Book Review: 'The Story of the Jews' by Simon Schama
A version of Jewish history that departs from Elephantine, a small town of 'happy banality' and coexistence in Egypt.
March 14, 2014 4:37 p.m. ETJewish history, as Bette Davis said of old age, is no place for sissies. I am not speaking of those who defy its paradoxes with their daily lives, though that too requires courage; I'm speaking of those who choose to write about it. When the eminent British historian Cecil Roth—editor of the Encyclopedia Judaica—was invited to teach at Bar-Ilan University in Israel in 1964, he was denounced for a passage in his "Short History of the Jewish People" that appeared to deny (though in fact it did not) the historicity of...
The New York Times
Book Review: 'The Story of the Jews' by Simon Schama
A version of Jewish history that departs from Elephantine, a small town of 'happy banality' and coexistence in Egypt.
March 14, 2014 4:37 p.m. ET
Jewish history, as Bette Davis said of old age, is no place for sissies. I am not speaking of those who defy its paradoxes with their daily lives, though that too requires courage; I'm speaking of those who choose to write about it. When the eminent British historian Cecil Roth—editor of the Encyclopedia Judaica—was invited to teach at Bar-Ilan University in Israel in 1964, he was denounced for a passage in his "Short History of the Jewish People" that appeared to deny (though in fact it did not) the historicity of... The New York Times
More art than literature, this new book consists only of the word “Jew,” printed six million times to signify the number of Jews killed during the Holocaust.
Lex專欄：為何德國富、德國人窮？
英國《金融時報》 Lex專欄
“貧窮”的德國人真值得同情。沒錯，兩支德甲(Bundesliga)球隊將在本月的歐冠聯賽(Champions League)決賽中相遇，德國Dax股指本週創下新高，德國工業產出持續強勁、3月份製造業產出環比增長1.4 %，但這些都不重要。重要的是，歐洲央行(ECB)近期一份備受爭議的調查顯示，歐元區的最大經濟體存在著一個根本性的矛盾現實：德國很富足，但德國人卻不富。怎麼會是這樣？
“德國富”不難解釋：以製造業和出口為基礎的德國經濟增長模式正煥發出強大的生命力。這體現在股市上。過去3年裡，德國企業市值的增加有很大一塊來自那些不怎麼知名的公司——至少是在德國之外沒什麼名氣。生產機械製造商庫卡(Kuka)就是一例。 2009年全球經濟陷入低迷以來，庫卡的年銷售額幾乎累計增長了一倍，在2012年達到18億歐元；其息稅前盈利也增長了近一倍。 2010年以來，庫卡股票的表現已領先德國股市大盤200%。其他的佼佼者還包括日用品集團漢高(Henkel)、消費品集團拜爾斯道夫(Beiersdorf)、醫療集團費森尤斯(Fresenius)和製藥公司默克(Merck)。儘管這些企業得益於德國國內因素的影響——例如庫卡就是德國本土汽車製造商的重要供應商——但它們的基本增長點還是出口市場。
但“德國人窮”卻有些讓人摸不著頭腦。歐洲央行的調查充滿限定條件，被批評者批得體無完膚。住房自有率低是這一“財富鴻溝”的重要原因。彌合這一鴻溝的一種方法是，讓德國人持有更多股票。歐洲各國民眾的參股率數據出名的難找，但歐洲證券交易所聯合會(Federation of the European Stock Exchange Markets)在2007年進行的最近一次相關調查發現，德國人的參股率為14%，與英國人大致相當，為法國人的兩倍、意大利人的一半左右。也許，德國人應該拋下對歐元區危機的擔憂，集中精力把握好本國的繁榮。
Lex專欄是由FT評論家聯合撰寫的短評，對全球經濟與商業進行精闢分析
Full Circle in Berlin
Mindy Wiesel was born in a displaced persons’ camp in Germany two years after her Jewish parents were freed from Auschwitz. The young family emigrated to the United States – but the shadows cast by the past proved to be long. A Berlin gallery is now hosting Wiesel’s first ever exhibition in her native“ Germany.
Report: Alexa Dvorson
忠信兄送一本Klaus P. Fischer 著《德國反猶太史》 ，南京：江蘇人民，2007/2010: History of an Obsession: German Judeophobia and the Holocaust
History of An Obsession
《生活在德國》LEBEN IN DEUTSCLAND (本書在德國《時代周報》 發表) 台北台灣商務 2007
我首先讀附錄的施密特訪談有意思又有意義 可惜未說明何時訪談的
譬如說 問他認為德國普遍的德國特徵是什麼 任何地點.....
