democracy

USA: The European political-media elite portrays Trump as the new Hitler, but is nevertheless in a great hurry to subordinate itself to the USA economically, militarily and politically. Glenn Diesen analyzes the US situation now.

TRANSFORMATION: In How to Save the City, the overall challenge is still how we can re-establish our relationship with nature.

ECOLOGY: With today's western consumer standards, how can we as environmentalists avoid the stigma of hypocrisy? Eat less meat, drive less, waste less resources? It is a prerequisite for the freedom of the next generations – because technological solutions cannot carry the load alone.

PALESTINE/ISRAEL:What is it like to be the UN's special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories? After the launch of the Italian book J'accuse, we spoke to Francesca Albanese – about Israel's war against Gaza, genocide, anti-Semitism and impunity, based on her specialization in international law. She talks about political, legal, psychological and epistemic violence resulting from how Israel, with the consent of the West, has oppressed the Palestinians for decades. (And what about the Oslo agreement, see the sub-section.)

LOVING ANARCHISM: Here we have ten chapters on topics such as water shortages, democracy, environmental challenges, artificial intelligence and economics. A writer who is more concerned with social than technological innovations. For example, he believes that citizens' councils with real power, debate and direct decisions can be established without representative democracy being abolished.

REBELLION: Through this essay we are taken on an exciting journey through revolutions all over the world. The book refers, for example, to the 2010 uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Libya, Yemen and Bahrain.

IRAQ: In Iraq, young people trust neither the politicians nor the parties. MODERN TIMES has met the director and producer of the film Baghdad on Fire, which deals with the mobilization of the youth fighting for change in the bad governance of the country's leaders. Karrar Al-Azzawi says the following about the US invasion in 2003: "They brought 'democracy', but we got only chaos and corruption – with politicians who only wanted to steal. The religious leaders were also involved in this."

MODERN TIMES CONVERSATIONS: We talk to the former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, the man who could have become Prime Minister of Great Britain, about current issues – such as military rearmament, Ukraine, Israel, climate justice and work, security, democracy, citizens' councils, and not least a hope for the future.

TRANSFORMATION: Hartmut Rosa is a central critic of modernity. He emphasizes the importance of our resonant experiences – be it with another, a work or a book – as a central part of being human.

Hat: Turkish-German Seyda Kurt is concerned with hatred that produces tenderness. Hate is often rooted in racism, misogyny, xenophobia and prejudice.

DEMOCRACY: Rémi Brague analyzes in an original, albeit not unproblematic manner, his way to Europe's DNA – if Europe were to have an inferiority complex, why have we always arrogantly and brutally sought to incorporate others, take over, defeat? The second book, by Mikkel Bolt and Dominique Routhier, presents democratic texts of the time.

FREEDOM? Is voting an isolated individual act that in no way questions the power of the state, but rather confirms it?

COMMUNITY: The need to stem the fear of an uncertain future is great today. Racism, xenophobia, violence and authoritarianism are growing all over the world. We present here some alternatives to this.

DEMOCRACY: MODERN TIMES has chosen two angles on the same book. What about community-led initiatives as a contribution to the European Green Deal?

DIRECT DEMOCRACY: We need a new social system with commons and decline. And it is possible to achieve it. We have enough experience and knowledge from previous times. It's just a matter of getting started, writes Yavor Tarinski in a recent debate book.

EUROPE: Europe and EU co-operation have developed in step with society's crises and challenges. On that occasion, MODERN TIMES has asked a number of Norwegian opinion leaders questions about the future of Europe. The EU's Green Deal shows leadership on the environment and climate, in addition to digital services. We ask which areas the EU should prioritize, with appropriate political, legal or industrial initiatives and forms of cooperation.