Saturday, October 27, 2018

So what's ten million dead if it's keeping out the Iranians - and makes money for the weapons industry?

Lost sense of proportion has always characterized the parts of the media landscape which we call the tabloid press. A football star having broken his leg is more important than a major political crisis. In todays declining political climate this kind of focus also characterizes some of the political and governmental thinking and actions. A cleaning lady having stolen from an old gentleman can quickly  lead to new laws.

This kind of shifted attention is also clear in connection with the murder of the dissident Saudi journalist Khashoggi. Clearly this brutal murder carried out by the Saudis is not a minor detail which should mainly be of interest for the tabloid press. It should indeed be sanctioned. But why is it catching so much more interest than the situation in Yemen? According to the UN and other aid organizations this country under constant bombardment from the Saudi led coalition is threatened by starvation and death on a massive scale unseen for decades.

It is bad enough that politicians of our time are destabilizing the world, as they remove rules, treaties and organizations regulating behavior in armament, international relations and trade AND replace this not with well-considered practices, but with actions determined by personal moods from ignorant politicians.

The decline of our modernity into unpredictable conflicts looks almost preprogrammed. But we do not need another disaster which in the number of dead caused by politicians, could be in the same order of magnitude as the genocide in Rwanda or worse. Do we want to end in future history books as those who added one more massive human-caused loss of life?

Sunday, October 21, 2018

Rules or suffering



Often modernities have seen a succession of violations of established unwritten and written rules for conduct. This both on the internal political level and in the relations between countries. In the beginning of a modernity this process can serve the fight for freedom from traditional oppression, especially when we are talking of internal politics. But in the latest third of modernities these rule-breaking processes clearly lead into barbary. And when we are talking about relations between countries, the rule-breaking processes during most of a modernity means ruthless treatment of peoples and countries, not least in wars. The end of rule-governed behavior between countries lead to destabilizations, more conflicts and the easier start  of wars.

An end of modernities in the civilizations before us and probably also including us looks like a rule. It also looks like a rule that this ending involves conflicts and wars. But it is not a law that every modernity and all phases in modernities should be characterized by chaos, wars and suffering caused by rule-breaking decisions. In history we see many very different versions. The Orient was utterly chaotic in most of its modernity 750-1071. The second Chinese modernity in the Sung Dynasty and its neighbors 960-1279 was ordered and relatively peaceful. At least up till the onslaught of the Mongolians.

Specific political decisions play a crucial role in deciding the path of a modernity. Therefore it is very worrying to follow the present US president and administration, the triumvirate Trump - Bolton - Pompeo. They systematically retreat from deals and treaties. They break down rules and int'l alliances, organizations and institutions regulating the relations between countries. Of course they are aided in this by declined politicians all over the world and proteges like MBS. The triumvirate and their likes risk going down in history as those who turned the rest of the modernity of the Western civilization into a series of conflicts and wars (cyber and field).

In the light of the annihilative power of weapons of mass destruction an end to treaties regulating nuclear weapons like the INF Treaty is potentially catastrophic. And this so much more if the end of rule-based behavior in general destabilizes the world.

Monday, October 1, 2018

Betrayals of our history

The recent speech by the French President Macron before the UN General Assembly 2018 deserves to be heard and read again and to be remembered as a passionate warning to the World against the final decline which can destroy the democratic, cooperative and rule-based world order. Centuries from now it may be read by historians who will wonder why and how a historically minded civilization with a strong ability to work with the future in mind could stumble into chaos, demagogy and ultimately authoritarian rule.

Here I repeat the end of the speech.
__________________________________________

I know, my dear friends, that many people may be tired of multilateralism. I know that in a world where information clashes, where we have entered a world of showbiz, in a sense, freed of inhibitions, and where saying the worst things means being in fashion, making the news; I know that denouncing consequences whose causes one has cherished can be a crowd-pleaser; I know that championing cooperation and multilateralism may no longer be in fashion.
Then let’s not be in fashion any more, because we owe it to those who have enabled us to be seated here, because never forget that the genocides that led to your being here today were fuelled by the language we are growing accustomed to, because they were fuelled by the demagoguery we applaud, because we are currently seeing this international law and all forms of cooperation crumbling, as if it were business as usual – out of fear, out of complicity, because it looks good!
No, I can’t agree to that, because I come from a country which promoted the declarations that brought us here, because I come from a country which stands up, which has made a lot of mistakes and done a lot of bad things but has, throughout its history and international history, had something universal about it! It’s today, it’s now!
So don’t grow accustomed, let’s not accept all these forms of unilateralism! I can’t get used to these pages being torn every day, these betrayals of our history!
So I say to you very clearly: the century which has begun is watching us, and our children are waiting for us! Let’s resolve the crises! Let’s work together to combat all these inequalities, but let’s do so in a human way and with the stringency of our principles, our history, passionately driven by our universalism!
In any case, this will be my commitment to you, and I am counting on you for it.

Boring but Competent

Members of the German Constitutional Court















Nominee for the US Supreme Court




In North Europe Brett Kavanaugh's suitability as judge in a Supreme Court would be questioned also without him being suspected by some of attempted rape. This because of his partisanship and his belief in conspiracy theories. But no doubt a Liberal candidate could have shown an equal lack of neutrality.

Also, the reason for showing this picture of Brett Kavanaugh is not to show a "bad" or angry character. The purpose is to illustrate how derailed political processes have become in the United States. As earlier I use Germany as a counterexample. Here the Constitutional or Supreme Court is strictly neutral and its members are chosen in an undramatic procedure. Serious and conscientious work characterize its proceedings. Compared to the American way this may be boring, but exactly this is the ideal condition. Parts of the explanation for the difference between America and Germany is the greater specificity of the German constitution leaving less room for differing interpretations and also the confounding in the American constitution of the highest executive power and Supreme Court. But clearly the main reason is the downward spiraling of US politics.

This said, Brett Kavanaugh has some interesting and prophetic ideas concerning the power of the president. In the future we will indeed see a stronger and more sacrosanct presidency. This will be enforced by presidents and their followers either simply to gain personal power or in order to better control chaos. But in 2018 and with an unpredictable president the idea is premature...