Towards a New Trans-Cultural Modernity – The Symposium “Cultures Intertwined: Another Enlightenment” in Berlin

by Michael Liebig

Disenchantment with Politics

Not only in respect to the financial crisis and its consequences, the people sense that the political class is unwilling and/or incapable to explain how and why policy choices have been made. Consequently, there is widespread frustration with politics. By its submission to the imperatives of the mass media, the political class has almost eliminated the public discourse on the contents of strategic political issues – and thereby undercut its claim for political leadership.

by Michael Liebig

Austerity in “Old Europe”

The current wave of fiscal austerity across Europe, should not have surprised anyone. While the insistence on social justice is warranted, excessive state debt is also a symptom of basic demographic shifts impacting society, economy and social security systems. A re-definition of “work life” seems to open up the chance of preserving social security systems.

by Michael Liebig

The US National Security Strategy, “Smart Power” & Karl Mannheim

While the European Union is still reeling from the “Greece”/“Euro” crisis and Asia is facing a nasty conflict escalation on the Korean Peninsula and a social-political crisis in Thailand, it seems things are going well for the United States. The seemingly bright picture is only disturbed by the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which will have ugly environmental, economic and political consequences for months to come. Looking beyond the headlines, there was an another important event in Washington on May 27, 2010: The release of the “National Security Strategy” of the United States[1]. Barely covered in the mainstream media, NSS 2010 provides key insights into the strategic thinking of the Obama Administration.

by Michael Liebig