Einstein teaches Germans how to smile

Albert Einstein, Ludwig van Beethoven and Katarina Witt are all starring in a new campaign—to lift the spirits of the apparently depressed German populace. The campaign, which carries slogans such as “You are the miracle from Germany,” (just a tad stilted, no?) comes as the country grapples with massive unemployment and “political deadlock” following the Sept. 18th elections, according to this story. The man who organized the effort—Bernd Bauer—explains that Germans tend to be more pessimistic than some other nationalities and, basically, need a campaign to tell them to cheer up. Nice idea, we guess, but what's this line from the campaign, which claims “A butterfly can start a typhoon”? We know, having Googled it, that this ridiculous attempt at trying to make the point that anyone can make a difference is part of the belief system of chaos theory. Which, as you might have guessed, is only a theory. And not the kind of thing to boost the morale of what is probably a pretty skeptical populace. Still, we’re all for happiness. Let a smile be your umbrella, Germany!

—Posted by Catharine P. Taylor

September 30, 2005 | Permalink