"The Germans were decidedly in favour of a united state, that could not be ignored. It would have been an affront to the German nation, which had come a tremendous, historic way since the war and which had overcome its tragedy. ... Nobody, neither the USA nor any group of superpowers, can cut the lives of other people to shape using a ruler. ... America made a gross mistake in invading Iraq. That was a blow against international law, against the United Nations, against the partners of the USA and against democracy, because hundreds of millions of people - also in the USA - were against this war. ... There's no need to be afraid of a state of crisis. I can say that from my own experiences with perestroika."
"Give Us a Little Time"
SPIEGEL interview with the British envoy Sir Jeremy Greenstock about setbacks in the security situation and progress in the reconstruction of Mesopotamia:
"The Iraqis have not so far had the freedom to develop democratic principles. How are you going to find a leading figure like that, when for centuries there has been no head of state in this region who has ruled with the consent of the people. We should wait and see whether the political process that is now beginning to move along can produce that kind of politician. I am optimistic about this. ... Of course the focus of the media is on those things that are going wrong, and we have to accept that. But if you look at the statistics, at the power supply, the water supply, at the schools and universities that have been reopened, at street trading, at the bazaars, at the new money which is being distributed everywhere, then you have to admit that Paul Bremer has achieved something. The sense of security has also increased. ... Securing the borders has to be a top priority. Undoubtedly there is a huge security loophole here, and that is untenable. Beyond this, we have to control and stem the stream of weapons that are flowing into the country."
"The Rhineland Patient"
Car industry: Ford Europe's situation is more dramatic than was hitherto realised. Internal investigations show that the Cologne-based enterprise manufactures its cars too expensively compared with its competitors. The car industry is on the decline throughout Europe, and in conjunction with an absence of high-image models, a lack of continuity in the top echelons of its management and excessively high procurement costs, this has quickly put Ford in need of restructuring once again.
"The End of Laxness"
Morocco: The royal court and the government want to put a stop to violent Islamists - through repression and reforms. The official mosques are supervised and financed by the king's minister of religion. But in the slums and in rural areas, more and more of the devout are assembling to pray in the cellars and garages of preachers who receive their money from Saudi Arabia. In return, the imams disseminate tirades of hatred, pamphlets and audio cassettes - with blazing incitements to join the jihad, and with the promise of paradise for everyone who sacrifices their life for the true faith.
"Crows along the King's Way"
Czech Republic: Many foreigners avoid the golden city on the river Vltava, because they feel threatened by swindlers and gamblers. The chief problem is petty crime; it is rare for anyone to be knocked over the head. The government and the Prague magistrate are not glossing over the facts, and they are actually doing something against these dishonest activities.
"Sweet Poison of Forgoing Wage Hikes"
Reforms: The government and the trade unions and management representatives involved in wage agreements have agreed upon a two-year freeze on wages. The once celebrated polder model in the Netherlands is degenerating into an example of colossal mismanagement. The economy is shrinking, export and industrial production figures are on the decline. In fact, the productivity per man-hour worked has increased twice as quickly in the rest of the European Union as it has in Holland - due to a lack of innovative zeal. The situation in the public services in the lowland country is even more lamentable than the struggling economy.
"Inventor's Dream"
Patents: Walter Krohn, an inventor from the Eifel, has built an almost perfect minesweeper. But the device will not be put to use any more: Krohn has been foiled by UN bureaucracy - and by himself. The machine performs well, operating quickly, efficiently and without any risk. Nevertheless the colossus has only been used once, which is due, in particular, to the United Nations. The UN is present in all crisis regions of the world, with a quasi monopoly on clearing minefields. But UN officials reject the machine from the Eifel. Krohn believes they are not interested in getting their job done too quickly. However, it is not only conspiracies that are hampering him. Often the old gentleman himself gets in his own way; he is as quarrelsome as a young bull.
"Forgotten Cable"
Space technology: For over four months, the European space probe "Mars Express" has been travelling towards the desert planet - but its trip has not been without hitches. The engineers quite simply forgot to install an important cable. Although the solar panels on board are working perfectly, the faulty wiring means that the electricity they generate is not optimally fed to the probe's electrical equipment - the on-board computer, the measuring devices and the radio equipment.
"Boredom Is Important to Me"
SPIEGEL interview with the successful German science-fiction author Andreas Eschbach about the sufferings of ageing cyborgs, the influence of Utopian literature on science and the first encounter with extraterrestrials:
"With my thought experiment I wanted to produce a caricature of this medical obsession with feasibility. The military researchers implant newer and newer toys into their soldiers and succumb to the illusion that they are in control of everything - but then the first nuclear-powered turbo-driven heart starts to stumble. ... Only the dream itself of eternal youth is immortal. ... Many of today's researchers read Utopian novels in their own youth, which trained their imagination - and now they are building nanomachines or experimenting with beaming photons. That's certainly no coincidence. ... Personally, I'm not interested in describing in detail a drive that can carry a space ship to distant stars. I am more interested in how a journey like that would change the lives of human beings."
"The Commander of Filmbya"
Film directors: The monomaniac director Lars von Trier - Danish troublemaker, Catholic faun - is turning from America in times of depression, as featured in his film "Dogville", to Wagner's gods in Bayreuth. Trier's new film about America, "Dogville", which was first shown at the Cannes Festival in May and which is now opening in German cinemas, was not liked in the mother country of democracy. In the unsentimental straightforwardness and precision of a Passion play, Lars von Trier proves himself to be a great dramatist, beyond everything one would have expected of him, and thanks to the performance of Nicole Kidman in the brightest glory of her vulnerability, many a moment of pain becomes unbearable. Trier: "Don't misunderstand me. I don't suffer from the illusion that women are in real life masochists yearning for martyrdom. I would find women like that hard to bear. It's a matter of beautiful artistic figures, a form, an aesthetic idea of salvation."
"The Pulse of Life"
Health: An ancient Indian healing method is conquering the wellness temples of Europe. Ayurveda overcomes stress and fatigue. But can it also help against a melanoma? For thousands of years, ayurveda was the customary medical healing method practised in India and Sri Lanka. The old palm leaf records also contain rules for psychiatric and surgical procedures. At first, the British colonial rulers persecuted the ayurvedic healers as witch doctors, but eventually they were impressed by some of the healers' successes. Today conventional Western medicine and traditional healing methods coexist peacefully in Sri Lanka. There is also an ayurvedic treatment against cancer.
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© DER SPIEGEL 43/2003
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