Legal Means

Posted by MadScientist (Düsseldorf, Germany) on 30 September 2009 in Architecture and Portfolio.

This palace was the residence of the prince-bishops of Bamberg. With their unified secular and clerical power, their strength was almost limitless. Seductive powers, as some of these potentates were eager burners of witches, a then legal means for getting rid of lost souls, and, of course, for abolishing political opponents.

Politicians of today use different means of fighting their combatants. Though politics of today appear to be more sophisticated due to the insights of the age of enlightenment, they actually are not. Simple legends as the 'TINA' principle (There Is No Alternative, no matter how stupid the offered plan appears) or the fairy tale of the powers of the free market and the myth that corruption only exists in Africa enjoy the masses and effectfully prove the ramifications of brainwashing.

There were only few examples in history when people stood up to the dominant powers. Their results were not necessarily successful at all times, but the current total sedation of the western societies is indeed alarming. In my opinion, it should be much more dangerous to hold an office. Or to be an 'analyst' or 'consultant'.

As always, a look back into history is very revealing. While today the grumpy old men in old boy's networks still are the puppet masters, the political argument of past times allowed a big spectrum of stylistic devices. And today? What happened to the defenestration? Conspiracy theorists always presume dark secrets of their government, but what happened to the real conspirations? The propaganda of the deed is considered harmful, but the only agent to get rid of unable politicians is to vote them out of office here and then? Germany's electoral law has been judged as anticonstitutional by our Constitutional Court; our Minister of the Interior and the Minister for Family Affairs started to tear down democratic basic rights: if this would be Turkey, we had a coup d'état and a democratic government within half a year. (No wonder the EU doesn't want Turkey to join.)

But we decided to go the peaceful way, we support leaders who feed criminal organizations with billions of Dollars / Euros / Pounds / Whatevers, we allow them to cut our civil rights, and those guys who caused the financial crisis still dictate the terms of the next legislative period. Our legal means to get rid of this scum could be much richer and less bloody than those of past times, but we are glad if we just don't fall through the social net of benefits. One of the most famous quotes of the age of enlightenment said: Dare to be wise! We can't be more distant from that.

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Comments (17)

Evelyne Dubos from Le Mans, France

Beautiful light and great contrast between the monument and the blue azure sky.

30 Sep 2009 5:36am

@Evelyne Dubos: Fortunately the weather was *perfect* that week. This photo would have much less impact with a white washed sky.

Linerberry from Sumner, Christchurch, New Zealand

What a great building and perfectly shot!!!

30 Sep 2009 6:20am

@Linerberry: Behind this palace is a really lovely rose garden!

Japanalia from Yokohama, Japan

This is one great shot! Solid and imposing architecture! Wonderful contrasting colours!
(BTW: society is not sedated, just complacent! People no longer care because they're aware everything is a big lie!)

30 Sep 2009 6:35am

@Japanalia: I'm not so sure about this; many people still make a lot of money with other people's stupidity and having read that 10% of jobless people elected a market-radical, neo-liberal party, I'm speechless. There is still a bit hope, though, as many young people elected a new protest party that is concerned about civil rights - unlike most of the big parties. But time is running out, less and less people know how it's like moving through the city without being observed by video cameras all the time.

akarui from Kagoshima, Japan

Beautiful architecture and contrast of colors on that blue sky.

30 Sep 2009 11:45am

@akarui: I guess the weather couldn't get better than this.

António Pires from Lisbon, Portugal

A building symbolizing the ruling powers.

30 Sep 2009 1:41pm

@António Pires: You bet! :-) But the glory was over with the German Mediatisation.

B.Held from Santa Fe, United States

what a fantastic capture!

30 Sep 2009 2:28pm

@B.Held: Many thanks!

Curly from South Shields, United Kingdom

Absolutely superb architectural capture.

30 Sep 2009 2:39pm

@Curly: Thanks heaps, Curly!

MARIANA from Waterloo, Canada

BEautiful street shot !

30 Sep 2009 2:55pm

@MARIANA: Car drivers are very careful here, several hundred years of history don't tolerate disrespectful behaviour!

Ted from South Wales, United Kingdom

This is a magnificent building and a lovely wide capture...what lens are you using?

I chuckled when reading your 'grumbling' to see that you have also tagged it as a 'rant'...you have tagged another 45 of the same...and maybe today it sounded like one...bad day at the office or is that the effect of your recent lapse into starbucks!!!!

I'm interested MS...given your gentle views on the inadequacies of German politicians (or is it all)...particularly as we have entered the British party political conference season and an embattled Prime Minister struggles to convince he is up to the task...what is the European, German and Mabeuse view of our politics and our leader?

