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------------------------- * * X.com * Facebook * E-Mail * * * X.com * Facebook * E-Mail * Messenger * WhatsApp * Dieser Beitrag stammt aus dem SPIEGEL-Archiv. Warum ist das wichtig? Had he
lived, German cinema's enfant terrible, Rainer Werner Fassbinder , would have turned 60 today. Like most icons who die young, it's hard to imagine the rowdy dark-haired genius as
anything but youthful -- he was the embodiment of soul-searching and imagination. Indeed, for 12 boisterous, hard-living years (1969-1982) Fassbinder revolutionized German cinema and became
arguably Germany's most famous director. Think "Ali: Fear Eats the Soul" (1973), The Marriage of Maria Braun (1978), Lili Marleen (1980) and Veronika Voss (1981). Of course
that is just a smattering of his prodigious work, as the foundation his family set up after his death shows. In 16 years -- 1966 until 1982 -- he directed 45 films. He also acted in dozens
of others, wrote plays and essays and simply lived with the speed and vitality most people never accomplish in a whole lifetime. He died as suddenly and dramatically as he lived, succumbing
to a poisonous combination of drugs and sleeping pills. He was 37. With his death, the most exciting and experimental period of German cinema since the 1920s came to an abrupt halt. So,
happy birthday Rainer. Wish you were still here. MAINSTREAM NEWS VS. BLOGGERS Are the media the bad guys who killed Princess Diana, or are they the crusading reporters of Watergate fame? Do
they disperse truth or lies? And, most importantly, is traditional media being eclipsed by (yikes!) bloggers? England's _Guardian_ newspaper set up a forum to ask these increasingly
charged (and oft-asked) questions. The blog recounts the banter among editors as they face criticism that they offer opinion in the guise of news and take themselves far too seriously. The
newspaper also encourages readers to comment on the spatting. And they have -- scathingly. In fact, the comments are more illuminating than the debate. That, we think, says it all. WHAT IS
TORTURE? Imagine a prisoner who might know something about a ticking time bomb, but refuses to talk. Is torture justified in such a case? And where does torture start? Whereas one prisoner
may remain calm when looking a ferocious barking dog in the eye, another is terrified. So is there a difference between these situations if it's the same dog in both? The events at Abu
Ghraib -- and in other US-operated prisons -- have launched just such a debate across the globe. What is "torture" and what is "abuse?" And, in the case of Abu Ghraib,
just what were the intentions of the American soldiers involved and what can be allowed? The Web magazine _Slate_ has excellent and comprehensive answers to these questions.