widthCoronavirus is, after a year and a half of the pandemic, we have now learned. Since the “Kyoto Protocol,” we could have known what climate change is. But what exactly is a crisis? The word crisis spreads in the form of inflation. We are talking about the corona crisis and the climate crisis. Before this, we have experienced the refugee crisis, the euro crisis and the financial crisis. One is not over yet, the next is already peeking around the corner. The normality without crisis does not seem to be conceived anymore.
The “Crisis Research Handbook” edited by political scientist Nicole Deitelhoff explains: Crisis is a special situation that can be good or bad. From ancient times to the 17th century, crises referred to medical decisions that mattered between life and death. Both doctors and patients have the right to take action and can proactively manage crises. This shows the core of the saying “crisis is opportunity”. Since the 18th century, the concept of crisis has spread rapidly, extending from medicine and war art to economics, society and politics, and permeating everyday language: “I think I will get a crisis.” Anyone who sees a crisis believes in history. Rüdiger Graf wrote in the aforementioned manual that a simple, linear history of progress names the historical periods of transition, uncertainty, and decision-making.
The “foundation crisis” of 1873 marked the temporary end of liberalism’s belief in progress and growth, similar to the Internet crisis at the turn of the 2000 century. The oil crisis of 1973 suddenly made people around the world aware that energy and resources are limited, and we should make good use of them to deal with them effectively. There is an absolute “growth limit” Club of Rome Fortunately, the statement at the time proved to be wrong. Human ingenuity defeated fatalism.
A distinction should be made between short-term disasters such as floods, bank influx, and refugee trekking, and long-term crises such as global warming, debt and immigration, the latter can be traced back to long-term development. We are currently experiencing a long-term crisis that can lead to terrible disasters.
What is shocking is that people’s attitudes towards the crisis have changed in the 20th century. In the 1920s, people viewed the crisis as a “necessary, cathartic transition to a better future” (Rüdiger Graf), which was a positive sign to leave. This progressive historical thinking has become its antithesis since the end of the 20th century. Today, the crisis is mainly manifested in deterioration.Believe that you can get rid of the crisis, stay true to the motto Winston Churchill “Never let a good crisis be in vain” has fallen into a credibility crisis. Crisis is no longer a demand for the development of creative adaptability. Now, this is a signal of the imminent end of the world. We are on the brink of extinction. Depending on the crisis, capitalism or the entire human race will be extinct due to an unstoppable refugee wave or climate collapse.
