Seeds of acquiesence.......

Just had a flash-back.... shortly after arriving in my new home...

So way, waay back.

And there was one of the greatest chancellors and governments EVAH. Socialists, oooooooo...

And shortly after I arrived, there was excitement in the familiy I was staying with till I got on my feet and found my way to a job and a singular existence. Because, you see, the new government had made a law that all school books were to be distributed free of charge. This would alleviate inequality, Because, you see, till then everyone had to buy them for their children, they were expensive, and the not so wealthy bought used ones, which led to discrimination in school classes, and everyone knew who was 'poor'. Among other things.

And the whole family was around the table discussing it, what a sudden boon it was, and allevieating their budgets.

I thought it was very good news... and disconcerted that until then, they'd had to buy books at all, because we'd never had to until college level. And then hoo-boy, the prices for some extremely dry tomes were sky-high, even in the 60's.

Well, there were seeds of rebellion in me even then. And a tendency to put my foot in my mouf.

And I said, 'T'hat's wonderful news, but is gonna cost the government a real fortune. So why are they giving the children of wealthy people free books? They can afford them.'

They were bloody scandalised. Oh no, they said, you can't do that... it would ruin it for the rest of us.

And that is the seed... someone gives you a break in one respect, you let them walk all over you in others, and be thankful for whatcha get, hey.

At the time, I lived in another part of the city, would pick up the International Herold Tribune on the way to work, which had ten pages, and was mostly stock market listings, but Art Buchwald and a few other things lasted me till I got to work. And one article that was so libellous regarding my city, I went to a person I knew, press secretary of the worker's guild, and said, 'You have to DO something.' Turned out to be a disgruntled opera singer from 'Murka, hubby was a journalist, she wasn't getting the roles she wanted, so he did a hatchet job in a paper that is read daily by all ex-pats in Europe. She got fired, and his career was over. Good so.

Sorry, sidebar there... The tobacconist used to rant and rail about the government and all of the parties, and especially about the local mentality.... 'Obrigkeitshörigkeit.' Kow-towing or bowing and scraping to the powers that be, loosely translated.

And that reaction to my suggestion? Was Obrigkeitshörigkeit. (Doesn't German have some lovely long words, hey...)

I'm wondering... when is the Occupy idea finally gonna take hold here, while something can really be DONE that is constructive.... Tja.