Paper is probably past its best. But as patiently as ever.
Corona-skeptical books are currently booming. Some downplay Covid-19, others spread false information about vaccination or see the pandemic as a big conspiracy by Big Pharma, journalists, politicians and virologists.
“Corona only serves as an excuse to position the state monopoly on the use of force against people and human rights and to crush and suppress everything that does not voluntarily submit to total control,” says the cover of the book “The Corona Dossier”.
The teaser of “False Pandemics” is no less dramatic: “We are currently experiencing an immense crime against humanity,” writes Wolfgang Wodarg (74) in it. The former German SPD member of the Bundestag is convinced that “corona profiteers” are not driven by concerns about the environment and health, but “their sick greed for wealth, monopolies and power”. He recognizes a “coup from above, controlled by the vaccination mafia and the techno elite”.
Publications of this kind have always existed. What is different today: The susceptibility to such worldviews has increased greatly. The books mentioned were sold tens of thousands of times and even made it onto the “Spiegel” bestseller list.
Questionable expenses
Swiss booksellers such as Ex Libris and Orell Füssli are benefiting from this boom. If you search for “Corona” in their online shops, you will come across more than a thousand book suggestions; many of them are obviously aimed at corona skeptics. Some of the questionable writings are also available in shops.
The companies do not want to reveal how large the sales are with such titles. “We generally do not provide any information on sales figures,” says a spokesman for Orell Füssli Thalia AG. However, one is aware that certain works are controversial. “However, as a matter of principle, we do not exclude any books from our range because of their content, title or personal opinions of the authors.”
It sounds similar with Ex Libris. This leads to a curious situation: While Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are actively trying to stop the spread of “fake news”, “alternative facts” on paper have nothing to fear.
Ex Libris and Orell Füssli only sort out books that have been banned by a court and that are listed on the index of the German federal testing agency for writings that are harmful to young people because of racist, inhumane or violent content.
But the booksellers are not entirely happy with the status quo either. “The situation is unsatisfactory for us,” said the spokesman for Orell Füssli. The industry giants don’t aim for more books to be banned in the future. But they no longer want to have to discuss which books they should and are allowed to sell. For this reason, they insist that an ombudsman’s office be created in Switzerland – analogous to Germany – that clearly regulates the handling of controversial books.
The Swiss Booksellers and Publishers Association (SBVV) is in charge of this. Tanja Messerli (51) says to SonntagsBlick: “At the initiative of the largest booksellers, we have been trying to encourage such a position at the federal level since this year.” However, the SBVV managing director emphasizes that this commitment is due to the large growth in online trade and racist and fascist content. “The discussion was not initiated by Corona.”
Nevertheless: In view of the questionable Corona bestsellers, the big booksellers seem to be dealing with this topic again.
“Weigh the legal situation”
Whether, when and in what form there will be such an ombudsman in Switzerland is anyone’s guess. According to Messerli, there have already been initial contacts with parliamentarians and contacts in the administration: “Basically, we are heard, but the legal situation must of course be carefully considered.”
It is clear to those involved: a body that can ban books is more than delicate. Freedom of expression is a fundamental part of a functioning democracy. Every restriction, no matter how small, needs to be carefully considered.
If someone publicly claims that Microsoft founder Bill Gates (66) brought Covid-19 into the world in order to be able to vaccinate all of humanity, then that is clearly absurd – but is it also a danger to society and democracy? Hardly likely.
So conspiracy theorists can rest easy: They will certainly be allowed to spread their strange theses even if a Swiss testing center for books is introduced.
The question even arises as to whether a censorship authority would not be a gift for the leading corona skeptics. Finally, the great irony of this pandemic is that the very people who rant the loudest about the virus and the measures taken to counteract it are sometimes the ones who benefit the most from Covid-19.
In a few years, they will probably think back longingly to the Corona period. At a time when she and her conspiracy theories received more attention than ever before.