william.hathaway's blog

In Sunday’s election in Germany a new party, Alternatives for Germany, broke through the established power structure to become the second strongest force in parliament. A key factor in its success was a call to overcome the postwar guilt and shame that have been predominant in the country. For many years these were a necessary reckoning with past atrocities, but this burden of blame has increasingly lamed the country and become a handicap to its progress. Leaving it behind is part of a gradual evolution that has been going on since the 1990s.

The German establishment is in crisis. Is has ruled for 80 years by charting a middle course between progressive and conservative policies. Labor and business have cooperated to achieve social and economic stability. But that consensus isn’t functioning anymore. The standard of living is declining, crime is increasing, fear and anger infect social discourse. Nothing the mainstream political parties have done has improved the situation.

Now is the season when priests proclaim, “Peace on earth, goodwill towards men” and mainstream media soothe us with stories and images of kindness.

But why do peace and goodwill remain just dreams? Why is kindness so rare in the world today? Why is it limited to the personal sphere? Why is the wider world so cruel?

A haunting reminder of the need for peace by a man who died for it

“Then there's only one choice” By Wolfgang Borchert

Translated from the German by William T. Hathaway

Meditation: a lifeline to sanity in a world gone crazy

Our world now writhes like a wounded worm, helpless
to escape its torment, blind
to the cause but blaming
a bug: “Stop it, stomp it, strangle it!
Too late – inside us, breeding into billions of bugs!
Kill them, poison them!
But our poisons don’t work – oh no!
Swarming with new bugs! Hopeless! Dying!”
All the while Shiva whispers:
“Beneath your terror and turmoil lies the tranquility of the transcendent.
You’re trapped on the surface mind, tossed by the waves.
Now dive to the depths and merge with me.

"Obey me or die!"
the orange-haired man threatens the world.
"My drones know you're home,
and my missiles don't miss.
I'm Commander in Chief, CinC for short.
I'll sink you into the sea, fry you crisp,
burn you to dust with the push of a button.
I'll overthrow your governments,
strangle your economies,
jail your refugees.
I'm the trumpet of doom,
I'll turn your land into a tomb!"

Let's welcome our new Commander in Chief by demonstrating how little he knows about the Constitution of the United States. Each incoming president is required on inauguration day to take the oath of office, affirming to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution." But Trump proved his ignorance of this document when he recently wrote, "Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag -- if they do, there must be consequences -- perhaps loss of citizenship or a year in jail!" The Supreme Court, however, thinks otherwise.