Moscow, Kate, AfD: The digital public could do a lot to shed light on many topics. But she needs more than ever: rules.
The art of pleasant small talk, i.e. amusing chatting about everything and nothing, is in danger of dying out. The weather was once a popular topic, but since the question of man-made climate change has come to a head and talk of it has become ideologically coded, anger about cold should be avoided, as should praise for warmth. A cheerful report about vacation plans leads to the question of transportation, and the comfortable exchange quickly turns into a bitter discussion about aircraft consumption. Even a small dialogue about football now threatens to degenerate into an argument about patriotism versus globalization. You just have to choose the beautiful ones Nike-Praise the French jerseys and you’ve already got the local patriot Habeck or change.org on your hands with a petition.