Dave Kearns

Just back from a week in Berlin (for TEC 2009) – our first visit to Germany’s newest, and oldest, capital. What can you say about a place whose culinary claim to fame is “Currywurst” (there’s even a museum!) and Berliner potato soup (BERLINER KARTOFFELSUPPE) made with potatoes and pickles! It’s said to have been Kaiser Wilhelm’s favorite food!

The city itself has been rebuilt remarkably with few remnants of the World War II bombings. In fact, rebuilding seems to be the major business of the city. Unfortunately, the architecture is some of the worst “sharp angle” designs I’ve seen. Still, it’s clean, friendly, relatively safe and with some historic interest. Worth a couple of days on a stopover, not worth the day trip from cruise ships docking in Wernemunde, though (see this account of the whirlwind tour).

plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose:

“A statesman in these days has a difficult task. He has to pursue the policy he deems advantageous to his country, but he has at the same time to recognize the force of popular feeling. Popular feeling is very often sentimental, muddleheaded, and eminently unsound, but it cannot be disregarded for all that.” Hercule Poirot in “The Incredible Theft” by Agatha Christie (1931).

There is no “wisdom” in the crowd, there never was. The mob sinks to its lowest common denominator and drags us all down with it.