occasional reflections on culture & politics
President Putin is working hard to weaken Russia. During the last decades, he has almost completely destroyed the last remnants of Russian democracy. Instead, he has built a system built on lies, repression and violence. Proudly, he announces that Russia is returning to old strength, that the Russian people are experts at suffering, and that… Continue reading #178: Russia Deserves Better
With Boris Johnson finally understanding the power of reality, there may be a real chance now to reevaluate what his policies have brought. Chiefly among them, of course, is Brexit. It is clear, of course, that Brexit has had many fathers and mothers. The UK has always promoted an understanding of itself as somehow both… Continue reading #176: Get Brexit Undone
Living in the United States, it amuses and befuddles me how much Germany seems as a shining beacon in the world to many Americans. Now, while I do have affection for my home country, and take my civic duties seriously, a more realistic and necessarily critical attitude would be helpful. So here goes. You may… Continue reading #130: German Hypocrisy: How to Claim to be a Moral Leader While Acting like an International Free-Loader. A Polemic
As Democrats are (hopefully) reflecting on their election loss in Virginia, they should understand that it is not about Trump, it has never been about Trump – and that even Trump has not been about Trump (well, maybe a little bit). It is about the issues. First, Bill Clinton knew that it is about the… Continue reading #117: It’s Not About Trump. It’s About the Issues
There is no question that Brexit will impact trade between the European Union and the United Kingdom negatively. This is not something that needs to be answered in the concrete. A simple history lesson will survive. The European integration process that began after World War II led to the European Union and its component institutions,… Continue reading #92: The Impact of Brexit on Trade
We are seeing increasing tension in the world again. There were a few years, namely the 1990s, when the world seemed to be growing more closely together, overcoming differences and seeking understanding over division (with a few painful exceptions). Then, 9/11 happened, which brought new wars. The transatlantic alliance was put under strain, globalization brought… Continue reading #68: We Do Not Need Enemies
Brexit is not possible. That is, Brexit in any meaningful sense of the word. Whatever meaning may have hidden in the idiotic phrases and jingoism of "Brexit Means Brexit", behind empty cries for sovereignty, taking the country "back" to wherever, whatever the original intention: A complete and clean break with the EU is simply not… Continue reading #64: The Illusion of Brexit
Human beings are tribal. As described poignantly by Aristotle, we are animals that form political units, societies, towns, or in the Greek understanding, poleis. We are political animals in the sense that we are animals creating political structures – polis is the political aspect of the city, not the physical one (which would be (ástu).… Continue reading #56: Disentangling Race and Ethnicity
Now in a major crisis, the European Union has a chance to lead. But how should such leadership look like, and how strong should such a union be? It may well be understandable that currently, during the Coronavirus crisis of 2020, its individual member states are concerned about their own safety, and that they have… Continue reading #14: The European Project Needs Both Unity and Disunity
There is this anecdote that on July 4th 1776, King George wrote into his Journal "Nothing is Happening Today." These were the times without instant worldwide communications, and surely, he could not have known what had just happened in the American colonies. And as most such famous quotes go, it very probably is not true,… Continue reading #10: Corona, or, Nothing Important Is Happening Today
Erratic Attempts 