from the lecture performance "Infam I"
I know an old polite man from a foreign country who came to Germany with a fervent belief in freedom and democracy. He talks a lot about it and likes to talk about it. Today this man is retired, sitting at home waiting for the fall of the American Empire. When I visited him the other day and spoke in the discussion about values that need to be defended together, he replied: "I don't give a shit about your values". I didn't know what to say. I didn't say anything. He didn't say anything either. After a long pause he said: "Do you know in how many countries of this world Americans interfere with their "values"? Do you know how much suffering that causes? Just don't think you'd be better. You may have more style, but that's all. Where people stand in your way, your agents and foundations of all kinds get to work. The money's flowing. At some point, some in the country will be ready to wave a small flag on some place. Then we'll go coup d'état. You call this a color revolution!" The old man was silent again. He had stood up and walked back and forth without paying attention to me. Suddenly he stopped in front of me, looked at me and said: "Perinde ac cadaver, obey like a corpse, said the Romans. Obey like a corpse! A lot of people here know what's going on, you probably would not have come to me. But most close their eyes and turn deaf. They obey like cadavers. What is the suffering of others? You're all right! You have to be young or hopelessly naive to believe that the same rules apply to everyone on this earth."