"Schneider's glasses"

From morning to night

Wars, hardship and misery dominate our perception of the world.

(Bild: AFP)

Every day we are confronted with images of war and destruction. This constant presence of war does something to us humans, "Krone" columnist Robert Schneider is convinced.

One of the biggest advantages of the digital century is that you can get information with just a few clicks. The disadvantage is that we are slowly becoming stupid. I don't know about you, but I can't see any wars far and wide that would affect me directly. That doesn't mean that I turn a blind eye or even negate the wars in this world. It does not mean that I do not feel empathy for those people who are subjected to the deepest dehumanization and humiliation. It just means that I am not in a war zone and do not have to fear for the life and limb of my loved ones.

Should I be ashamed of that now? Has it become obscene to simply be grateful that there is no war raging in our country? Do I have to be vocally against wars on social media every day?

I observe a strange paradox in the "peaceful" Western world: it talks about war from morning to night. Ukraine and Israel, with their emblematic images of war that are always the same, have become fixed posts on news portals. Just like the daily weather forecast.

It does something to people, this daily talk of war. It has absurd effects. Like the recent Swiss Air Force "exercise" on a highway near Lake Neuchâtel, where pilots practiced landing and taking off their fighter jets. Air force commander Christian Opplinger spoke to ARD about "perfect landings". The aim is to be able to keep enemies away from up to 100 kilometers beyond the country's borders.

That's what I mean by dumbing down. If Switzerland is attacked, Europe will have long since been buried under the radioactive fallout from nuclear weapons. And then even "perfect landings" with fighter jets on highways won't help.

Every day we are confronted with images of war and destruction. Robert Schneider is convinced that this constant presence of war does something to people.