Hunger strike, loss of control, air strikes. Darkness dominated last week – and not just at BVB.
Not a nice farewell match for Dortmund’s Reus at Wembley Photo: Robert Michael/dpa
taz: Mr. Küppersbusch, what was bad last week?
Friedrich Kuppersbusch: The second half.
And what gets better in this one?
The memory of the first.
Joe Biden has given Ukraine the green light to use US weapons on Russian territory, but only near the controversial Kharkiv. What impact will this have on the course of the war?
“The West” sees itself in emergency response mode. Our friend Ukraine is ringing the bell, his unscrupulous neighbor has attacked him – can he borrow our weapon? Certainly, a matter of honor. After this has been going on for more than two years and the fate of the attacked person becomes more and more desperate, he threatens to cause us real problems. With two attacks on Russian nuclear weapons warning systems in May, Ukraine showed it can expand the war catastrophically. It’s not fun, but you can understand it. So Biden and, in the slipstream, Scholz are now allowing the battered friend to defend himself on a small scale to maintain calm on a large scale. After more than two years we could also say: we no longer feel comfortable with this, we have to talk to your stupid neighbor. Zelensky says in the new york times, he sees no problem with NATO getting involved in the war. NATO has no idea of an exit. So we creep closer to the edge of losing control.
There has been one for 85 days Climate activist in Berlin on hunger strike and is now in immediate danger of death. The demand: Chancellor Scholz must mention the dangers of the climate crisis in a government statement. Can such strikes help the climate movement?
In 2021, before his election as chancellor, Scholz helped end a hunger strike by climate activists by promising to talk. This took place after the elections and is on YouTube with a modest 88,000 views. From a journalistic point of view, it’s quite disappointing. Tender of the user’s comment: If you place Scholz next to two frantic climate missionaries, you may find his calmness and patience sympathetic. Those who are now starving want to force the Chancellor to make a government statement. This – even if there are plausible concerns – is completely megalomaniac. This absolutism also disturbs well-meaning people, and what is communicated is despair. Hopelessness is no way out.
At one Israeli airstrike on refugee camp Tal al-Sultan is said to have killed dozens of people, including two Hamas commanders. Where can Palestinian citizens still find protection?
Nowhere. But it could be worse tomorrow. The Biden administration had tried a trick: presenting an “Israeli ceasefire plan,” which Netanyahu immediately denied. With the votes of the opposition and also of the hostages’ relatives, he was able to push through. In line with the demands of the International Court of Justice and the outrage of friendly states. Under threat of arrest warrant. It’s impressive what diplomacy can do. And tragically: nothing.
Donald Trump was involved in the trial surrounding hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels found guilty. How will this affect the US elections?
It reinforces the stories of both camps and therefore achieves: nothing. So even more of the familiar nothingness. So for Trump: guilty – pleasure.
There was a scandal at the “Hart aber Fair” on Monday: the guests shouted at each other and the audience booed. Can the fight against the populists be successful?
The curse of panel discussions is the underlying choreo, sometimes a briefing, often a half-script, which follows the conversation in terms of content and dramaturgy. The goal is to present a conflict and have the guests make familiar arguments. At “HaF” this led to a “fact check” for the second time, which claimed to correct something that had unfortunately not been stated before. Plasberg’s classic statement ‘politics meets reality’ turns into nirvana: the politicians were more real than the construct in which they were supposed to play. It’s not about putting certain people and positions down in a tough way, it’s about making everyone fairer. There are reasons in the format why it doesn’t work.
And what are the Borussians doing?
Press the pole. They are used to that because they have someone as director. From now on: had it. The departing boss gives them this as a farewell gift Rheinmetall advertising deal at the door. “Aki” Watzke failed because of the fans with his plan to sell the league to investors. Nice gesture to poop on the doormat as a farewell. If BVB becomes an advertising medium for war profiteers, I would like to be asked about another club. OK?
Questions: Joscha Frahm