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silent majority
Of course, there is another way of explaining a lack of voter turnout, namely that everyone who did not vote fully agrees with the overall situation. Unfortunately, we'll never really get to the bottom of this because it's hard to tell when a voter is satisfied enough to show it by voting or by just not voting.
Assuming this, however, would lead to the conclusion that the more absenteeism the citizens have from the elections — this is a fact — the more satisfied they are with the overall situation. And here I am afraid that this is then a very, very dangerous fallacy.
Therefore, whether we like it or not, we must continue to observe this "phenomenon" very closely and also try to analyze it. But the best thing would be to think about how we can get as many voters as possible to vote again, because then we will at least have a measurable result.
And it is still the task of parties to act as multipliers in society and to ensure the highest possible turnout. And this is best done by coming up with competing concepts and candidates that also make an election palatable to the citizen and also give them the feeling of making their own decisions.
Especially in times when the election turnout reaches completely underground percentages, it is absolutely wrong for responsible and competent politicians to “proclaim a unitary party (HEP)” in Heilbronn and to present the citizens with a fait accompli.
You only do this if you want to take us citizens for fools - "our" municipal councilors all probably know us better than we previously thought!
European regular's table
I can expect the contrast program to yesterday. Nice people who are also interested in Europe meet over food and drink for informal conversations, a completely normal exchange of ideas between people who are interested in the issue and good conversations.
Because it would be worthwhile to come to Heilbronn especially for our European regulars' table, which some interested parties have done, but the effort involved is hardly justifiable, we have decided to always offer the European regulars' table virtually two weeks later .
Experience shows that the group of participants was a little different — but no less nice (!) —. And the nice thing about the regulars' table is that nobody can expect an agenda or even minutes. The address for our virtual European regulars' tables has recently changed: if you want to take part, you can find the regulars now at this hyperlink.
virtuality
The really good thing about the pandemic is that virtual meetings and meetings have now become established in the normal environment. So yesterday I was spared having to travel through Europe for a run-of-the-mill meeting.
And since the participants were already known in advance, I could have used the minutes if it had been expected that there would be one. So I had no choice but to follow the meeting after all - although the outcome was also predictable.
After a few decades of experience, it's amazing that all you need is the agenda and the audience to predict the outcome of a meeting. In my Sturm und Drang time, I would have left such meetings with a few hearty tips, because the time for pure show running is just too good for me.
Today - already mild in age - I watch the hustle and bustle with emotion, play chess or surf through all the websites I've always wanted to visit. The only thing I can't do is try to intervene, because then the work would very quickly be back on my own playing field — but at my age you only work when you can see a goal and a purpose.
Completely meaningless and purposeless meetings should only belong to those who want to earn their merits and later want to write history as "top politicians".
birthday of the day
Jules Verne
