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
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
A great deal of scorn and dismay is currently heaped on a movement or way of thinking that describes itself as “being woke” or “wokeness.” The terminology itself may shift, especially when faced with an onslaught of ongoing critique or with attempts to use it for corporate purposes. Certainly, it is easy to ridicule any… Continue reading #90: In Defense of “Wokeness”
When criticized by others, some governments frequently claim that any disapproval from the outside world would be an unwelcome intrusion into “internal matters” that should be rejected out of hand. Furiously, foreign ministers, heads of state, state media and sometimes even religious leaders reject any attempt to condemn any attacks on human rights or territorial… Continue reading #75: There Are No “Internal Matters”
When people say “Black Lives Matter” it does not mean that “Only Black Lives Matter.” Such an interpretation is grossly misleading, creating a scarecrow argument in order to discredit the issue. Nobody, typically, is saying or implying this. Of course, all lives matter indeed. Who would disagree with that! Nobody calling for Black lives to… Continue reading #29: Black Lives Do Matter
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