The Occasional Blog

Happy Birthday, USA? Some thoughts on our joint history, . . . and well-wishes from abroad

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The U.S. is preparing for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th celebrating the beginnings of the United States of America.  How can one celebrate the proud history of democracy when so much has changed in the last year-and-a-half that turns values we have cherished upside down, among them most prominently freedom of speech, the foundation of a diverse, open, democratic and just society? A society with equal rights and chances for everyone, not only those in power. Read more

We know how to safeguard democracy. But why aren’t we doing it more effectively?

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Filling democratic ideals with life needs to start with the young by giving them a voice. But it is a lifelong commitment for all of us. Strategically and purposefully strengthening our communities is the basis for safety and prosperity and takes the oxygen out of extremism. It requires an effort. But the effort will be necessary and worth it to rebuild trust in our democratic societies from the ground up. Read more

Standing Up For Europe: A New Year’s Resolution

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This blog is my attempt to change the narrative on Europe from constant internal and external criticism to a “glass half full” perspective.  Let’s revive the European Dream and counter plans by the current US administration to twist that dream into a right-wing nightmare. 
The second part of the blog explains how we got here in an interview with Dr. Manfred Stinnes and what we all can do to strengthen liberal democracies on both sides of the Atlantic. Read more

“Hope is the thing with feathers”

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Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that there is reason to be hopeful. We are flooded with negative news, but there are points of light if we allow ourselves to look for them.
One of them is the Foundation ‘The Day After’ in Ukraine. Co-founder Iryna Drobovych has the audacity to imagine peace in the midst of war. She and her colleagues encourage women to prepare for a time when the country needs to be rebuilt and to take on leadership roles. For a very personal interview with Iryna and my thoughts on “hope” inspired by birds and poetry, please read on . . . Read more

Enemies of the State?  Higher Education Under Attack

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The Trump administration is labeling American universities as “Incubators of wokeness,” accuses them of “ideological indoctrination” and pressures them into compliance by withholding research funding. Foreign students are met with suspicion. They are undergoing enhanced questioning during their visa application process or are threatened with visa cancellations during their studies. Trump seems to be taking his cues from authoritarian governments attacking progressive institutions or even cracking down on full-fledged student protests like in Serbia. Read more

Parades, Protests and Patriotism

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The month of June has been head-spinning for observers of US-politics. We saw a military parade alongside nation-wide protests, a military attack on nuclear sites in Iran, politically motivated murders, immigration raids and fights over the “Big Beautiful Bill” in Congress. This blog post is divided into two parts: a reminiscence of a military parade of a very different kind than displayed in Washington D.C. on June 14; and an interview with Lecia Brooks , former Chief of Staff at the Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama, and historian David Goldfield, Robert Lee Bailey Professor of History at the University of North Carolina, on the emerging protest movement. Read more

“Tyranny in Disguise”: How the U.S. Government Views Germany

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Already during his first term in office, Donald Trump sharply criticized Germany and threatened a partial withdrawal of American troops. Following Vice President J.D. Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference in February, in which he criticized Europe’s political leadership, migration policy, and an alleged restriction of freedom of expression, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio is now upping the ante. Read more

A Plea for Cultural and Academic Exchange: Let’s Keep It Going!

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The Trump administration’s proposed cuts to cultural and educational exchange and attacks on academic institutions are not just affecting the USA. They are making the world less safe, less healthy and less smart. Let’s keep our end of the bargain and safeguard funding for joint, life-saving research and the free flow of ideas. Read more

A Changed Country, a Changed World

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The Trump administration’s dismantling of the administrative state and challenging long-held, trusted alliances are disrupting news cycles and worrying Americans and Europeans alike. How do we respond to information overload, and are there signs of resistance in support of democratic norms? Impressions from the U.S. and Germany. Read more

The Lessons We Forget:  From CARE to the Airlift to Cancelling USAID

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The new U.S.-administration is unlearning the lessons of CARE, the Luftbrücke (Airlift), soft power and stable alliances. Not with the stroke of a pen, but a simple e-mail, President Kennedy’s vision, and that of many caring Americans, of a secure and better world has been destroyed. Read more

Thoughts on Memory Culture

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This past weekend I reread After, a memoir by American artist, writer and close friend Mindy Weisel, the daughter of Holocaust survivors.  It is almost a scrap book with pictures of handwritten notes, photographs and her father’s registration sheet at Bergen-Belsen, the then displaced persons camp. But most prominently the book features Mindy’s artistic work that illustrates her creative process, the painful road from visually mourning her parents’ past to celebrating life.  Mindy’s calling has been a search for beauty, in her art, her life, and the world around her.  It is the healing quality of beauty she pursues and shares with us in her writing and her art.  Children carry their parents’ trauma.  Mindy even carries it in her passport.  Her birthplace is listed as Bergen-Belsen where she was born in 1947 to two survivors, distant cousins who met there. Read more

La La Land Is Burning Down….

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Only a few days are left until Donald Trump’s inauguration.  The Democratic Party’s attempt to prevent the elderly billionaire from running for a second term with a (relatively) young, intelligent, experienced opponent in the race has failed.  Kamala Harris lost the election, albeit more narrowly than is generally portrayed.  Her message of confidence and let’s get it done (“Hard Work IS Good Work”) ultimately did not resonate with the majority of voters.  She could not  get through the barrage of negative headlines, false reports and gloomy prophecies.  Many people have voted against their own interest; for the second time.  Most of them just do not know it yet. Read more