Here is the latest video on my German-language YouTube channel. Below is a short English summary of its main points.
Summary:
I worked in the business world for years, between 1999 and 2016. But after Trump’s first election, I realized that I had to switch gears, and dedicate my life to climate protection, justice and a better future. Since then, I’ve made a documentary, developed a stage show with friends, co-founded an NGO, and did a few more things. And in that time, I think I learned a lot.
During this time, three things have become clear to me:
- We are grinding away on too many details, but we’re not addressing the big picture: We are fighting against the housing crisis, democratic decline and fascism, social inequality, climate change, species extinction and so much more. But these are all just symptoms. The real, central problem are the rules of our economy. As long as corporations and lobbies set the course, and as long as economic growth remains the one big goal, our struggle will be all but ineffective. We need to unite and work together to tackle the system that produces all of these crises.
- We also need to radically improve our marketing. The political right knows exactly how to appeal to emotions and mobilise people. We, on the other hand, often do not care at all what people need to hear so they engage with the change that’s needed. Instead, all too often we just want to communicate “our truth”. We need to make people desire change, not fear it.
- And last but not least: We must not shy away from political power. If you want to change the world, you have to gain influence. If we leave power to the power-hungry unimaginative rich, we will lose. We need courageous, clever people who not only have ideas, but are also prepared to fight for power — in the best sense of the word.