施密特Schmidt：沒有 除了Auchwitz集中營
人权是普世价值
![epa03446141 View of the outer walls of the Beijing No.1 Detention Center in Beijing, China, 25 October 2012. The detention center, which has a maximum capacity of 1,000 inmates, was shown to members of the press during a rare visit ahead of the 18th party congress. EPA/DIEGO AZUBEL]()
中国政治犯，共有几多人？ 2013 94岁高龄、备受国内外敬重的的德国前总理施密特（Helmut Schmidt），日前才公开表示人权不是中国文明的一部份，外国不应该对中国的人权问题指指点点，还为中共镇压六四民运辩护。虽然同属社民党，施密特的说法还是让史奈德觉得不可思议。
史奈德说，不论在世界任何角落，人类的感受都有其普遍性，正因人权是普世价值，大家才能理解阿拉伯国家发生的茉莉花革命。从过去与中国和俄罗斯异议人士交 谈的经验，史奈德相信，像这样的作品朗诵活动别具意义，"知道世上有人在关心他们、捍卫他们的人权，对这些被关在狱中的政治犯来说，是重要的精神支柱。"
作者：林育立
中国政治犯，共有几多人？ 史奈德说，不论在世界任何角落，人类的感受都有其普遍性，正因人权是普世价值，大家才能理解阿拉伯国家发生的茉莉花革命。从过去与中国和俄罗斯异议人士交 谈的经验，史奈德相信，像这样的作品朗诵活动别具意义，"知道世上有人在关心他们、捍卫他们的人权，对这些被关在狱中的政治犯来说，是重要的精神支柱。"
作者：林育立
新闻报道 | 2012.02.02
施密特：不要惧怕中国
由3个大型德国基金会主办的这一系列对话活动题为"磁场中国"。首场讨论会本周二（1月31日）在柏林举行，讨论双方是德国前总理施密特和在波恩大学任教 的中国政治学者辜学武。有将近600人聆听了这场对话。在此前一天，德国的"中国文化年"活动正式拉开帷幕。把中国比作"磁场"恰当地体现了西方与中国之 间的矛盾关系：既相互吸引，又彼此排斥。
对默克尔的建议？
德国前总理施密特现年93岁的施密特关注中国问题已经有半个多世纪了。或许他是唯一还健在的亲自同毛泽东谈过话的德国人。施密特认为毛具有相当的个人魅力，但同时他也提到毛 泽东发动的"大跃进"和文化大革命，前者造成的大饥荒导致了至少2000万人死亡。讨论会主持人、曾长年在中国工作的记者泽林（Frank Sieren）提出的问题中，只有一个施密特不愿回答--他会给出访中国的默克尔提出什么建议？施密特说，默克尔一定很清楚她在中国的任务是什么。
不要惧怕中国
施密特要传达的信息是，欧洲和德国不必对中国的崛起心存恐惧。相反，到目前为止中国的崛起让德国的经济受益非浅。他认为在全球化的背景下，中国公司收购德国企业引起的担忧是不合时宜的。
施密特是一个务实的政治家，他对中国的建设成就和历史充满敬意，认为欧洲人对中国的历史了解得太少。他说，只有了解了中国的历史，才能理解这个国家和它当前的政治。
在讨论会的很长一段时间里，话题是儒学和所谓"人的权利与义务的平衡"。施密特认为，偏偏是中国共产党在国内大修孔庙，在国外建立上百个孔子学院，这是个历史的讽刺。他还严肃地补充说，他认为目前的意识形态真空是中国面临的最严重的问题之一。
政治体制输出
波恩大学全球研究中心主任辜学武来 自中国，目前任波恩大学全球研究中心主任的政治学者辜学武在这场对话中承担的角色，主要是对施密特的观点作一些"缓冲"，尤其在涉及政治体制问题时，辜学 武一再提出不同的意见。例如当施密特表示不赞成西方试图向中国输出民主制度时，辜学武则认为，民主是适合中国国情的，就不同立场进行争论、争取多数支持比 赤裸裸的强权政治要好。
"磁场中国"系列讨论会的下一场将于3月份在汉堡举行，题目是"无限增长？-中国崛起与世界经济"。
作者：冯海音 编译：叶宣
责编：石涛
International Relations | 02.02.2012
Magnet China - an old empire rises again
The "Magnet China" discussion series involving three major German foundations opened this week in front of nearly 600 onlookers in Berlin. Among the speakers were former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and Bonn-based political scientist Gu Xuewu. The term "magnet" was chosen to represent both the forces of attraction and repulsion between China and the West.
The 93-year-old Schmidt has been dealing with China and issues surrounding the country for over half a century. He may in fact be the only living German to have held direct discussions with, as he called him, "the great Steuermann" Chairman Mao whose charisma he recalled this week.
He also remembered the famine triggered by Mao's "Great Leap Forward" that led to the deaths of at least 20 million people and the catastrophic Cultural Revolution.
