Confronted with such a question, the critical reader will think of several counter-questions. Who is meant by „we“? From “what” are we meant to be saved? And “who” dares to ask such a curious question? Can we still be saved? weiterlesen
Kategorie: ecology
The unresolved Challenge of Freedom
Not long ago, politicians and even some scientists tried to convince us that democracy would soon spread throughout the world, as if history were following some kind of teleological law. Historical evidence has always argued against such a view, but reason and our feelings of right and wrong seemed clearly in favor of it. Must it not seem much more desirable to every rational and justice-seeking person to take an active and participatory part in political affairs rather than to follow the dictates of a government that decides over his head? Doesn’t such an attitude make democracy an imperative?
The unresolved Challenge of Freedom weiterlesenTechnópolis – the promise of eternal bliss
For the longest time in our history, we Europeans believed that the devil would only grant us a miserable existence in this vale of tears. Real happiness for man only existed in a paradise up somewhere in heaven. In the seventeenth century, however, the Enlightenment set in. It taught us that we only had to become reasonable, then nothing would prevent us from realizing paradise here and now.
Technópolis – the promise of eternal bliss weiterlesenThe Fragility of our World
Europe on Probation
The war was prepared long in advance. At the latest since 2005, when Vladimir Putin described the disintegration of the Soviet Union as the „greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century,“ he was anxious to reverse what he saw as a disastrous development. Europe on Probation weiterlesen
Europe – Island of Pacifism?
This question is no longer discussed only behind closed doors. CDU politician and former environment minister Norbert Röttgen made the following statement in an interview with Der Spiegel:
SPIEGEL: You write in your book that for Europe it is a matter of „to be or not to be.“ A bit pathetic, isn’t it? Röttgen: No, it’s the naked truth. We have outsourced energy to Russia, the growth markets to China, security comes from the USA. At the same time, climate change and migration pose enormous challenges. Europe – Island of Pacifism? weiterlesen
Rights and Duties – Lessons from War
Between the two poles of rights and duties – the demands of the individual on society and, conversely, the demands of society on the individual – history has moved since human communities exist. Rights and Duties – Lessons from War weiterlesen
Brave, Poor Europe!
Abbreviated version of a chapter from my new book, „The Predictable Collapse of Techno-Civilization,“ published in English translation on Amazon. Brave, Poor Europe! weiterlesen
Oh Mirror Mirror on the wall – Who is the fairest of them all?
For the longest time in history, this question was rather easy to answer. The highest prestige was enjoyed by people who explained the meaning of world and life. These were mainly priests and wise men, because such meaning lay in the decree of the gods or the eternal orders of nature, which in turn conditioned correct moral action on the part of man. Oh Mirror Mirror on the wall – Who is the fairest of them all? weiterlesen
Tax Reform
It is worthwhile to think thoughts through to their logical conclusion, e.g. tax reform. What does a tax system look like that is both socially just and ecologically accurate and guarantees a minimum income for all citizens? A century and a half ago, John Stuart Mill considered only the taxation of consumption to be socially just. Tax Reform weiterlesen
Germany – a Banana Republic?
The critics of representative democracy suspect it of disenfranchising voters because they are prevented from voting directly on legislative proposals. This accusation ignores social reality, which has changed fundamentally since ancient Greece and the Germanic Thing, where free men (women were still excluded) decided on war and peace and many other basic concerns. Modern society has become so complex that most decisions require technical expertise that can only be provided by specialists. Germany – a Banana Republic? weiterlesen
Peter Michael Lingens – honest or merely respectable?
In Germany, at most a few insiders know Peter Michael Lingens or the Viennese weekly magazine „Der Falter,“ where he publishes his weekly articles. But the problem of seriousness and respectability is no less pertinent north of the Alps. It seems to me, that we should regard it as one of the main problems of our time. From this point of view, it is more than mere coincidence that I choose the Falter and one of its authors to highlight a fundamental problem.
Peter Michael Lingens – honest or merely respectable? weiterlesen