Today it's about leadership, the murder of journalist Khashoggi, the fight against the pandemic, an assault rifle and overexposure.
The Unflinching Chancellor
For once, let's not ask whether the Chancellor's policy towards Ukraine is correct.
Let's ask if he has a clear course and how determined he is to follow it.
Anyone who has listened to Scholz on various occasions has experienced an unwavering chancellor.
After initial hesitation, he settled on the
I-am-not-Kaiser-Wilhelm course
.
His primary goal is to keep Germany out of the war, to avoid an armed conflict with Russia and thus an exchange of nuclear blows.
He takes a critical look at Ukraine's politics and keeps his distance from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, without having the slightest sympathy for Vladimir Putin.
He is unimpressed by the fierce, sometimes angry criticism of his course.
He is aware that, depending on the outcome of the war, he could be accused of betraying Ukraine.
Despite it.
Scholz promised leadership during the election campaign and, as of now, it can be said
that he is showing leadership in Ukraine politics
.
Wonders if in the right direction.
But that is not the issue here and now.
Scholz is making a
government
statement in the Bundestag today , an important one.
In the next eight days he will travel to the EU, G7 and NATO summits and will have to explain how he sees Germany's role in the world.
Chancellor in Kyiv: And then even Olaf Scholz becomes pathetic for a moment
You can find more news and background information on the war in Ukraine here:
That happened at night:
the pilot dies when a Russian war plane crashes.
Moscow complains about the alleged “naval blockade”.
And: Two US citizens in Russian captivity are threatened with the death penalty.
The overview.
The Federal Minister of Finance warns of "three to four, maybe five years of shortages":
The Germans are likely to face a longer phase of deprivation - Christian Lindner fears that.
He spoke on ZDF of a “serious economic crisis”.
"These death sentences are arbitrary":
A court in Russian-occupied Donetsk has sentenced two Britons and a Moroccan to death: lawyer Kai Ambos explains why this is illegal - and why Ukraine is also not behaving correctly.
Will the summer bring a cease-fire?:
The war of attrition in the Donbass is wearing both sides down – in addition to soldiers, ammunition is running out.
While the Russian army tries to inflict as much damage as possible, Ukraine continues to hope for Western help.
"We must prevent further hoarding":
blocked ports and extreme droughts: a chain of crises makes food more expensive worldwide.
Many politicians are therefore now seeking advice from David Laborde.
In an interview, the economist explains what can help against hunger.
Intentional Oversight
Turkey is looking forward to a spicy state visit today.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected in Ankara
, the man likely to be responsible for the brutal murder of dissident Jamal Khashoggi.
On October 2, 2018, Khashoggi visited the Saudi Arabian consulate in Ankara to clarify a document issue.
There he was murdered and dismembered by agents.
Some of them are now serving prison sentences in their home countries.
But the crown prince can go on a trip to Turkey.
This leads me to a little theory of
willful oversight in politics
.
What the powerful do is overlooked.
The US and China can afford pretty much anything without facing serious consequences.
What is overlooked is what those who have important goods or raw materials such as oil are doing.
The West is still doing energy deals with Russia.
What is overlooked is what is done by those who are of strategic interest to the powerful.
The US supported right-wing regimes of torture in South and Central America to keep communism from spreading.
Saudi Arabia has oil and serves US strategic interests in the Middle East.
You can afford almost anything with it.
Four years after Khashoggi's murder: Saudi Crown Prince bin Salman comes to Turkey for a state visit
danced out?
Yesterday I mentioned a conversation with a leading German health politician who unfortunately has to remain anonymous.
Yesterday it was about Ukraine, here are his thoughts on the pandemic:
If nothing is done, the daily number of cases will rise to 200,000 in autumn and winter
, with production losses in the economy and 200 to 300 deaths a day, mostly old people or people with poor health.
An excess mortality of five to ten percent is to be expected.
It is an ethical question, says the health politician, whether society wants to accept this with the argument that most of these people would soon have died anyway.
Or whether you take countermeasures, with mask requirements and closures, for example of dance clubs.
He is for countermeasures.
Today, this question will also be a topic at the conference of health ministers from the federal states and the federal government in Magdeburg.
Head of the Corona Expert Council: "It would be questionable to wait and see what happens in the fall"
gun prank
One problem at the turn of the century is
that the Bundeswehr does not yet know
which rifles they would shoot with
if, God forbid, they had to shoot one day.
The G36 has fallen into disrepute, the successor was to be manufactured by the gunsmith CG Haenel from Suhl.
Sounds very German, but it is owned by the United Arab Emirates, another state that benefits from being deliberately overlooked.
But then it was said that Haenel had violated patent law.
The company lost the state contract to Heckler & Koch and sued against this decision.
Today, the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court will announce a decision in this posse.
Winner of the day...
... is
Fabian Hinrichs
, not only because he is a wonderful actor, but also because I recently associate him with a crucial issue of our time.
I recently saw him at the Berlin Volksbühne in René Pollesch's play »Are you okay?«, a great lament in the times of Corona, war and climate catastrophe.
At some point Hinrichs exclaimed: "When can we finally erupt again?"
That's exactly the question.
You are living your normal life again these days, but there is no effervescence, because gloomy thoughts of war, Corona and climate catastrophe also appear when you are enjoying it.
In my darkest moments, I think the answer to Hinrich's question might be a three-letter word: never.
Here is the current quiz of the day
The starting question today: Anne Spiegel was not the only one who gave up her place because of a vacation after the flood disaster of 2021.
Who else?
The latest news from the night
Jury finds Bill Cosby guilty of sexually abusing 16-year-old woman:
A woman accuses the former entertainer of sexually abusing her in 1975.
In a civil trial in California, a jury has now found her right and also awarded her $ 500,000.
US Senate pushes law against gun violence:
Any tightening of gun laws, no matter how small, is a controversial issue in the USA.
But now there is movement in the Senate.
Even Republicans are signaling support -- at least a little.
More and more people are receiving their pensions abroad:
the number of pensions paid abroad has risen significantly over the past 20 years: by 37 percent.
The German pension insurance also gives a reason for this.
The SPIEGEL + recommendations for today
How Russia's tech industry now wants to conquer Europe:
The war has hit Russia's booming IT industry hard.
Start-up founders and programmers are leaving the country in droves.
A whole generation is daring to make a new start – in Cyprus.
How professional investors are preparing for the crash:
Wages and energy prices are driving inflation to dangerous levels.
Hedge fund founders and bankers prepare for recession and stock market crash.
Everyone can benefit from her eight theses.
"Where is a built-in microphone here?" - "You're crazy, fairy tale":
The US intelligence service overheard thousands of German prisoners of war in the Fort Hunt secret camp.
In 1945 they reported what they experienced at the front – and how much they knew about the mass murder of European Jews.
How Hank the Tank terrorizes a holiday paradise:
He is said to weigh more than 220 kilograms and has committed 28 burglaries: A black bear makes Lake Tahoe in California unsafe.
Ever since there were thoughts of putting him to sleep, people from all over the world have gotten involved.
I wish you a good start into the day.
Yours, Dirk Kurbjuweit