Writing about war

The war is open-minded. It tolerates that even those who have never seen it, even from a distance, write about it. Such is the case with an article published by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. The journalist is in good company. However: today he has outdone himself.

There are headlines that are like lark mirrors. Frieden ist zum Tabuthema geworden (Peace has become a taboo), written by Benedict Neff is a school case. The NZZ chose this title to disguise its reporter's ramblings on the war in Ukraine.

For a moment we thought to ourselves: see that at the NZZ they have taken off the desk helmet made compulsory by editor Eric Gujer, commander in chief among the writing foot soldiers "deployed" to the Eastern Front? They breathe! They reason, finally.

Never!

One only has to read the article to understand that the title serves the reversal of what it declares. Peace did not become a taboo: it is a thing (a thought) for imbeciles.

Whoever, today, dares to imagine peace in Ukraine is assigned by Neff to a company that, as far as I am concerned, I have never sought out and find very unfamiliar. A company fished out of the German (German-speaking) cultural world.

We suggest to Benedict Neff to look further, to read in different languages.

Try reading Sulla guerra. Perché non riusciamo a non farla (Redea Publishing). In English: On War. Why we can't help but make it.

The book contains the story and reflections of a reporter who got into the war up to his neck, and even beyond. Today he writes about it.

Neff is even cited positively for an article he wrote in the NZZ (Deutschland im Panzer-Fieber).

All right, the book bears my signature. So what?

Does good advice have to be hidden advertising?

(gianluca grossi)