A political statement
September 9, 2022

Anyone looking at the current state of the world will see that problems exist almost everywhere, all of them caused by humans. In some countries, forests are being cleared or burned on a massive scale to make room for herds of animals whose meat is then exported to meat consumers. In other regions of the world, forests are burning due to spreading drought. In still other areas of the earth, there are torrential floods, while elsewhere rivers and entire lakes are drying up. And then there are the regions where, due to tectonic plate shifts, intense earthquakes are expected, threatening to engulf entire countries. The full extent of these natural disasters is so devastating that virtually all major news outlets shy away from reporting on them regularly and in detail. On the other hand, there are very wealthy individuals and interest groups who prioritize their personal goals over the well-being of all people. Among other things, thousands of satellites are being launched into space, blanketing almost the entire Earth's surface with electromagnetic fields, which can make young children ill and drive more sensitive individuals to madness. Millions of weapons are also being produced, which are practically worthless without interpersonal conflicts or even wars, because friendly or at least allied people need far fewer weapons than warring parties. To resolve these problems with the least possible loss of life, animals, and plants, we need not only sensible politicians, but also, and above all, sensible citizens who act proactively and provide leading politicians and other heads of state with impetus aimed at the well-being of all, even if this sometimes means making difficult decisions for some people. Those in need must be better equipped in terms of time and money, and the wealthy must stop enriching themselves at the expense of others; otherwise, it simply won't work. It is currently impossible to become independent of fossil fuels in a very short time, the most environmentally friendly of which is natural gas from pipelines and not transported by ships, and also not oil, coal, and, considering the long-term consequences and the impact of accidents, not even nuclear power. The area of ​​forests that could provide firewood is shrinking rapidly in some places, and it will decline much further in the coming years and decades, even without deforestation and slash-and-burn agriculture.

 

The aforementioned interest groups, the lobbies, have caused a conflict that currently threatens to tear Europe apart. A young, inexperienced politician was manipulated to corner a world power. This didn't happen in a few days, but over a period of months and years. And although media coverage in some parts of the world currently suggests that a years-long armed conflict is inevitable, there are still ways to reach out to one another and find solutions for the good of all humanity. The deployment of nuclear weapons in Cuba almost triggered a nuclear war during John F. Kennedy's time. This right to protect one's interests, while maintaining neutrality, should not be denied to Vladimir Putin either. The true instigators of the conflict knew this perfectly well. The most sensible solution would be for Europe to break free from the influence of arms manufacturers and other overseas powers, to stand together as a united Europe, and to engage with Putin. Anything else will only cause suffering in the increasingly cold days of 2022 and likely beyond, because without Russian natural gas, many people here may freeze this winter. Putin is very clever and far-sighted. He's known this for a long time.

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My name is Michael Hannes Schefberger, I live in Eisenstadt, Austria, and in Europe. Today is September 9, 2022, the day after the death of Elizabeth II, the woman who reigned as Queen of England for 70 years.