• gacor777
  • joker123
  • slot gacor
  • slot777
  • slot777
  • Operation Daybreak: The Rise and Rise of Angela Merkel
    •  Home
    • राजकीय
    • सामाजिक
    • सांस्कृतिक
    • English
    • ऑडिओ
    • व्हिडिओ
    • संकीर्ण
    • आमच्याविषयी
    चिकित्सा Hard(ikar) Talk Opinion

    Operation Daybreak: The Rise and Rise of Angela Merkel

    Angela Merkel leaves office as Germany’s Chancellor after 16 years in power

    • Vinay Hardikar
    • 07 Oct 2021
    • 2 comments

    Time Magazine

    "She is the surprise of a cloud
    In the burning heart of the May!"
    - Rabindranath Tagore. 'Krishna Kali'

    Angela Merkel is there and is not there. Her party is over and not over. After being at the helm of united  Germany for 16 years (a record for all western democracies) and ushering in a fresh vision and style to German, European, and World politics is Merkel taking a breather or pondering some higher role in global politics? Only time will tell. For now, she is still the Chancellor until the new incumbent takes over.

    Accolades have been chasing Merkel since she announced that Germany would have a new Chancellor after this September elections. Currently in her mid-sixties (no age to retire in politics), and having earned the sweet nickname Mutti-Mother (superior?) -in her own country. She has been compared to other great ladies of modern politics-Indira Gandhi, Golda Meir, Margaret Thatcher: Sirimao Bandarnayake, and Aung Saan Suu Ki.  The lady premiers of Bangladesh are not mentioned-not surprisingly, since longevity at the top has been the criterion! Ironically, the feeling of 'enough is enough' that was predominant in the case of Indira and Thatcher is absent in the tributes paid to Merkel. While in office she was always among the first three in the list of most powerful individuals in the world and carried that distinction with remarkable ease-as if to show that she deserved it by right.

    Who then is this influential feminist (according to her own most recent statement about herself) who strode national-regional-global politics with inbuilt confidence – two images come to my mind: Merkel walking casually with Obama and  Merkel standing dauntingly, while Trump is seated at a table with that arrogant trademark pout of his! How, without having children of her own gave the motherly warmth to her nation, which was defeated, humiliated, divided, and reunited in the historically short span of forty years?

    Merkel was born in the mid-1950s when Germany was crushed under 'collective guilt' nationally and internationally, as the stories of the 'Holocaust' were being circulated en-mass! A hunt was on for the perpetrators of the Nazi atrocities, Germany was torn between the capitalist and socialist ideologies as the later novels of German Nobel laureate Heinrich Boll depicts. Berlin Wall, conceived mentally for a long time, became a reality in 1961 thrusting a dagger deep into the German soul. The Capitalist allies, keen not to repeat mistakes of Versailles –imposing impossible penalties on Germany (Keynes had warned against those)- focused on rebuilding Germany after their own ideas and convenience (For instance, the Berlin Air-Lift). Socialist counterparts wanted to force an unnatural 'quiet' on the eastern front. Berlin, rightly acclaimed as the 'Home of the creative of World' was divided, so was the nation.

    All of this befell a people who had..."respect for education and culture, science and scholarship; a tendency towards theorizing and the pursuit of theoretical ideas to the point of extremism; a deep and transcendental romanticism and love of nature; industry, fortitude, discipline and obedience to authority; a sense of mission, of the high seriousness with which life should be taken; a restless unrelaxednes", Vikram  Seth. ('Two Lives').

    Merkel grew up in East Germany as her father was posted there. Either because of her father or on her own she came to believe in God and religion. Life in the East must have been comparatively quiet and lackluster. The West was being introduced to the vulgar consumerism of forced Capitalist life style-perhaps Kennedy was aware of this when he made that much-hyped 'I am a Berliner' speech. Merkel later remarked with characteristic understatement that life in the East could be called comfortable as you knew you could not influence 'certain' (my quotes) things. The umbrella of the 'certain things' must have been all-engulfing! It also speaks volumes of her mindset which was evident when she refused State employment because she would be expected to 'report' on her colleagues-pleading that she was bad at keeping secrets! Uncanny understatement once again!

    Merkel has a doctorate in chemistry and it is not easy to trace how she developed excellent liberal leanings. She came to politics in her thirties-most opportune time for entry since the steel curtain had already started thinning. Glasnost and Perestroika were watchwords for the West but for Merkel they must have been living processes-both intellectual and political! This innate liberalism was evident in one of her first political statements- she is remembered to have said that she believed in a multi-cultural Germany. This must-have served as, once again with typical understatement, a warning to all those Germans who still secretly idolized Hitler and Nazism. (This is not just guesswork: there were reports that during the Cold War huge crowds flocked to cinema houses in East Germany to watch a propaganda film showing Hitler in the darkest possible colours) Merkel, aware of this hidden legacy of hers hit at the roots of the myth of the special ethnic identity of Germans which had thrown an entire people into mass hysteria for two generations.

