US Culture Encapsulates Equality, According to Daniel Kehlmann
In a remark comparing contemporary American culture with Nazi Germany, writer Daniel Kehlmann discusses what he describes as a "cultural Gleichschaltung" under President Donald Trump. In an interview with "Deutschlandfunk," the 50-year-old author suggested that, while the Nazis moved faster, the "alignment" of American culture is happening dramatically.
Kehlmann attributes this cultural shift to funding cuts or a self-censoring behavior among cultural creators. He maintains that many are silent due to fear of losing their roles in movie productions, particularly Marvel films.
The term Gleichschaltung refers to the systematic process by which the National Socialist regime coordinated and subordinated various societal, cultural, and political institutions under its control, eliminating dissent and promoting ideological uniformity. In culture, for example, this resulted in certain art being denounced as "degenerate."
Kehlmann's novel "Lichtspiel," about a film director during the Nazi dictatorship and his eventual instrumentalization by the National Socialists, has generated significant interest in the United States, according to Kehlmann himself. Many see parallels between this story and the current presidency of Trump.
Speaking on the broad acceptance of this administration, Kehlmann noted that, although no one in the cultural sector is currently being imprisoned, "in other areas, they are." He also expressed concern that the freedom of speech, which America cherishes, is effectively suspended for people with a visa or Green Card, and will likely extend to U.S. citizens soon.
Kehlmann views the rapid adoption and compliance with the Trump administration as astonishing. Even those who previously opposed Trump before his re-election, he says, now accept this government and its actions. The only hope for change, in Kehlmann's opinion, lies in Trump's trade policy. "Strangely," he noted, "the destruction of the American economy is the best hope one has."
Under Trump, observers have highlighted efforts to coordinate federal agencies, universities, and media institutions with the administration's agenda. Key features include attempts to control federal agencies, media and tech concessions, academic and civil rights restrictions, and legal and institutional attacks. These actions have led to the erosion of institutional independence and civil liberties, raising concerns among critics that these trends bear troubling similarities to the early stages of historical Gleichschaltung.
- Kehlmann believes that people in the entertainment industry, such as those working on Marvel films, are self-censoring due to fear of losing their roles, which mirrors the ideological uniformity caused by Gleichschaltung during Nazi Germany.
- Kehlmann's novel, "Lichtspiel," about a film director during the Nazi dictatorship, has sparked discussions about how the current Trump presidency resembles the Nazi regime, specifically in regards to cultural Gleichschaltung.
- Kehlmann is concerned that the freedom of speech, a cherished American value, is being suspended for individuals with visas or Green Cards, and he fears that this erosion of civil liberties, evident in Trump's efforts to coordinate federal agencies and media institutions, could lead to the same troubling similarities to historical Gleichschaltung.
