occasional reflections on culture & politics
I have been agonizing about what the anti-wokeness complaints and critiques are all about. What about “woke” is offensive or problematic? To be “woke” means to be “awake” to the danger of racist discrimination, that is all. That is how the word has functioned since at least the 1920s, until it became more popularized in… Continue reading #248: The Resistance Against Wokeness, Part I
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
There is a wide-spread and pernicious argument which has been circling for quite some time, saying that the Western World is in decline, that it is in crisis, and that new challengers have arisen to dethrone the West. Okay, let’s unpack this a bit. First, we need to ignore the real question within – what… Continue reading #218: The West Is Not in Decline
Ever since Ibram X. Kendi published his book How to be an Anti-Racist, resistance against his message has been very vocal. The main point of criticism is Kendi’s central assertion, as follows: “The opposite of racist isn’t ‘not racist.’ It is ‘anti-racist.’ What's the difference? One endorses either the idea of a racial hierarchy as… Continue reading #203: The Puzzling Resistance Against Anti-Racism
Queen Elizabeth II died two days ago, and her loss was felt around the world. She has always been committed to her duty to represent the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, transcending that which remained of the Empire into a time of decolonization, new partnerships, a more European Britain, and eventually, sadly, Brexit. She lived… Continue reading #193: De Mortuis Nil Nisi Bene: We Owe Respect to the Dead
A lot of things are labeled as “woke” nowadays. Contrary to the original intention of the word itself, the very term “woke” has become a caricature, a word that is meant to now quickly dismiss whatever is termed as such. Someone is called out for what could be understood as an insensitive or insulting remark,… Continue reading #179: Ecce Homo: Wokeness Beyond Caricatures
Whoopi Goldberg said something incredibly and shockingly ignorant about the Holocaust. She revealed, in fact, how a very peculiar and narrow understanding of race in America prevents a more thorough and global discussion of difference, discrimination, ethnicity, racism and genocide in the world. It is a wide-spread problem, and it was unfortunate to see it… Continue reading #134: If People Apologize for Their Mistake, They Should Not Be Cancelled
It is easy to get caught up in the issues of the day. There is always some grave injustice somewhere, always some issues that endanger human life, other life on earth, even the planet herself. It is easy, and very compelling, to translate the emotions we all have about deeply important issues into a language… Continue reading #65: Sine Ira et Studio: The Strength of Dispassionate Criticism
I know things cost money. I am not a pie-in-the-sky socialist. I am very much aware that money has to be earned, economies need to grow, and benefits do not grow on trees. I grew up in East Germany under Socialism/Communism, and I do not want that back, under no circumstances. There are some things… Continue reading #7: We’re Headed in the Wrong Direction: Retirement Policy
What is democracy? Plenty of smart books have been written about this oftentimes confusing topic, and those who have the privilege of living in a democratic society should know what it means, kind of. We should know. But sadly, it seems, there is an odd reaction to democracy happening, a backlash out of frustration, and… Continue reading #5: Democracy Means Humility
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 