    In the same speech, Merkel also said that the new Germany (where the people were facing problems of re-integration since different planning styles had evolved in West and East) would believe in being competitive. Thus, imbibing the essence of the free economy and uprooting the State's domination of policy. Meanwhile, the other world leaders were still groping and guessing- what the giant of a unified Germany would be up to!. Merkel's words must have been like 'the surprise of a cloud/ In the burning heart of May.'

    It is for the pundits of international politics to assess Merkel's highs and lows and a crowd of those is sparing no effort. I for one would like to view her from a world-historical perspective.

    It is a cliché to dub the 20th century as unique yet so it is! Suffice it to say that this century created the maximum happiness and maximum suffering! Achievements of mankind did galore, and yet aberrations of the human mind always kept pace with them. Millions were saved from disease and destitution only to be killed by revenge and war! Freedom and democracy flourished but so did dictatorship and totalitarian states! Ideology (I define it as a science of socio-economic betterment) emerged as a guarantee against all evil, but ideological allergies created fresh evils! Lenin's ideology was based on Class; Hitler's on Race. (I regard the two as the pacesetters of the 20th century-rest of the world leaders only responded, reacted, and fell victims to their initiatives.) Two wars, endless strife all over the world, depression, and recession, abortive attempts at the wild goose chase of world peace. Cold War and the doomed from outset remapping of the globe, double-speak of military action to save democracy and human dignity, the hypocrisy of foreign policy, emergence of the arms trade to mint money and spending a fraction of hit on charity….the list can go on.

    Gorbachev blasted the Socialist State, which had lost the liberationist urge of Socialism right after Lenin's death; Hitler (out of frustration or guilt?) killed himself and his. Mandela destroyed the ghost of Apartheid. The world, unshackled of the schizophrenic thought and breakneck speed of the leaders of change, found itself suspended in ideological mid-air. Merkel's preoccupation with multi-culturalism and competition spoke initially for reunified Germany is truly a roadmap for the world.

    Merkel has been essentially a European leader. She has reiterated, proudly, that Europe has 7% of the world population, 25% of world GDP, and also 50% of social spending. With this pride, she has been able to stand up to the Trumps and Putins who lead larger nations! She stood up during the influx of Islamic migrants into Europe and suggested that the EU must have a mandatory solidarity mechanism to deal with asylum seekers. She also showed remarkable resilience (a rare quality among leaders of her standing) after the Paris terrorist attacks and agreed to deeper scrutiny of applications for asylum in Germany (already accepted 8,00,000 and still counting) and the other EU members.

    Angela Merkel cannot retire! The world wants her with her true liberal agenda, fortitude, and persuasiveness. She should dedicate herself to carry the gospel of liberalism (being the believer she is) to one and all. The New Economic Order is still a distant dream. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is heavily tilted towards the privileged. Terrorism seems to be going out of hand, and narrow identities of race, religion, language are bouncing back. Hasty do-gooders of the 20th century created more problems and fewer solutions.

    Did the world ever need Angela Merkel more?

    - Vinay Hardikar
    vinay.freedom@gmail.com

    (The writer has been working in the public sphere of Maharashtra for the last five decades. His versatile personality has several dimensions, but the primary ones remain to be that of an established writer, journalist, editor, critic, activist, and teacher.)


    Click here to read all the articles from the series Hard(ikar) Talk

    Tags: Angelmerkel Germany nazi Vicechancellor Vinay Hardikar Hardikar Talk Load More Tags

    Comments:

    Subhash Athale

    With her one wrong and foolish decision, Angela Merkel has harmed both her country and whole world. After the Japanese Fukushima nuclear power station disaster due to an unprecedented earthquake and the following Tsunami, she decided all German nuclear power stations by 2022,. And not to build any new nuclear power stations. Because of her great influence in in western Europe almost all the European Nations followed her decision. Because of this foolish decision the carbon dioxide emissions of Germany increase in spite of increase in production of Nuclear energy. The same thing happened in most of the Europe and also almost all over the world except a few countries. The experts in in global warming science say that it is almost impossible to prevent global warming about 2 degree centigrade if we do not use nuclear energy in significant amounts. Because offer decision Germany is now so dependent upon natural gas supply from Russia that Germany is not resolutely opposing any invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

    Feb 08, 2022

    Rahul gawhane

    deeper information about angela Merkel........she will always be known for her global agenda

    Oct 13, 2021

    Add Comment

    संबंधित लेख

    लेख

    हाथरस टेस्टमध्ये सगळे फेल

    अभिषेक भोसले 13 Oct 2020
    लेख

    राहुल- राजीव, चुकीची कबुली द्यायला हवी !

