(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
One of Germany's most influential public commentators, social psychologist and author Harald Welzer, has written another book: Times are ending. Politics without a guiding principle, society in danger ("The end of time. Politics without vision, society in danger"). Thus, he already starts in the title with a fist bump and ironic pun. The day after Russia's attack on Ukraine Chancellor Olaf Scholz trumpeted the term Turning point – time difference. Scholz had long defended the country's years-long gas shopping trips to Russia with the view that business should not be mixed with politics, while also embracing the concept Change through Trade, where trade automatically leads to peace and cooperation. As for relations with Putin's Russia, the date of February 24, 2022 marked the end of that visa for the Chancellor and Germany.
Lack of sense of community
In this golden age of crises, Welzer encourages a broader time perspective and believes that warThe one we experience hardly represents a true time gap. Something that fits the term, he believes, is the smartphone. Regarding Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, he categorizes it from a historical perspective "possibly as a regional war without particular historical significance."
According to the author's social analysis, the country's citizens no longer live in a we-world with a sense of community. He asks how it could have gotten this far, and what is needed to change the imbalance. He provides explanations in chapters with extensive criticism of today's political elite. There are headlines like “politics without guidelines”, “society in danger”, “an economy with an end date”, “retreat and renunciation – the moral imperative”. He asks what kind of society ‘we’ want, faced with climate disaster and the exploitation of natural resources; concludes that the time is ripe for a deep recognition of the "limits to growth" that were already a theme in 1972 The Club of Romes rapport.
“Our political class practices foolish victory poses… It ignores the moral imperative of renunciation. The art of retreat is alien.”
We find both a complaint about the present's lack of vision and a tribute to a sharp social analyst when he points out the topicality in Hans Magnus Enzensbergers 34 year old essay Heroes of the retreat ("The Heroes' Retreat"). Welzer quotes: “Thus, an energy and transport policy worthy of the name can only begin with a strategic retreat. What is needed is the closure of key industries, which in the long run are no less threatening than a single party. The civil courage required is hardly less than that required by a communist functionary to abolish his party’s monopoly. Instead, our political class practices foolish victory poses and self-righteous lies. It pretends to master the future by doing nothing. It ignores the moral imperative of renunciation. The art of retreat is alien.” (My translation.)
Gigantic overestimation
The book's common thread is criticism of various institutions, which according to Welzer are primarily concerned with themselves, with a gigantic overestimation of their own achievements, without a vision for the 21st century. This applies to representatives of politics, education, journalism, business, etc. with a description of "verbal armament thematized as value- and rule-based, yes, even feminist foreign policy. The less that is realized in reality, the more it is verbalized."
For example, it seems to the social psychologist Welzer that opinions about armsdelivery to Ukraine, which is being hotly debated among the population, is not reflected in the positions of the democratic parties. This means that the people are being ruled over – the consequence is a growing sense of homelessness in society. And even worse, he finds, is the media landscape: The so-called moderator society reigns here. Where there should be differentiated news reporting, "hard-nosed position politics" are being pursued instead.
Deep frustration
Harald Welzer defines himself as an optimist. He accordingly lists five “areas for improvement”: 1) a school with unity, which after the bankruptcy of the church remains the only institution that can generate community; 2) an 80/20 principle – 80 percent salary for professional practitioners and 20 percent for social activities or volunteer work; 3) an arena for meetings beyond profiteering; 4) places where "it's good to be"; 5) a guiding idea of what the future should hold.
An actual Times End is of course not the author's conclusion as long as he lists his constructive suggestions. There is no lack of idealism in this book. Nor is there a wealth of detail. Although precisely for this reason one could wish for more meat on the bones, for example in questions about exactly how the author envisions a future-oriented growth economy, a so-called degrowth-growth. Perhaps the brevity here is an expression of a bit of modesty, face to face with one of today's most demanding issues.
The contemporary commentator also concludes with a sigh: Nowadays it is almost impossible to write a book that diagnoses the times, as the world changes by the minute. By the way, since the book was published in 2023, Hamas has attacked Israel, the Gaza Strip is a battlefield, and the United States has a new president.
The increasing militarization in the world today creates deep frustration for Harald Welzer. He shares it with many. The same applies to a fundamental belief in diplomacy rather than armed conflict. The balance is a nagging conflict. Even if solutions are still to be seen. Welzer states with sober sincerity: "The civilizational advances achieved in previous centuries, which resulted in steadily decreasing levels of violence and greater public safety, could quickly disappear if the economic basis is increased by environmental stress for ever greater numbers of people. All of this, and here comes the crucial point, is not at all new. We have known the facts for decades. What is new is that ignoring them no longer helps."