There was only one question that the old chancellor would not answer: What advice would he give Angela Merkel for her trip to meet China's leaders? Schmidt told host Frank Sieren that Merkel had to make up her own mind about what to do in China.
Don't worry, be happy
Schmidt's message to Europe and Germany, in the face of a rising China, was to have no fear. On the contrary, he said, Germany had thus far greatly benefitted from China's economic rise. He said that concerns over the purchase of German companies by Chinese firms were dated and should be placed within the context of globalization.
Schmidt said the West should embrace China's riseThe former Social Democrat leader said he had great respect for China's growth and performance, as well as for the country's history, which he said was scarcely understood in Europe. He added that Beijing's policies today could only be understood with a knowledge of China's history.
Long stretches of the evening were devoted to discussions on Confucianism and what the panelists described as a balance between human rights and human responsibilities. Schmidt pointed out how ironic it was that the Chinese Communist Party was setting up Confucius institutes all over the world. He added that one of the greatest challenges the country faced was what he termed its ideological vacuum.
Differences of opinion
Gu Xuewu, director of the Bonn Center for Global Studies, was on hand mainly to put Schmidt's comments into perspective. This was particularly the case when Schmidt was discussing the Chinese political system. When the former chancellor expressed his doubts about the export of Western democracy to the People's Republic, Gu countered that democracy would actually suit China. The political scientist said a free system was always a better option than the naked exercise of power.
The next "Magnet China" meetings will be held in Hamburg in March to discuss "Growth without Limits? China's Rise in the Global Economy."
Author: Mattias von Hein / dfm
Editor: Anne Thomas
Bibliography
Memoirs
- Menschen und Mächte (Persons and Powers), Siedler, Berlin 1987. Memoirs with focus on cold war politics.
- Die Deutschen und ihre Nachbarn (The Germans and their Neighbours), Siedler, Berlin 1990. Strong focus on European politics.
- Kinder und Jugend unter Hitler, with Willi Berkhan et al. (Childhood and Youth under Hitler). Siedler, Berlin 1992.
- Weggefährten (Companions), Siedler, Berin 1996. Personal memoirs, with focus on personal relations with domestic and foreign politicians
Recent political books (selection)
- Balance of Power, Kimber, 1971, ISBN 978-0-7183-0112-5
- The Soviet Union: Challenges and Responses As Seen from the European Point of View, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 1984, ISBN 978-9971-902-75-9
- A Grand Strategy for the West: The Anachronism of National Strategies in an Interdependent World, Yale University Press, reprint 1987, ISBN 978-0-300-04003-6
- Men and Powers: A Political Retrospective, Random House, 1989, ISBN 978-0-394-56994-9
- A Global Ethic and Global Responsibilities: Two Declarations, with Hans Kung, SCM Press, 1998, ISBN 978-0-334-02740-9
- Bridging the Divide: Religious Dialogue and Universal Ethics, Queen's Policy Studies, 2008, ISBN 978-1-55339-220-0
- Auf der Suche nach einer öffentlichen Moral (In Search of a Public Morality), DVA, Stuttgart 1998.
- Die Selbstbehauptung Europas (The Self-Assertion of Europe), DVA, Stuttgart 2000.
- Die Mächte der Zukunft. Gewinner und Verlierer in der Welt von morgen (The Powers of the Future. Winners and Losers in the World of Tomorrow) Siedler, Munich 2004.
- Nachbar China, with Frank Sieren (Neighbour China), Econ, Berlin 2006.
- Ausser Dienst (Out of Service), Siedler, Munich 2008. A political legacy.
失活
【德】赫尔穆特·施密特
原价：29.80
优惠价: 29.80
装潢：平装
开本：16开
页数：329
出版单位：青岛出版社
出版日期：2010.2
因为该书不仅谈了现代国际政治生活中许多鲜为人知的事情，也介绍了高级政治家尤其是西方国家政府首脑的游戏规 则．诸如何以看待和处理党内、领导集团内的不同意见者，如何看待和处理不同利益集团之间的关系，东、西方国家之间的关系与原则等等，其中不仅有理论、原 则，而且通过许多具体的人、事予以证明。对于从事领导工作或者有兴趣准备介入这一领域的年轻人来说，不失为一部有益的参考书。每次德國進行評選最優秀領導人的民意測驗，名列榜首的總是施密特。赫爾穆特·施密特於1974年至1982年任聯邦德國總理。
本書匯集了施密特先生畢生的思想成果，充滿了真知灼見，閃耀著智慧之光，充分展現了一名偉大政治家的深謀遠慮。整本書縱橫捭闔，論說天下大事；條分縷析，飽含哲理思辨；犀利幽默，一語中的。
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