    विनोद शिरसाठ 18 Apr 2020
    लेख

    कोरोनाच्या साथीचे मानसिक संसर्ग रोखण्यासाठी...

    डॉ. हमीद दाभोलकर 20 Mar 2020
    लेख

    Rahul-Rajeev must admit their mistake !

    Vinod Shirsath 18 Apr 2020
    लेख

    कहाणी दोन जोसेफची...

    डॅनिअल मस्करणीस 13 Oct 2021

    लेखकाचे इतर लेख

    Opinion

    Megalo-Modia: India’s Critical Blight!

    Vinay Hardikar
    16 Feb 2023
    Opinion

    Pak Smile : A Spanner in NaMo Wheel?

    Vinay Hardikar
    02 Feb 2023
    Opinion

    Of Sex, Sensex, and Sensation

    Vinay Hardikar
    01 Jan 2023
    Opinion

    T20 World Cup : Cricket wins T20 World Cup

    Vinay Hardikar
    20 Nov 2022
    Opinion

    Welcome Rishi Sunak : He Proved Churchill Wrong

    Vinay Hardikar
    01 Nov 2022
    Opinion

    Wheel comes Full Circle: anti-Congressism to anti-BJPism

    Vinay Hardikar
    03 Oct 2022
    Opinion

    Two Week Tragi-Comedy in England: Burial of Elizabeth-II

    Vinay Hardikar
    21 Sep 2022
    Tribute

    Mikhail Gorbachev: Man of Steel with Hands of Silk

    Vinay Hardikar
    03 Sep 2022
    Article

    Nitish Kumar’s déjà vu?

    Vinay Hardikar
    25 Aug 2022
    Opinion

    The Curse of Democracy?

    Vinay Hardikar
    29 Jul 2022
    Opinion

    Monsoon Forecast: Yearly Fiasco

    Vinay Hardikar
    04 Jul 2022
    Opinion

    Pseudo-Secularism versus Pseudo-Hindutva: India’s unenviable predicament

    Vinay Hardikar
    04 Jun 2022
    Opinion

    India and the Ukraine War: How to Manage the Dhoti?

    Vinay Hardikar
    04 May 2022
    Opinion

    Taking on the BJP…

    Vinay Hardikar
    26 Mar 2022
    Opinion

    Assembly Elections in Five States: Hysterical BJP and AAP; Crestfallen Opposition

    Vinay Hardikar
    18 Mar 2022
    Article

    How the Good turned into the Bad and the Ugly!

    Vinay Hardikar
    21 Feb 2022
    Opinion

    Arrival without Travel: India’s Constitutional Democracy

    Vinay Hardikar
    01 Feb 2022
    Opinion

    Farmers Agitation: Still No Light at the Other End of the Tunnel

    Vinay Hardikar
    02 Nov 2021
    Opinion

    Operation Daybreak: The Rise and Rise of Angela Merkel

    Vinay Hardikar
    07 Oct 2021
    Opinion

    Garrulity of the Lambs: India and Afghanistan

    Vinay Hardikar
    21 Sep 2021
    Opinion

    Do not Raise the Partition-Ghost!

    Vinay Hardikar
    28 Aug 2021
    लेख

    Tryst with Travesty of Democracy?

    Vinay Hardikar
    17 Aug 2021
    लेख

    Pegasus: Naya Jasoos?

    Vinay Hardikar
    07 Aug 2021
    लेख

    Taking the Bull by the Horn...

    Vinay Hardikar
    20 Jul 2021
    Opinion

    Maratha Reservation: Permanent Damp Squib?

    Vinay Hardikar
    09 Jul 2021
    लेख

    From Bear-Hugs to Beard

    Vinay Hardikar
    16 May 2021
    लेख

    Landscape after the Battle: Assembly Elections

    Vinay Hardikar
    08 May 2021
    लेख

    The Blame Game; Rather Tamely Worded

    Vinay Hardikar
    01 May 2021
    लेख

    Roll Back: Emerging Style of Governance?

    Vinay Hardikar
    10 Apr 2021
    लेख

    One Step forward; Two Steps Back

    Vinay Hardikar
    08 Apr 2021
    लेख

    COVID-19: Make haste, though there will be some waste!

    Vinay Hardikar
    13 Sep 2020
    लेख

    COVID-19: Heading towards cultural suspension

    Vinay Hardikar
    14 Sep 2020
    लेख

    COVID-19: What went wrong?

