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Consequences of a neoliberal globalisation

by Thomas Scherr

(18 November 2021) In the aftermath of the 2020 lockdown, many economic problems have arisen, as “German Foreign Policy”, among others, reported in an article at the end of September.1 However, anyone who looks at the current supply crisis only from the perspective of the past five years falls short. It is necessary to look at 30 years of neoliberal globalisation.If you don’t train enough nursing and care staff in your own country, you just get them from abroad. – their own situation is not “our” problem. – The main thing is to keep wages low. Truck drivers are recruited in Poland or Romania or brought in from Belarus. Low wages is all that counts. This is what the free movement of persons in globalised world trade looks like.

China in the light of the German leading media

Spreading colonial stereotypes and creating an enemy stereotype

Own report of the editorial staff of “German Foreign Policy”

(18 November 2021) A recent study gives the China coverage of the German leading media a disastrous report. According to a comprehensive analysis presented by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (Die Linke), the predominant reporting on China is “characterised by an increased use of clichés and stereotypes, some of which date back to colonial times”.

Biden’s Taiwan gaffe meant no harm

by M. K. Bhadrakumar *

(5 November 2021) The probability is that the US President Joe Biden committed yet another diplomatic gaffe at a CNN town hall last Thursday [21 October] that Washington had a commitment to come to Taiwan’s defence if it were attacked by China.

Yet, like Biden’s gaffes usually, this one too was not without an element of deliberateness. Biden was even insistent. Indeed, there is an ongoing debate in the US on this topic and Biden tapped into it.

“Youth is completely different”

On the German-Austrian Youth Values Study from 2021

by Marita Brune-Koch

(5 November 2021) Nowadays, “youth” is often equated with “climate youth”. This implies that youth today are “green” and organise or identify with “Fridays for Future”, Greenpeace, animal protection and similar organisations. However, this is by no means the case. The majority of youth “ticks” quite differently. This was shown in a study by the Austrian social scientist Professor Bernhard Heinzlmaier,* which he presented at the beginning of 2021.

Federal votes of 28 November 2021

Covid-19 Act: restriction of civil liberties?

by René Zeyer*

(5 November 2021) Fundamental rights are the foundation of a free civilisation. A pandemic endangers health. Curtailment of fundamental rights endangers society.

Freedoms are used without thinking about what a privilege they are. And how quickly they can be endangered.

“The COVID-19 Act bypasses the constitutional legislator and thus the people and the cantons”

by Andreas Kley*

(5 November 2021)  The subject of the referendum vote [of 28 November 2021] is the “Federal Act on the Statutory Principles for Federal Council Ordinances on Combating the COVID-19 Epidemic”. The title of the law, which lacks content, is striking. The title is pleonastic, because what should a federal law do other than create legal foundations? Moreover, a law must do more than just support ordinances.