Almost everything was over: The war, the World Cup, Twitter and “Projects” by Cathy Hummels. Why do we despise the end of the world?
This week the world was on the brink. Russian missiles on Poland, so now it happened, so that’s it then: We waited for the end with trepidation and found out a thing or two about ourselves.
It’s interesting how people deal with the prospect of nothing. After the first breaking news, I quickly agreed to all sorts of absurdly complex projects, accepted adventurously short deadlines and smiled to myself, in the vague, well, hope that any schedule, no matter how daring, would be destroyed by atomic fire the next day, at the latest on next but one.
Many erred in these hours. The political scientist Johannes Varwick jumped straight to the “Cui bono?” – who might be interested in the spread of the war, he asked his followers. And, with regard to the defense mechanism of the NATO treaty: “I don’t see who would have an interest in this – apart from Ukraine and possibly Poland.” The ground in Przewodow hadn’t even cooled down yet.
The “Bild” stated: “Whether a mistake or not – this is an armed attack on NATO territory!”, but at least mentioned the third, currently most likely variant. The writer Juli Zeh, I speculate, was probably phoning around to see if anyone else had a final open letter to sign. (There is indeed a new one, but he’s unwell and wants to support Ukraine with weapons, we’re unlikely to find Zeh there.)
Many an expert embarrassed himself to the core with misjudgments. It’s not easy either: in today’s science, you’re a worthless idiot who can’t distill a 280-character requirement from a global war situation within a few seconds. Online expertise is like digital improvisational theater – moderately entertaining until it goes horribly wrong.
Quick shots were also seen in politics: the defense specialist and experienced Twitter cage fighter Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann initially followed her first impression and shortly afterwards deleted her tweet. And it’s worth pointing out, I might lose a kneecap the next time I meet the sturdy Liberal.
Some of the Instant Experts set Olympic records in the discipline of back rowing. The missiles were most likely Russian, but from Poland, is now the mostly divided consensus. Only the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyj, still maintains that Russia must have fired the rockets – and is supplying Russian propaganda with ammunition: The country has never looked less credible since the beginning of the war.
Even the doomsday premise was strangely tacky: NATO is a defensive alliance and various representatives have repeatedly vowed to defend every inch of the territory, which probably also includes a Polish village. However, the contract does not provide for a “doomsday” automatism. US President Joe Biden does not necessarily have to press the red button. Because even in war politics is not a Pavlovian dog.
So after the end time was short and scary and chattering in the room, happened – nothing at all. So “nothing” is of course wrong: people continue to die in the war every day, some are killed with a sledgehammer in front of the camera, others are killed with precision shots, which the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense then markets on social media with “Predator” special effects. Humanity can apparently also evaporate without the atomic mushroom. But for us here in Germany, other, differently creepy topics came to the fore, Cathy Hummels for example.
Attention is a damn drug. Whoever proclaims the end of the world the fastest gets the most of it. That has always been the case, think of the doomsday prophets like the economist Max Otte or the current apocalyptic drivel of the right-wing extremists in the United States.
A climate activist claimed in “Markus Lanz” that the end was near and justified it with “science” and “civil wars”. With every fatalistic scream, a few more ears listen, it’s simply a form of opinion warfare. The apocalypse has always been sexy.
Maybe it’s the falling snow, but I advise contemplation. Why don’t you go to Gülpe, the darkest place in the Federal Republic, which is, where else, in Brandenburg? 160 people live here and the lights go out at night to save electricity and money. There you can shudder apocalyptically, but above all see the stars and right now the Leonids are raining down.
Watch as the universe tries to stone us. Maybe there is a big chunk – and ends all deadlines, errors, the World Cup and also the interest in Cathy Hummels.