[spectre] what is required so that everybody can live in peace and freedom

[Mathias Fuchs]

Dear Andreas,

good question (see below) and a difficult one too.

At the moment there are discussions across different parties and groups 
in Austria to consider whether the "eternal neutrality" that has been 
negotiated and agreed upon by Austria, the US, France, UK and the Soviet 
Union in 1955, should be abolished and instead an attempt should be made 
that Austria becomes a NATO member.

I don't know whether this would be major breach of international law. It 
probably is. I think, however, for countries who can avoid becoming 
militarised, this sticking to non-interference in wars is a chance for 
what you are looking for: peace and freedom!

I am worried that the Austrians are about to raise military budget - 
that was below 1% of the gross domestic product - to 1% now. From 2010 
to 2020 the expenses for the Austrian military services have always been 
in between 0.7 ot 0.8 % of the GDP. Now Bundeskanzler Karl Nehammer asks 
for an increase to 1% and in the end there is a goal to raise it to 2% 
of the GDP.

This is not just a cosmetic change. It means that other sectors of 
society (the arts, culture, schools, the health sector) will have to get 
accustomed to savings policies.

Now here is my answer to your question of how can we live in peace and 
freedom: Maybe we should stick to neutrality, maybe we should spend the 
money our nation has  - and that is our money, tax money and other -on 
kindergardens, schools, on a lively artistic scene, on a critical 
infrastructure of activists and intellectuals. !!!   And not spend our 
money on missiles, tanks and mid range rockets.

What about that?

Mathias (and once more: I am not advocating the Russian invasion, I have 
high sympathies for the civil population in the Ucraine)


On 07.03.22 12:05, Andreas Broeckmann wrote:
> Personally, I would prefer to start the conversation with the simple 
> question, what is required so that everybody can live in peace and 
> freedom? And rather than assume a trope like the "spheres of 
> influence" as a given, I would only want to discuss how this war can 
> be stopped, and how a situation in which future wars can be prevented. 

-- 
Dr. habil. Mathias Fuchs
IFK Internationales Forschungszentrum Kulturwissenschaften
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  1010 Wien, Austria

Institute of Culture and Aesthetics of Digital Media (ICAM)
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