German translation

Every great civilisation that has fallen suffered under the weight of its own excess-driven contradictions. So what are we seeing today in the West?

1. We have the scientifically illiterate guiding innovation and research regulations

… assuming we will only accept important technologies when we’re 100% certain it’s 100% safe

2. We have activists who have never worked in companies determining industrial policy

… assuming that state-run institutions can easily meet market production and distribution needs

3. We have the old declaring what social media technologies the young can use

… assuming they can control or stop access to online communication tools

4. We have well-fed cosmopolitan zealots deciding global food security measures

… assuming that politically-driven agroecology and organic farming can better feed the world

5. We have the envious poor determining how to tax the elusive ultra-rich

… assuming their revenue, like them, comes mainly from salaries

6. We have enormous economic pressures affecting access to food and energy security

… assuming they can be solved with green solutions that presently have a market of less than 5%

7. We want to empower the scared and uninformed to manage regulatory risks

… assuming that activist-driven citizen’s panels will be more rational on policy issues

8. We want to exclude corporate representatives from having a voice on industrial policy

… assuming that the NGO activists silencing them are not themselves well-funded lobbyists

9. We have agricultural policy determined by urban elites during a food security crisis

… assuming that Western farmers are stupid and don’t care about their soil or food quality

10. We have research and innovation strategies set by anti-industry chemophobes

… assuming that all synthetic chemicals are bad and products coming from nature are always better

11. We want to stop global trade because it is seen to be exploiting developing countries

… assuming any capitalist, free-trade policies they promote for their development are aberrations

12. We have the fit, the young and the healthy determining policies for the old and the infirm

… assuming disability, chronic care and pain management issues are not at crisis levels

13. We want to mitigate climate risks by stopping all polluting technologies

… assuming that any innovative human solutions will only worsen the situation

14. We have an anti-capitalist narrative painted by ad budgets of US tort law firms suing industry

… assuming no one will notice the majority of the pay-outs going to their prostitutes and private jets

15. We have activists demanding complete transparency on corporate lobbyists and policymakers

… assuming that excludes NGOs and Green Party politicians from complying to the same standards

16. We want to reset capitalism since our wealthiest feel this economic expansion is unsustainable

… assuming no one in the West is suffering from the consequences of food and energy price inflation

17. We have our power and influence positions dominated by middle-aged white men

… assuming that the continued patriarchal prejudices about women will solve the issue

18. We want to cut CO2 emissions by building a green economy based on renewable energy

… assuming the energy needed to modify the chemicals and minerals won’t emit even more CO2

19. We have a few financiers imposing a random series of ESG restrictions on all corporations

… assuming there is no accountability for the ensuing environmental and social destruction

20. We have intellectuals attacking Western greed, waste and corruption

… assuming no one will notice their global book tours and brand merchandising

21. We want to remove the power and influence of big technology corporations

… assuming we can continue to use their technologies to exert our emerging authority

22. We want farming in developing countries to be organic and free from industrial agritech

… assuming they have enough children to do the manual work to then be able to feed themselves

23. We have a public discourse dominated by social justice warriors expecting unlimited tolerance

… assuming you agree with everything they say and demand, you won’t then be excluded or attacked

24. We have a risk-averse media terrifying the public into not trusting anyone or anything

… assuming they will then trust us to keep them safe from what we scared them from

25. We want our billionaires to fund projects that can solve all of society’s intransigent problems

… assuming they don’t mind the continuous attacks on their person and on those they employ

26. We have a leadership with no capacity to manage risks to ensure public goods and well-being

… assuming populations are happy being locked down and having their products and services banned

27. We have a number of reasonable people who understand these contradictions and bullshit

… assuming someone else is going to find the initiative and courage to stand up against them

I don’t know what else to say except that if this madness and hypocrisy continues, then we’re all fucked!