30 Sep 2009 8:34pm

@Ted: what lens are you using? - Still my Sigma 10-20mm and heavy perspective processing afterwards. This was close, it almost didn't work. But I'm quite satisfied with the result.

bad day at the office... - Sometimes things just have to be said. A recent advertisement of a telecom provider says: You're not in the world for being silent. I don't know if it was Vodafone's intention, but I take this to my heart. I'm really curious if some day somebody of my visitors here gets pissed; up to now people are very polite. :-)

what is the European, German and Mabeuse view of our politics and our leader? - Honest? I think we became sort of twins. Your Blair and our Schröder were brothers in spirit. Once the neo-liberal ghost had left its bottle, Britain's policy became the ideal for German politicians and their bootlickers, so - with a delay of a few years - we are eagerly following you. And I think we are really good in this, as recent Germans are as patient with our politicians as Britons are with theirs. I hate to write this, and I really would like that things were different, but nearly every country in the EU has leaders devoted to this market-radical policy and we all will have to pay a big price for this (like you Brits already did (Hello Maggie!)) Does anybody of these political dorks has plans for a future beyond of his own? Is there sort of a vision, like a better society, or education and wealth for all, or at least traveling to the moon? Hell, no. We kindly have to fight terrorism, rely on the power of the market and that's it.

Recently I've read an interesting comment: Britain evaluates the possibilities of a ubiquitous surveillance; Germany tries how far it can go with cutting social spending and widening the social gap; France and Italy are test-driving different types of big shot politicians with growing political power. The EU as kind of a transmission belt then transports the gained insights of these governmental experiments into other countries. I think that hits the mark.

Steven from Chicagoland, United States

Great perspective you have chosen here. The order AND number of windows is almost dizzying. Thanks for the narrative as well.

30 Sep 2009 9:54pm

@Steven: My pleasure! Originally, even more wings for this palace were planned, but some day the money was out! It's not a small one, though.

JoeB from Brampton, Canada

Wonderfully shot, does evoke an image of a prison. Its a Brave New World, at least in the Big Crash some had the decency to commit self-defenestration, but I'm sure the main characters did get away. Today every Ponzi maker hires a legal team, does make one wish for the good old days of witch burning.

1 Oct 2009 1:11am

@JoeB: No jail but working in public services! Personal liability for any damage they have caused! Public execrating! It would be a start.

Jen from Alpharetta, United States

Wonderful details

1 Oct 2009 1:32am

@Jen: Cheers, Jen!

Ted from South Wales, United Kingdom

I should use my Sigma more often then! This shot is also a tribute to your PP as the lines & angles are crisp and true.

Interesting...we are about 6 mths away from an election. The recession threatens us all...still. Winds of change are strong and threaten a decent but struggling PM. The media smell bood and circle like wolves. Fresh ideas are in short supply but increasingly make way for short term expediency especially if they can win votes. The futility of it all is the question will an alternative govt be any better?

1 Oct 2009 6:06am

@Ted: Tina galore! What happens now did already happen in the late 1920 / early 1930s, when Heinrich Brüning was German chancellor established a harsh economic monetary policy and deflationary policy that killed internal consumption, raised taxes and lowered public spending. You certainly know the results of this policy: social unrest, pauperism, rise of new, radical parties with charismatic leaders... In the light of this I know many better alternatives than that. (We just could start with arresting criminal banksters, then disengagement of the neo-liberal school, releasing the investment backlog: how about that?)

Ana Lúcia from Leiria, Portugal

Very dramatic! I like the angle that you chose, well done.

1 Oct 2009 11:04am

@Ana Lúcia: Fortunately my position was a bit elevated, so I got a better perspective.

dj.tigersprout from New York City, United States

amazing angles and details here -- wonderful eye motion!

1 Oct 2009 2:11pm

@dj.tigersprout: Thanks so much, Jaycee!

Laurent from Lyon, France

indeed, Beautiful light for a beautiful building. I really the angle and the way you composed the picture

4 Oct 2009 5:18am

@Laurent: Thanks a lot, Laurent!

Twelvebit from Victoria, United States

Arresting criminal bankers? Absolutely, now THAT would be change I could believe in. But of course, it will never happen. And without it any pretense to "reform" is meaningless --well, perhaps not "meaningless," but an absurdity. In fact, it seems to me that if Gitmo is appropriate for some Pakistani cab driver sold to us by an Afghan warlord, it is absolutely demanded for the Wall Street criminals who have done more damage to our country than 1,000 Muslim cab drivers and terrorist wannabes. But we can't ever hear the economic situation spoken of honestly as the product of criminal behavior --our complicit media still pretends it was all a big accident. Our criminal ruling class and their media lapdogs have even managed to convince me that something like the French Revolution wouldn't even be barely adequate, much less excessive. We could modernize Diderot's comment about hanging with entrails by substituting either/and/or bankers, politicians, and corporate executives.

But if you think "free market" mythology is alive and well in Germany you should see it over here. NOTHING stands in the way of this fairy tale, not history, not personal experience, and certainly not reality. I've actually attended meetings where the electric market is being fixed via various schemes and gimmicks with nary a participant who isn't mesmerized by their belief that the rigging they're doing is actually a sign of a "free market." They even used to talk about "socializing" costs but that term doesn't sound very "free market" so it has been replaced by "uplift." This country is now corrupt from top to bottom; but maybe it's always been that way.

7 Oct 2009 2:44am

@Twelvebit: Maybe corruption is a minor issue as long as it's happening between a few. If it becomes common sense it destroys the integrity of a community. It would need stable structures and brave (wo)men to fight corruption, but the recent (economical) instability doesn't support such people. The U.S. is often compared with the Roman Empire, especially when it comes to its rise and fall. But it's not the U.S. alone; I think the whole western world is on the brink of collapse if our politicians continue the "Keep it up!" politics. However, on a small scale I still see signs of hope.

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