Germany and the UN security council: I am German by birth and upbringing. Political and community responsibility were a central part of education as well as discussions in our family. As indeed in the majority of German families and households.
The security council was from the start and always will be a highly political body. When we look at unjust and forced decisions by its 5 permanent members over the past 80 years since its founding, we will start to realize that anywhere in the world power and third party interests influence such bodies.
We also can easily ascertain that good forces and good deeds are strong and at the moment still prevail throughout Europe, including Germany.
Yet, Germany reserves its right to stand up and point at injustice. These days, with an extreme-right-wing president in the US, a dictator in Russia as heads of government, who are basically best buddies, it’s practically impossible to ‘please all’.
You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.
(John Lydgate)
That’s also very clear:
We should not at any time confuse Israeli politics and the reactions to those politics with the past or present of people using antisemitism as a weapon in discussions.
It is tragic and also very true:
In politics and dictatorships all around the world certain methods were – and still are – used to manipulate those of less well-educated mind to gather and hunt those that were a minority, or are an easy target.
‘Minority bashing’ occurs in Russia, in China and the US, in the UK and France. The USA were the first – and so far the only nation – to use a nuclear bomb in a war against another.
They have forfeited their ‘right’ to be counted among the righteous at least in politics: Their present government is nothing to write home about. And that’s putting it rather nicely yet. What would you expect from a president who’s a convicted felon and his administration?
The same holds true for nations such as China or Russia, both also permanent members.
To stand up for our beliefs and the same right for all to justice, peace and support of those rights is a central aspect in German politics and has been for a long time.
I for my part think we can be proud and at the same time unassuming about the great history of science, philosophy and arts this country of Germany possesses.