"Freedom, freedom - Is the only one that is missing. Freedom, freedom - Is the only thing that matters."
(Song by German musician Marius Müller-Westernhagen, 1987)
"The security of the Federal Republic of Germany will also be defended in the Hindu Kush," said the then Federal Minister of Defense Peter Stuck of the Social Democratic Party of Germany in 2002 about the upcoming Afghanistan mission of the Bundeswehr. And that is what we then tried to do for many years, like so many other nations. The result is well known. The missions were called "Operation Enduring Freedom" and "Resolute Support." Both failed magnificently.
As I write this, the Afghan government is apparently preparing a "peaceful transfer of power" to the Taliban, whose militias are at the gates of the capital, Kabul. Having taken over most provincial capitals, infrastructure, and border crossings with unexpected speed in recent days. "Conquered" would be inaccurate; after all, most official bodies have fled even faster than the advance has progressed. Just two weeks ago, UN/NATO military bases such as Mazar-i-Sharif and Bagram were controlled by the Western military alliance; after their hasty withdrawal, they are now in the hands of the Taliban. But at least our soldiers took their weapons with them and didn't just leave them behind like the Afghan military itself - "Help yourselves!"
Panic is apparently spreading among the population. Most are either fleeing with their most important belongings or have barricaded themselves in their homes with provisions. Many are afraid of imminent purges and punitive measures because they have worked, for example, as translators or cooks for the foreign powers. The experience of recent years is clear: Since 2003, the Taliban have been waging a terrorist-military campaign against the democratic Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the international troops of the ISAF in Afghanistan, starting in Pakistan. In this campaign, the Taliban are more than twice as likely to carry out targeted attacks against Afghan civilians than against Afghan or international troops. A United Nations report shows that the Taliban were responsible for over 75% of civilian deaths in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010, for example.
Far more frightening than the warlike actions common to the Taliban with regional warlords, however, is their religious fundamentalist underpinnings, especially toward women. On the one hand, these are erased from public perception, and on the other, they are virtually placed under blanket house arrest. Two examples of the former: Women are to be excluded from all media and all forms of public assembly. Photographing or filming women is strictly forbidden, as are images with female persons in magazines, books and newspapers as well as in stores - and even in one's own home. So having a souvenir photo with your own mother is illegal.
And one's own home is one's prison. Examples of the latter: Women and girls over the age of eight are forbidden to associate with men to whom they are not related. They are not allowed to go out on the street alone or without a burqa. They are not allowed to ride bicycles, take cabs, or even speak in public (!). The windows at home must be painted or taped shut, and they are not allowed to laugh or sing. Women are not allowed to work, attend schools or otherwise educate themselves. The only exception is instruction in the teachings of the Koran. If a woman - as well as without income - cannot afford food, she gets "food aid". Stupidly, however, this may only be received from a male relative. So if a widow does not live with a father, brother or son, she will starve.
So even in the 21st century, there are societies that do not guarantee even the most basic rights of democracy, freedom and equality. And in the case of Afghanistan, the West's two-decade effort, involving billions of dollars and thousands of lives, has effectively achieved nothing. Nothing at all. "Enduring Freedom?" What a bad joke...
The so-called "Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change" (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. It was founded to provide decision and policy makers worldwide with regular scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation options - independently, neutrally and objectively. Every few years, the IPCC issues an Assessment Report that summarizes all available data, findings and analyses. Last week it was time again. And the report is - surprise! - a "Code Red for humanity", as the UN calls it.
The contents of the report are dry and unsparing, as it presents only scientific facts and does not moralize. Which does not make the facts any less frightening. Two crucial aspects stand out: man-made climate change is progressing faster than previously feared. And many "points of no return" have already been reached, e.g. regarding the loss of summer ice in the Arctic. As with regard to many other developments, we cannot really predict what the consequences will be. But one thing is certain: they will be negative.
So why does it say "Good News" above these lines? Because we still have a chance. Because it's not too late for the survival of humanity. Cognitive psychologist Christian Stöcker makes a domestic comparison: we come back to the kitchen and find that the fat in the pan has caught fire. We can either react to this by warning the children, grabbing the fire extinguisher and calling the fire department. Or we close the kitchen door like an ostrich, go into the living room to let the TV bring us to more pleasant thoughts and start thinking about which delivery service we will order the alternative dinner from.
So it's our choice. Yes, we have a choice. In our day-to-day actions, in elections, with our priorities. So the federal election here in Germany at the end of September will be a choice of direction. We can stagger on like lemmings toward the abyss. Or we can take an exemplary path in which we, as an industrial nation and a people of "poets and thinkers," demonstrate that economy and ecology are not mutually exclusive. We have the fucking choice - so let's do the right thing dammit!
Personal happy moment of the week:
Last night we chilled out: on a picnic blanket on the shore of nearby Lake Tegernsee. Listened to the crashing waves, the splashing dogs, the playing children, the singing birds. We read the newspaper and nibbled pistachios. An oasis of peace and quiet. So simple and yet so precious.
...that all the favorites lost on the first matchday of the new Bundesliga soccer season. Even "our" FC Bayern München, which has the historic chance to win the German championship ten times in a row (!). I would probably see things differently on the last matchday.
...I'm thinking back to the fact that two years ago we were at the 50th birthday party of a very good friend. In a big, good-humored group. For a whole week. In a luxury cottage in the Scottish Highlands. Feels like from another time. Probably because it was another time. Sigh.
