General

In the category „General“ you will find articles, analyses and commentaries on the social, technological and economic developments of our time. The focus is on topics that affect many people directly or indirectly - from digitalization, artificial intelligence and media to everyday life, the world of work and social change. The articles often combine personal observations with practical experience and a calm, reflective view of current developments. Unlike highly specialized articles, this section is deliberately aimed at a broader audience and offers space for classification, background knowledge and food for thought. The result is a diverse collection of different topics that are nevertheless linked by a common view of interrelationships, changes and long-term developments.

Economic Growth: A Recipe for Success or a Thing of the Past?

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Is Economic Growth a Thing of the Past?

For decades, economic growth has been regarded as one of the most important indicators of a society’s prosperity and economic strength. When the gross domestic product grows, this is generally seen as good news: companies invest, jobs are created, incomes can rise, and the government gains additional financial leeway. Growth therefore symbolizes not only economic success but often the success of a government as well.

Hardly any other economic indicator is followed with such close attention. Even slight changes in growth forecasts can move stock markets, spark political debates, and determine whether a country ventures into new investments or considers austerity measures. Yet for several years now, the notion of economic growth that is as sustainable as possible has been increasingly called into question. After all, a rising gross domestic product merely indicates, at first glance, that more goods and services have been produced or provided within an economy. It does not directly reveal whether people are actually living happier, healthier, or safer lives as a result.

This raises a fundamental question: Is economic growth really still the central goal that societies and governments should be striving for? Or do we now need additional criteria to assess a country's success?

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42 Years of Election Platforms: How Germany's Political Parties Have Changed

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A Comparison of German Political Parties' Election Platforms Over 42 Years

Political terms have a surprisingly long lifespan. For decades, we’ve been talking about the left and the right, about conservative and progressive, about liberal, social, or ecological. The words have remained largely the same. But does that also apply to the political positions they represent?

It was precisely this question that served as the starting point for this comparison. I am less interested in how political parties describe their own history today or how political developments are interpreted in hindsight. A simpler method strikes me as much more interesting: Take the campaign platforms from different decades and lay them side by side.

What did the CDU/CSU actually call for in 1983? What did the SPD say at that time about the economy, family, defense, or asylum? What were the Greens’ views on NATO, the Bundeswehr, and energy supply during their first federal election campaign? What did the FDP stand for? And which of those positions can still be found in their platforms in 1990 and, ultimately, in 2025? This analysis may reveal some interesting shifts. But exactly what those shifts are should not be predetermined at the outset of this article.

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Wealth in the Ice – Why Greenland’s Resource Boom Remains Uncertain

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Natural Resources in Greenland

Beneath Greenland’s ice lies a promise that has captured the imagination of politicians, businesses, and investors for years: rare earth elements, critical minerals, oil, gas, and other natural resources that could become increasingly important in a world hungry for raw materials. The more climate change alters the Arctic regions, the more often Greenland is described as a future winner in this development.

But it’s not that simple. Between geological deposits and economically viable extraction lie political decisions, high costs, a lack of infrastructure, fluctuating commodity prices, and a population that is not necessarily willing to support every form of industrial development. Greenland is thus less of a surefire raw materials giant than an example of just how wide the gap between potential and reality can be.

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Donald Trump in the US system - origins, power, media and impact

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Donald Trump in the USA system

Donald Trump is no ordinary political figure. He is not a classic statesman, not an ideologically trained party soldier, not a product of decades of Washington networks. Trump is one thing above all: a projection screen. For hopes, for fears, for anger, for rejection - and for expectations that go far beyond concrete policies. This is precisely the reason why a portrait of him makes sense. You don't have to like or dislike him, but he definitely makes something visible that was already there.

Trump does not just stand for decisions or programs. He represents a rupture in the political self-image of the Western world. And this rupture cannot be explained by viewing him merely as a „populist“, „provocateur“ or „accident of history“. If you want to understand Trump, you have to see him as both a symptom and an actor.

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What is the meaning of life? A comparison of religions, philosophers and Helmut Thielicke

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The question of the meaning of life

There are questions that have been with mankind for thousands of years. Questions that never really go away, no matter how modern our world becomes. One of these questions is probably quite simple: What is actually the meaning of life?

Interestingly, the answer „42“ appears again and again today - usually with a little smile. The background comes from „The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy“ by Douglas Adams. In the story, a highly developed civilization builds a gigantic supercomputer that is supposed to calculate the „answer to the ultimate question about life, the universe and the rest“ over millions of years. In the end, the result is simply: 42. The absurd thing about it is that no one actually knows exactly what the original question was in the end.

That's exactly why this scene became world famous. It is funny, but at the same time surprisingly profound. Because perhaps it describes a basic human problem quite aptly: we often desperately search for answers without even knowing exactly what question we are actually asking.

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How the pandemic taught economists a lesson about inflation, growth and economic recovery

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Economists' assumptions during the pandemic

Even during the coronavirus pandemic, many economists were surprisingly unanimous: the great danger was a phase of low inflation, perhaps even deflation. A few years later, the picture is different. Inflation reached historic highs in many countries, supply chains collapsed and economic developments turned out differently than expected.

The pandemic was not just a health crisis - it was also a stress test for economic forecasts. This article shows where experts were wrong, why this was the case and what lessons can be learned for future assessments.

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From content to substance: how digital systems are created that cannot be copied

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System instead of individual content

When you move around in the digital space today, you very quickly get a certain impression: if you are visible, you are successful. If you have reach, you have influence. And if you produce a lot of content, you automatically build up something. This equation seems plausible at first glance - but it is deceptive. Because visibility is not ownership. Reach is not ownership. And content is by no means a foundation.

A post can be read thousands of times and yet practically disappear after a few days. A social media post can go viral - and at the same time have no lasting effect. Even well-placed content in search engines is not automatically stable. They depend on algorithms, platform rules and developments that you have no control over.

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Guided in everyday life - How modern sales tricks control our behavior

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Sales tricks in the supermarket and online

It's often the little things that make you wonder. No big events, no loud break - rather a quiet moment when you stop and ask yourself: wasn't it different before? I recently had such a moment in the supermarket. A store I've known for many years. One of those places where you don't have to think. You know where things are. Milk at the back on the right, bread at the front on the left, the usual routes in between. It's a quiet form of reliability that you hardly notice in everyday life - as long as it's there.

But this time something was different. I was looking. Not for long, but longer than usual. The milk was no longer where it always was. A few steps further, then back again. Finally I found it - but the thought remained. Why? At first it seems banal. A shelf is rearranged, a product is moved. That happens. But when such moments accumulate, the whole thing loses its random character. It creates an impression that is difficult to grasp, but is nevertheless tangible: something is being changed here - not for me, but with me.

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