Vladimir Putin – Philopedia

Where does Klaus von Dohnanyi want to lead Germany?

(I sent this essay to some of the authors quoted by Dohnanyi in his book “Nationale Interessen” (National Interests).

The following thoughts are the result of reading two books by a very clever, well-informed and experienced German politician, the former mayor of Hamburg and later Federal Minister of Education and Science Klaus von Dohnanyi, who, despite his immense reading, despite a generally remarkably balanced judgment, nevertheless found a late political home with the “Alliance Sarah Wagenknecht” (BSW) – a party that, being more than just US-critical, treats Putin and his regime with kid gloves. How can a clever man go so astray?

Can we still be saved?

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

FALTER, SPIEGEL and Nord Stream 2 – what about the quality of Western “quality media”?

Up to the present day, no authority exists that we could call upon to define once and for all the quality of quality media. It is possible, however, to make comparisons among existing media. FALTER, SPIEGEL and Nord Stream 2 – what about the quality of Western “quality media”? weiterlesen

Will peace come to Ukraine during the G 20 summit in November?

I allow myself to believe in a miracle or rather in the force of reason that urges Russia and the US to end the war in Ukraine. But for those who do not believe in political reason, let me add that elementary interests are at play. Vladimir Putin must have realized that he can no longer win his war against the „Ukrainian brothers“, because contrary to what he thought at the beginning, the Ukrainians have by now turned into Russia’s bitter enemies though once they were among its best friends. Will peace come to Ukraine during the G 20 summit in November? weiterlesen

Sabotage, reasons of state, and the ordinary citizen

Nordstream 1 and 2 were rendered unusable for years on two consecutive days with the help of powerful explosive devices. According to a usually well-informed expert from CCTV-4 (the Chinese state television), the force released on this occasion was equivalent to at least two tons of TNT. The explosion was so powerful that it caused seismographs in Denmark and Sweden to tremble. Sabotage, reasons of state, and the ordinary citizen weiterlesen

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

The fuse is fizzling. It will not get extinguished, even if the world survives the war in Ukraine and the threat to Taiwan

Nancy Pelosi did not have to visit Taiwan. By doing so, she has put the American president in a difficult position. The fuse is fizzling. It will not get extinguished, even if the world survives the war in Ukraine and the threat to Taiwan weiterlesen

Garry Kasparov – the honest dissident

Along with murdered dissident and former Russian deputy prime minister Boris Nemtsov and Alexei Navalny, now presumably locked away for life, Garry Kasparov, the former world chess champion, is one of the most influential members of the Russian opposition against Vladimir Putin. Garry Kasparov – the honest dissident weiterlesen

Volodymyr Zelensky: The dismantling of a Hero

Public opinion – it is a bloodthirsty beast. It purrs and cajoles when a hero is born, it mercilessly rips him apart as soon as he stumbles or even begins to fall. The Ukrainian comedian was a nonexistent entity before he assumed his country’s presidency; he was a shining light to the West and beyond as he stood up to injustice on behalf of an invaded nation.

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

Wrong: Checkmate! Ukraine will capitulate and Europe is brought to its knees

Self-correction two days after publication. The demand for payment in rubles could have led to a halt in gas supplies and the destructive economic and social effects mentioned below. However, Putin left himself a loophole (see footnote *0* below). Nevertheless, I am not deleting the article because it shows Europe’s fatal dependence on foreign resources and its possible consequences.

Friends and Foes – German (Self)Righteousness

It happens that sharp-eyed psychologists are amazed at how similar people, e.g. men and women, can become when they are together for years, e.g. in a marriage. Malicious voices even claim that such similarity may frequently be observed between a dog and its master (mistress). Both then seems to become each others strange counterfeits. We need not find this surprising: a close coexistence inevitably leads to an alignment of habits, views, preferences, and antipathies – otherwise a close coexistence would not come about in the first place. Friends and Foes – German (Self)Righteousness weiterlesen