfectly inconceivable. In Baghdad Internet cafes are shooting out of the soil like mushrooms. Even in small distant towns one can find them. The Iraqis learn fast, and though the telephones are mute (the switchboard isn't perfectly repaired yet) many have an e-mail address.

Of all the dreams the awakened Iraqi had in previous times, only one remains unfulfilled - the ability to travel abroad. With his new freedom and with enough dollars in his pocket, he hopes that now even this could suddenly be possible. Here the relatives must unfortunately dissapoint him. The military occupation authority isn't giving out passports, but instead one receives a piece of paper, in English, which no customs official in any other country in the world would easily accept. In this regard Iraq is exactly what it was under Saddam - a large prison. However it is a prison of barely limited possibilities, for those that know how to use it. It is a prison of in a state of conceivable disrepair, in which at any moment a brick could fall from the ceiling killing someone, but not the inmate. He has vanished and he won't be coming back.

--- end ---

[Mike Lastort]

"(1) If having no passport qualifies one as living in a prison, then more than 70% of all people on earth are prisoners indeed."

I just translated what was in the original article, which was conveniently left out.

And the Iraqis aren't allowed to have passports, at least right now, which means that if they want to visit that relative in Germany they called on the cell phone, they can't.

"(2) I make the bold assumption that carrying a piece of paper issued by US authorities in Iraq gives a traveller more credibility than a passport issued by, for instance, Albania, which indeed is a country somewhere in the lower right end of Europe."

Not quite. Try getting into the US or any other country from abroad with a piece of paper and see how likely it is you'll get past customs.

"Oh, I forgot - according to Michael Moore almost no American has a passport. Now I understand why many American and European intellectuals of the likes of Susan Sontag and Noam Chomsky label Bush's United States "a police state". Isn't there a story on IndyMedia that Ashcroft's minions took them away from the American citizens after 9/11, too?"

So does this mean that the German Newspaper hasn't "woken up?"

[Mike Lastort]

The point is that the original "translation" was incomplete.

I didn't WRITE the thing, I translated it, and I think I did so a lot more acurately. I left nothing out.

I think the general tone of the orignal article was quite positive, but find it a bit odd that the first translation removed the parts that weren't as positive.

But maybe that's just me.

Someone let me know that I got the second-to-last sentence wrong.

It should read:

"It is a prison of in a state of conceivable disrepair, in which at any moment a brick could fall from the ceiling killing someone, but not the jailer. He has vanished and he won't be coming back."

[David]

Mike:

I don't quite understand your reasoning.

"The translation leaves out quite a bit, especially the first few paragraphs which mention problems Iraqis face, and the last paragraph which compares Iraq to a prison."

First of all: when we present articles in the "Medienkritik" blog, we usually leave out "quite a bit". We concentrate on what's important (in our opinion - we don't know yours in advance, so please excuse us). This in the interest of readability.

The "first few paragraphs which mention problems Iraqis face" are repeated in zillions of articles in CNN, NYT, LA Times... and lots of German newspapers. Actually, it's just one paragraph that summarily mentions problems, not the "first few paragraphs". The author of the Morgenpost article quite obviously wanted to concentrate on the good things happening in Iraq. That's the main message of the complete article.

"...the last paragraph which compares Iraq to a prison" (was left out). That's true - I left out this paragraph of the Morgenpost article. It did not add much of importance, anyway. This paragraph says (basically): with all the good things happening in Iraq, you can't travel out of the country. So it's a prison, but "it is a prison of barely limited possibilities, for those that know how to use it. It is a prison of in a state of conceivable disrepair, in which at any moment a brick could fall from the ceiling killing someone, but not the jailer. He has vanished and he won't be coming back." (your translation). So where's the problem? Does this paragraph justify your remark, "The translation leaves out quite a bit ...and the last paragraph which compares Iraq to a prison"? I find your description "...compares Iraq to a prison" inappropriate, looking at the wording of the complete paragraph.

"It also adds a few paragraphs at the end. The last four paragraphs are not in the original story at the Berliner Morgenpost." This is ridiculous. The last "few paragraphs" are clearly marked as not belonging to the Morgenpost article. We even linked these paragraphs to the source, an Iraqi blog. We even mentioned that it's from a translator. Why you would hint at a deliberate attempt to mislead the reader - I don't get it.

And thanks a lot for translation of the complete article. Except - I don't understand why you did it, because we already presented it in an English version. There are some inaccuracies in your translation, but I don't blame you - we have some inaccuracies as well in our translation. It's not easy to translate a German article without at least some inaccuracies. But in both cases the translation in essence capture what's in the original German article. You could have saved a lot of time...

[Mike Lastort]

My point was that you took out some of the stuff that did seem negative that was in the article. I agree that the article itself presented a positive view. I was just a little surprised by some of the edits that you made. IMHO it would’ve been better if you had translated the entire thing.

Oh, and the reason I did it wasn't to waste time. The reason I did it was so people who can't read German were made aware of the ommissions.

[Kevin Brancato]

As I've tried to point out earlier, the huge number of imports resulting from a free market in automobiles combined with a stagnant state monopoly and price controls in gasoline imnport, production, and retailing have cause the much noticed "gas shortage" existing throughout Iraq.

However, the CPA doesn't seem to recognize this.

[leo]

This is not about leaving things out or not. The possibility of having a passport and being able to travel (regardless whether you do it, what matters is that you can do it) enjoys a special reputation in Germany (remember the cold war restrictions). So what this writer does is mentioning it in an attempt to prove to his German audience that Iraqis have got some consumerism but no real freedom.

Yet from a country whose leaders had exerted their utmost to deny Iraqi national sovereignity throughout the recent months it is plainly ridiculous to whine that Iraqi freedom is work in progress.

[charles williams]

Anyone who claims to 'just as delighted as you' about the fact that Saddam is not in power , and 'equally concerned about freedon' is intellectually disgusting, and should not be permitted to continue the debate about the war until that point is dealt with.
It is undeniable proof that they are solely driven by fashionable anti-Americanism

[tiger force]

Hello again,

yeah that's a real fair deal - every day a dead US-Soldier and a dozen dead iraqi civilians in exchange for the cahnce to get a "gleaming" OPEL ASTRA station wagon, a real awesome car indeed.
by the way: respect for your "Propaganda"-translation Mr. Göbels...

[George M]

Tiger Force:

"yeah that's a real fair deal - every day a dead US-Soldier and a dozen dead iraqi civilians in exchange for the cahnce to get a "gleaming" OPEL ASTRA station wagon,"

How many Germans die on the Autobahn every day for the same privledge....to drive a "gleaming" Autobahnkreuzer?

How many Israelies died last year while just trying to enjoy a coffee at their favorite bistro?

How many Americans, Tommies or Ivans died to liberate the concentration camps in Europe, eventhough in the case of Americans, Europe was 3,000 miles from their homes?

Your present freedom is a gift from the countless civilians and soldiers that have died in the past 60 years, defending freedom.

Every day, people must take risks in order to enjoy their freedoms. So what's the point?

Have a nice day.