You have noticed the new header. It is the work of Tobias.
Why I put it there? It is a banner that should direct people’s attention toward the fact, that our federal government is in the progress of reducing the personal rights of individuals. All for the sake of better protection against terrorism or the possiblity to fight crime better. There are a couple of things that became law recently aimed to enlarge the powers of the police and reduce the freedom of Germany’s citizens. (e.g. the protection of journalists, doctors and priests from wiretapping was restricted; data-collection (phone-connections etc) is now done as a default and not only in case of suspicious behaviour; some more is on its way).
This banner criticises just that. On the background of the colours of Germany’s flag there are three things: On the right a heterogeneous group of citizens, in the middle the “Federal Eagle” (Anyone a better suggestion for translating “Bundesadler”?)** with its head replaced by a CCTV camera spying on the citizens; and finally on the left the slogan “Auf Dich in 3, 2, 1…” (in the style of ebay’s slogan but with the connotation of a German battle cry (”Auf Sie mit Gebrüll” - kinda like “Let’s get them”)).
I think it’s a good idea to protest against these measures of our government because, although they might help fighting terrorism, ultimately, they will neither stop terrorists nor protect from terroristic attacks. Moreover, the German police has enought rights and possibilities to fight terrorism efficiently - if they only could. But our police is overworked, underpayed and underequipped, which means they can’t make use of the rights they already have.
That is, in my opinion, the thing our federal government should do for protection: give the police the means to exert the legal possibilities they already have instead of giving them new legal possibities that just get rid of individual liberties.
A nice sentence from my newspaper (Süddeutsche) that nicely catched my opinion:
In einem Rechtsstaat kann die Polizei was sie darf. In einem Polizeistaat darf die Polizei was sie kann.
(In a constitutional state the police can do what they’re allowed to do. In a police state the police is allowed to do what it can do.)
I used leo.org for all the translations of the political terms. I hope they’re good enough.
*Überwachungsadler translates as “surveillance eagle”
**The Bundesadler is a symbol for the Federal Republic of Germany
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Überwachungsadler, surveillance
