Putin, Schröder, Gabriel and Erdogan

Do they belong in a row?

Putin plays in a different league and has secured sufficient benefices during his reign not to hire himself out as a lobbyist like Schröder after resigning. His work for the new Russian upper middle class has already paid off. Schröder's acting talent was not enough for two full terms of office. The intensified exploitation of the lower class with the help of the social laws could no longer be overlooked, despite the social democratic packaging (“Demand and Support”), red-green was used up. But then Brioni-Schröder sang Christmas carols in the Kremlin with the flawless democrat and the children of one of his wives. Who would say it was cynicism?

Now Gabriel is trying to get his arms deals with the Deutschland AG. Bundeswehr in Africa and Asia, defense of Germany in the Hindu Kush, all the best social democratic tradition. Gabriel made the last attempt to save his office with the active help of Schröder through the Yücel deal: German tanks against Syrian Kurds and silent applause for Erdogan's policy of conquest. The German media are involved in this deal, as far as Gabriel knows the press and television. (Erdogan has already put enough aside in case he should be overthrown.)

And now Habermas sees Germany's leadership role in danger and is campaigning for Gabriel to remain in office. What kind of philosophy must it be that leads to such results? But as early as 1968 Habermas did not want to recognize the new era and he expressly approved the deprivation of the lower class by the Schröder laws. The political class praised him accordingly. In 1933 a certain Martin Heidegger campaigned for the glory of the new beginnings and received various honors.