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Herzinger, Richard
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5 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
Richard Herzinger undaunted by violence in Middle East
The Middle East has still not calmed down since the launch of the freedom movement last year. But it took other democracies up to 200 years to stabilise themselves, Richard Herzinger writes consolingly in the conservative Welt am Sonntag: "Nevertheless it is worth remembering that revolutionary upheavals like those which have gripped the Middle East generally tend to result in many decades of bloody confusion, terrible mistakes and cruel wars. Yet the central problem posed by revolutions has always been how to rein in the violence they generate and curtail it through institutions. The American Revolution was to a certain extent exemplary in achieving this while the terrorism of the French Revolution initially got out of hand - not to mention the Russian Revolution. In total 200 years passed before democracy was firmly established in the Western world. Remembering to think along the long lines of history can at least help us not to despair at the current atrocities unfolding in the Middle East - and to focus on doggedly fighting the worst inhumanities instead of hankering after visions of an ideal democratic future."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » History, » Human rights, » Libya, » Egypt, » Syria
A betrayal of the Afghan people
The early withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan is a betrayal of the Afghani people and could exacerbate the problems in the country, writes the conservative daily Die Welt: "A betrayal of the progress-oriented sections of the Afghan population that have been encouraged to put their hope in freedom, democracy and self-determination for a decade. This hurried withdrawal will not give the Western world the isolationist peace of mind it craves, not just because abandoning these people to the Islamist butchers will weigh heavily on its conscience. As soon as hundreds of thousands of refugees start seeking help from their former protectors - as the southern Vietnamese boat people did when they were likewise abandoned by the fleeing US troops - the West will realise that it can't simply shake off the burden of responsibility it once assumed for the future of Afghanistan. The escape from the tough guerilla war in Afghanistan could soon turn out to be a first step towards new conflicts of far greater proportions."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » U.S., » Central Asia
Germany embarassed by hitting the brakes
The UN's belated go-ahead for a no-fly zone may have dire consequences, the conservative daily Die Welt writes, criticising Berlin in particular: "Germany has disgraced itself by pulling the brakes on the Americans, the French and the British who were all more willing to take action. ... What will Merkel and Westerwelle do if Gaddafi remains in power? 'Normalise' relations with what has been exposed to the world as a murderous regime? Mockingly and with freshly resuscitated 'anti-imperialist' rhetoric, Gaddafi and his son Saif are already threatening revenge - and embarrassingly for Berlin have 'generously' exempted Germany from these tirades in their complacency. ... Above all the German position marks a relapse to the mindset of 1992 when driven by panic it and others shied away from early intervention in the Balkans. Later on they paid dearly for this omission with two massive military interventions."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Germany, » Europe, » Libya
Richard Herzinger on weariness of democracy
The dynamics of globalisation have strengthened autocratic patterns and at the same time created an anti-authoritarian consciousness among citizens, writes Richard Herzinger in the conservative daily Welt am Sonntag, using Italy's Silvio Berlusconi as an example: "He already seems to have found an ambitious successor in French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has his secret service hound irksome journalists. ... However, a recent counter-trend to such scenarios has emerged which counteracts this shift towards authoritarianism. Outright citizen revolts are testimony to a new 'anti-authoritarian' mentality that has taken root also among the well-situated middle classes. ... Under the surface these apparently contradictory trends are tied up with each other: in people's weariness of the laborious procedures of power-sharing democracy and their desire for direct access to decision making. ... The dynamics of globalisation have made the current structure shaky. Its shakiness threatens to give leeway to new kinds of despotism - whether they come from 'below' or 'above'."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Ethics, » Society, » France, » Italy, » Global
Russia must face up to its past
Seventy years after the outbreak of World War II Russia must face up to its past, writes the conservative daily Die Welt: "Throughout the Putin era ... Russia has continually put the clamps on historical and political interpretations of the former Soviet republics and satellites in Europe. Anyone who talks in clear terms about how badly these nations suffered under Soviet dominance in the wake of the Hitler-Stalin Pact is accused by the Russian leadership of putting Stalinism 'on a par' with Nazism, or even worse, of spreading 'fascist' propaganda. Poland is still waiting for a Russian apology for the Soviet annexation of its eastern regions several days after the German invasion of September 1, and for the ensuing atrocities committed against its elites. True, Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that there are 'good reasons' for condemning the Hitler-Stalin Pact and the murder of 15,000 Polish officers in Katyn by the Soviets. But Putin's vaunted 'new pragmatism' between Poland and Russia can only truly come about if the Russian leadership stops making it taboo to speak of the extent of the atrocities carried out by the Soviet Union and its temporary complicity with Hitler."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » History, » Remembrance culture, » Germany, » Poland, » Russia, » Europe, » Global
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