andTwo natural disasters hit Germany, the first time was painful and long-lasting, and the second time was short-lived and devastating, but the impact of both was far beyond a day. The two have other things in common. Due to the pandemic disaster and the flood disasters in cities and villages in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, German society is re-recognizing each other, which may be different from imagination.
The willingness to help in the floodplain is huge. The entire “helper city” appeared overnight, and an emergency aid infrastructure was established in a short time. The support of volunteers is so great that it is truly overwhelming and needs to be stopped. On weekends, the roads to parts of the flood zone were crowded-not because people had already set off, but people who wanted to help. As the Nürburgring warehouse was overcrowded within a few days, the delivery of first aid had to be slowed down. In the affected area itself, although the situation in many places may be desperate, there is hope given the help of the neighborhood, the large number of volunteers, and the municipal structure for emergency assistance.
Firemen, Associations, charities, aid organizations and municipalities are the backbone of these small solidarity networks. However, the focus of the donation is on volunteer service, and a word in the name of the organization is outdated. But who would deny that it is an honor to help those in need-no need to ask questions or point to others. Selfless commitment is not only the pillar of every civil society when needed. Volunteer service, whether in public function or voluntary service, has proved to be the soul of this society. When everything falls apart, you can rely on it.
One day, the focus of help will have to shift from this field to another field, the national field. This should not conceal the fact that it is not the country that can do everything better. Every civil society initiative is initially more flexible and direct than state activities. However, even now, if the two do not cooperate, the disaster area will not make progress. After all, the need for help does not come from the fact that the country or the “system” failed and failed. The reason is that almost no one is willing to evade the willingness of private organizations and state support to help, just press a button, you can visit anytime and anywhere in Germany.
Antisocial behavior of a minority
This relativizes the image of our society, in which egoism, hedonism, or unrestricted personalization dominate. They may belong to and bloom their strange flowers. Like now, when helpers and rescuers are attacked, this is the anti-social behavior of a small number of people. This is one of the abysses of our time. Maybe this is because the strange brain started the first conspiracy theory about the cause of the disaster. This is sensational, but it does not deserve the attention of thousands of assistants who pick up a shovel and consider their neighbors first.
This contrast is well known in another catastrophic corona pandemic. The consequences of natural disasters will be as serious as the damage to the favorable climate in the Eifel, Sauerland and Ruhr regions, and they also contain a selfless willingness to help. You don’t even have to pick up a shovel for this.
In this case, unity is not only reflected in the discipline required for repeated lockdowns, but also not only in the work done for the sick and the groups at risk. This first manifests itself in the willingness to protect oneself and others permanently, even if going to a vaccination center may feel sick. Everyone should be able to request so much volunteer work.
The fact that it is difficult to mobilize so much overwhelming support for the fight against the new crown virus like the people in disaster areas shows the bright and dark sides of a society that does not want to and cannot be forced to be happy. Indifference to the public interest, cheap criticism of the country, sacrifices to neighbors, spontaneous actions against disasters, and fatal dangers in emergency aid are sometimes closely related.
However, in this disaster, German society is more productive, more stable, and more admirable than it has sometimes proven. In the next few years, she will have to show this face more frequently. Because the imprint of the times is like this, even normal times require efforts that some people think are abnormal.
