occasional reflections on culture & politics
Government always needs criticism and opposition. But criticism doesn't just mean affect-driven rejection, resentment or even dismissal of democracy and democratic rules and norms. Every criticism must be justified, ideally with a suggestion for how to do things differently and better. This distinguishes critical from uncritical, political from non-political thinking. Simply saying “that’s stupid” or… Continue reading #242: On the Difference between Opposition and an Anti-Democratic Stance
Something strange is happening. On October 7, organized rape, kidnap and murder squads from Hamas invaded Israeli territory – following their organization’s genocidal charter – and committed the worst antisemitic massacre since the Holocaust. Hamas declared war, with their allies – similarly genocidally minded Hezbollah, directed probably by Iran in happy cooperation with Russia and… Continue reading #241: The War Against Israel
Again, we hear the words. “The Jews.” Again, we see “them” being made responsible for all the evils of the world. Israel was attacked by violent deranged anti-human terrorists, and it continues to be attacked, and the attacker hides behind children and women and institutions of human decency. The attacker, Hamas, has been calling for… Continue reading #238: Kristallnacht, 85 Years Later
https://youtu.be/AasjWiIFu_g If you see yourself as a believer in justice, as dedicated to the fight against oppression and exploitation, ask yourself: What is the biggest justice? What is the purpose of the fight against oppression and exploitation? The answer can probably only be as follows: The preservation of human life, ideally of all life, in… Continue reading #229: Fighting for Love in Times of War
We live in a world where it has become embarrassing to admit adherence to racial or ethnic discrimination. That does not mean that racism is gone, far from it, but people who harbor xenophobic or racist thoughts have learned how to hide them behind something possibly more justifiable. Anti-immigrant sentiment and racism can be hidden… Continue reading #198: LGBTQ Rights are Human Rights
In these depressing times, we seem to always be on the brink of the end of the world, the end of democracy, the end of a livable climate, the end of free speech, sanity, respect, fairness, justice, nuance, context, humanity, whatever – you name it. There is either too much or too little of wokeness… Continue reading #197: We Have Good Reasons for Hope
Quite regularly, we can hear explanations about both foreign and domestic policy that rely on concepts about “the West.” It is rather commonplace to assume that the world is divided into different political camps that are influenced by different cultures. No other division is more popular than the distinction between those countries who are part… Continue reading #188: What Is “The West” Today? From “Civilization” to Cooperation
Zionism is the understanding that Israel is the historical home of the Jewish people. This is not a belief, this is not ideology, it is the truth. Just because there are also non-Jewish people living in the area does not change the fact. Jews are indigenous to the area, and have every right to have… Continue reading #99: Anti-Zionism Is Anti-Semitism
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”
The gloating of the assembled dictators of the world and their cronies had a certain unintended humor in it. After a few ragtag misfits decided to play the role of domestic terrorists and invade US congress, causing a half-day of mayhem and chaos, including four casualties, the premature glee and schadenfreude coming out of Iran,… Continue reading #69: No, American Democracy Is Not Dead
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
We can only win - in the long run - by setting a better example. We cannot aim to play the game the enemy is playing, we cannot criticize or condemn criminal behavior and then behave the same way, or in a way that can be seen the same whether we like it or not.… Continue reading #4: How We Win
Erratic Attempts 