Politik / Politics Archives

Rescuing exploited girls

Before the night comes, by Matt Roper

Our Western eyes can hardly believe what Matt Roper and his Canadian friend Dean Brody discover, as they drive along the longest highway in Brazil. An 11-year-old girl is offering her body to the passing lorry drivers for a few Reals.

Schicksale?

Games, von Patrick Oberholzer ist ein krasses Buch – krass in seinem übergrossen Format, krass in seiner dramatischen Gestaltung und besonders krass in seiner Botschaft. Es ist auch ein sehr lehrreiches Buch, das uns im gemütlichen Westeuropa auf die traumatischen Lebens- und Fluchterfahrungen vieler Afghanen aufmerksam machen sollte.

Lost child in the chaos of war

City of Tears, by Kate Mosse

After King Henry of Navarre marries Marguerite de Valois, Paris becomes the scene of the St Bartholomew's Day massacre, and little Marta gets lost.

The assassin crouched in the tangled undergrowth, his finger and thumb stiff in position around the wheel-lock pistol. His gaze was fixed upon the highest point of the castle. He was ready, had been so since first light.
He had made his confession and prayed for deliverance. He had laid his offering at the grave in the woods of the previous châtelaine, a pious and devout Catholic lady murdered by Huguenot vermin. His soul was pure. Shriven.
He was ready to kill.

Wahl oder Zwang?

Das Ende des Kapitalismus, von Ulrike Herrmann

Wer hätte unter einem so trockenen Titel eine spannende Geschichte erwartet? Herrmann beginnt in romanhafter Manier mit der dramatischen historischen Entwicklung der industriellen Revolution in England. Wachstum führte zu Wohlstand. Ein Segen, den andere Nationen – vor allem Deutschland und die USA – zu kopieren versuchten. Was dann aber unweigerlich zum heutigen Kapitalismus führte – ein System, in dem die westliche Welt derzeit gefangen ist.

Eine alternative Geschichte

Zwei Herren am Strand von Michael Köhlmeier

Ein verwirrendes Buch. Zunächst faszinierten mich die Enthüllungen über die dramatischen Lebensereignisse und insbesondere den geistigen Zustand der beiden einflussreichen Persönlichkeiten der Welt, Winston Churchill und Charlie Chaplin.

International intrigues at the highest levels

Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett

Edge of Eternity – the final book of Follett’s perspective-shattering Century Trilogy – traces the vibrant lives of the offspring of the British, Russian, German and American families that we got to know in Fall of Giants and Winter of the World. Relationships come and go and fates fluctuate, revealing international intrigues at the highest levels. A salutary feature of the narrative is how most world leaders are revealed as dishonest, weak and morally corrupt puppets of various political and economic factions.

“They’re all just lazy parasites!”

“Jurj?” the rebel fighter read from Tariq’s friend’s ID. “Then you’re a Christian!” And with that he shot his brains out. That was the final trigger. Tariq had to flee. To Europe. And arrange for his family to join him.

Climate change won’t affect us. So why strike?

The Trump generation – including me – won’t be around when London and Houston sink. Along with Jakarta, Manila, Shanghai and half of the Netherlands. Nor when the last wild polar bear and Atlantic puffin has died because of habitat loss.

And the Greta generation have time to adapt to the changing climate without too much inconvenience: relocate to higher ground, stop holidaying in the Canary Isles, consume less meat, wear thick pullovers in winter and drive electric cars. In fact they will even benefit from new developments in sustainable energy sources and environment-friendly technology.

So what’s the fuss?

Winter of the World by Ken Follett

Another masterpiece of passion and insight!

We experience the suspense and tragedy of WWII through the eyes of the offspring of the people we came to know in Fall of Giants, the first book in the Century Trilogy. These children grow up into realistic, passionate characters who travel the world, engage in devious pursuits and fall in love.

No Longers Strangers? by Javed Masih

If you want the salutary facts – necessarily subjective but certainly typical – about what a refugee family experiences after arriving in Europe from a vastly different geographic and cultural background, this will fill you in.