    Vinay Hardikar
    28 Aug 2020
    लेख

    COVID-19: Quo Vadis?

    Vinay Hardikar
    27 Aug 2020

    या आठवड्यातील लेख

    परिचय

    मुस्लीम मराठी साहित्याच्या दालनातील नव्या अभिव्यक्तीची कविता

    हरिश नवले
    22 Mar 2023
    ऑडिओ

    रभाजी कडलग

    संतोष पद्माकर पवार
    21 Mar 2023
    ऑडिओ

    'तात्पर्य'मधील पहिली कथा : आदर्श

    अवधूत डोंगरे
    20 Mar 2023
    लेख

    दलवाईंचा वैचारिक वारसा हेच मंडळाचे बलस्थान

    शमसुद्दीन तांबोळी
    19 Mar 2023
    Article

    It’s a Digital Dilemma Too

    Yogesh Borate
    17 Mar 2023
    व्हिडिओ

    'विज्ञानाने मला काय दिले?' या पुस्तकाच्या प्रकाशन समारंभातील भाषण

    विवेक सावंत
    10 Mar 2023
    व्हिडिओ

    डॉ. नरेंद्र दाभोलकर चित्र,शिल्प,कला प्रदर्शनात लक्ष्मीकांत देशमुख यांनी केलेले भाषण 

    लक्ष्मीकांत देशमुख
    09 Mar 2023

    लोकप्रिय लेख इतर सर्व

    व्यक्तिवेध

    गुड बाय सानिया!

    आ. श्री. केतकर
    03 Mar 2023
    व्हिडिओ

    वैज्ञानिक सत्य

    विनोद शिरसाठ
    01 Mar 2023
    व्हिडिओ

    'धर्मरेषा ओलांडताना'च्या निमित्ताने हिनाकौसर खान यांच्याशी संवाद

    हिनाकौसर खान
    27 Feb 2023
    लेख

    भारतातील ट्रॅमचा शतकोत्तर सुवर्ण महोत्सव

    आ. श्री. केतकर
    24 Feb 2023
    लेख

    ‘बीबीसी’ आणि ‘फॉरेन हँड’!

    दिलीप लाठी
    23 Feb 2023

    साधना साप्ताहिकाचा ताजा अंक

    18 मार्च 2023 चा अंक वाचण्यासाठी येथे क्लिक करा..


    साधना साप्ताहिकाचे वर्गणीदार व्हा

    साधना साप्ताहिकाचे डिटेल्स पाहण्यासाठी क्लिक करा...

    जाहिरात

    'केशवरावांच्या मुलाखती' हे पुस्तक खरेदी करण्यासाठी येथे क्लिक करा.

    'देव तेथेचि जाणावा' हे पुस्तक खरेदी करण्यासाठी येथे क्लिक करा.

    'आम्हा घरी धन' हे पुस्तक खरेदी करण्यासाठी येथे क्लिक करा.

    'असिधारा' हे पुस्तक खरेदी करण्यासाठी येथे क्लिक करा.

    'तीन संपादकांच्या मुलाखती' हे पुस्तक खरेदी करण्यासाठी येथे क्लिक करा.

    'धर्मरेषा ओलांडताना' हे पुस्तक खरेदी करण्यासाठी क्लिक करा.

    'सावध ऐका पुढल्या हाका' हे पुस्तक खरेदी करण्यासाठी येथे क्लिक करा.

    Tags

    • मुलाखत
    • दीर्घलेख
    • रिपोर्ताज
    • इंग्लिश
    • शेती
    • आरोग्य
    • शिक्षण
    • लेख
    • ऑडिओ
    • व्हिडिओ
    • विज्ञान
    • लेखमाला

    साधना साप्ताहिकाचे वर्गणीदार व्हा...

    वरील QR कोड स्कॅन अथवा UPI आयडीचा वापर करून आपण वर्गणीदार होऊ शकता. वार्षिक, द्वैवार्षिक व त्रैवार्षिक वर्गणी अनुक्रमे 1100, 2100, 3000 रुपये आहे. वर्गणीची रक्कम ट्रान्सफर केल्यानंतर आपले नाव, पत्ता, फ़ोन नंबर, इमेल इत्यादी तपशील
    020-24451724,7028257757 या क्रमांकावर फोन, SMS किंवा Whatsapp करून कळवणे आवश्यक आहे.

    weeklysadhana@gmail.com
    • वर्गणी
    • जाहिरात
    • देणगी
    • प्रतिसाद
    • चौकशी
    • पॉलिसी
    • नियम आणि अटी

    © 2019, Evonix Technologies Pvt. Ltd All rights reserved

    कृपया आम्हाला अभिप्राय द्या

    Welcome :

    Search Here....