Freedom for Wattenscheid
Greenland has voted, but it remains (still) Greenlandic. Perhaps American politicians, with the continued temptation to annex Greenland, were thinking of Willy Brandt and his phrase "We want to dare more democracy"? In any case, the veteran and Nobel Prize winner Brandt is proving more relevant than ever in current world politics.
by Alexander Kira
by Alexander Kira
The latest Zelensky scandal has left European politics in a state of shock. No one has been kicked out of the White House in a long time, unless they overindulged in Californian white wine. Crises are piling up everywhere, and the American administration is keeping its campaign promises. Such things naturally surprise professional politicians and leave the European Union in a state of shock. The renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and the incorporation of Greenland are just two more examples. But shock isn't necessary. Here, too, "act rather than react" applies. Willy Brandt taught us how to do this, and it's more relevant than ever.
Some of his sentences sound so true and easy, yet they contain explosive potential: "We want to dare more democracy" is one such sentence. Only now is it becoming clear how explosive his message is: According to polls, a majority of Greenlanders would gladly accept the US invitation to join the Union. Without questioning the validity of a survey with 416 respondents in a population of only 56,000, one thing is certain: The elections in Greenland did not confirm this result - but they did not contradict it either. At the same time, the discussion initiated by the USA reveals unimagined possibilities in global politics. For the Greenlanders, somewhat forgotten by the world, are not the only ones who could seize the global stage for themselves in the future.
The Catalans around Barcelona, for example, could now finally end their eternal struggle for independence from the Kingdom of Spain without complications: They would simply have to vote not for secession from Spain, but for union with the USA. With such an ally, their separation from Spain would be a mere formality, and the Cuba Libre would henceforth be refilled with Cava as the Barcelona Libre. Scots, Flemish, and Quebeckers would follow suit with whiskey, Trappist beer, and Caribou. In particular, however, the most important and bitterly fought conflict in German history, yet sadly forgotten by the media, could finally be resolved. We all know there can only be one solution: freedom for Wattenscheid. Faced with the choice of continuing to endure the oppressive yoke of Bochum's central administration, which has been in place since 1975, or joining the "Land of the Free," the freedom-loving citizens of Wattenscheid will likely have no hesitation. Moreover, Wattenscheid has over 73,000 inhabitants, making it significantly more attractive to the USA than Greenland, with its thousands more freedom-lovers. And please don't say that Greenland and Wattenscheid aren't comparable when it comes to raw materials. It would only be a matter of days before the Wattenscheid miners would have revived the winding tower of the old Holland mine in the city center, and the black gold of the Ruhr region would be tumbling into the mines, leaving nothing but dust, just like in 1975.
In keeping with the principles of game theory, however, the rules of the game sometimes work for one side and sometimes for the other. In other words, they can have unforeseen consequences. Have you ever thought about why New York is called "New" York, and why it was called "New" York? Amsterdam has a Ha(a)rlem? Why is the hamburger called a hamburger, and the other symbol of American food culture called "Heinz" ketchup? A name so German that it's too German even for Germans.
So why complicate things when it can be simple? Why react when you've already acted? What is still being practiced in Greenland is already reality in the USA. Karlsruhe, Bremen, Berlin--and even Meppen. The list of German city names in the USA is endless and proven: Germany is already here! We must now also shout out to these brothers and sisters, separated by the relentless wall of water: We haven't forgotten you! Even better if we get our Dutch neighbors on board. Imagine them shouting to the proud residents of the former New Amsterdam that their Dutch passports and health insurance are ready at Amsterdam City Hall! Then it would be a sign that Europe can once again be reckoned with. Ulla Van der Leyen would then have a hand in the big poker game, which at least brought a barely visible smile to her face. It would conjure up a smile. And "Willy Brandt to the window!" wouldn't be a call to save foreign currency and keep the minibar stocked up - but rather a call to reconcile rather than divide, bringing the world together. And Wattenscheid. True to the motto: "We want to dare more democracy!"
October 17, 2024
Alexander Kira has written about international human rights protection and is a lawyer, presenter and cabaret artist. He lives and writes in the heart of Berlin.
Some of his sentences sound so true and easy, yet they contain explosive potential: "We want to dare more democracy" is one such sentence. Only now is it becoming clear how explosive his message is: According to polls, a majority of Greenlanders would gladly accept the US invitation to join the Union. Without questioning the validity of a survey with 416 respondents in a population of only 56,000, one thing is certain: The elections in Greenland did not confirm this result - but they did not contradict it either. At the same time, the discussion initiated by the USA reveals unimagined possibilities in global politics. For the Greenlanders, somewhat forgotten by the world, are not the only ones who could seize the global stage for themselves in the future.
The Catalans around Barcelona, for example, could now finally end their eternal struggle for independence from the Kingdom of Spain without complications: They would simply have to vote not for secession from Spain, but for union with the USA. With such an ally, their separation from Spain would be a mere formality, and the Cuba Libre would henceforth be refilled with Cava as the Barcelona Libre. Scots, Flemish, and Quebeckers would follow suit with whiskey, Trappist beer, and Caribou. In particular, however, the most important and bitterly fought conflict in German history, yet sadly forgotten by the media, could finally be resolved. We all know there can only be one solution: freedom for Wattenscheid. Faced with the choice of continuing to endure the oppressive yoke of Bochum's central administration, which has been in place since 1975, or joining the "Land of the Free," the freedom-loving citizens of Wattenscheid will likely have no hesitation. Moreover, Wattenscheid has over 73,000 inhabitants, making it significantly more attractive to the USA than Greenland, with its thousands more freedom-lovers. And please don't say that Greenland and Wattenscheid aren't comparable when it comes to raw materials. It would only be a matter of days before the Wattenscheid miners would have revived the winding tower of the old Holland mine in the city center, and the black gold of the Ruhr region would be tumbling into the mines, leaving nothing but dust, just like in 1975.
In keeping with the principles of game theory, however, the rules of the game sometimes work for one side and sometimes for the other. In other words, they can have unforeseen consequences. Have you ever thought about why New York is called "New" York, and why it was called "New" York? Amsterdam has a Ha(a)rlem? Why is the hamburger called a hamburger, and the other symbol of American food culture called "Heinz" ketchup? A name so German that it's too German even for Germans.
So why complicate things when it can be simple? Why react when you've already acted? What is still being practiced in Greenland is already reality in the USA. Karlsruhe, Bremen, Berlin--and even Meppen. The list of German city names in the USA is endless and proven: Germany is already here! We must now also shout out to these brothers and sisters, separated by the relentless wall of water: We haven't forgotten you! Even better if we get our Dutch neighbors on board. Imagine them shouting to the proud residents of the former New Amsterdam that their Dutch passports and health insurance are ready at Amsterdam City Hall! Then it would be a sign that Europe can once again be reckoned with. Ulla Van der Leyen would then have a hand in the big poker game, which at least brought a barely visible smile to her face. It would conjure up a smile. And "Willy Brandt to the window!" wouldn't be a call to save foreign currency and keep the minibar stocked up - but rather a call to reconcile rather than divide, bringing the world together. And Wattenscheid. True to the motto: "We want to dare more democracy!"
October 17, 2024
Alexander Kira has written about international human rights protection and is a lawyer, presenter and cabaret artist. He lives and writes in the heart of Berlin.
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