Finding the right form of debate regarding Israeli policies will remain a challenge in Germany. Even with every conceivable and warranted criticism, the danger always arises that it will be exploited by those who consciously or unconsciously present anti-Semitism in a new guise.
The new social question is: democracy or the rule of the financial markets. We are currently witnessing the end of an era. The neoliberal ideology has failed worldwide. The U.S. movement Occupy Wall Street is a good example of this.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the dominance of financial markets over democratic values, highlighting a shift in societal priorities.
Sigmar Gabriel's quote addresses the tension between democracy and financial markets, arguing that the neoliberal ideology, which prioritizes market freedom and deregulation, has failed globally. He points to movements such as Occupy Wall Street as manifestations of public discontent against the financial system that undermines democratic principles, suggesting a need for a reevaluation of societal values to prioritize democratic governance over the interests of financial markets.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a political debate, you might use this quote to discuss the challenges facing modern democracies.
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You can't say the Negro left the Republican Party; the Negro feels he was evicted from the Republican Party.
The history of ancient and modern republics had taught them that many of the evils which those republics suffered arose from the want of a certain balance, and that mutual control indispensable to a wise administration. They were convinced that popular assemblies are frequently misguided by ignorance, by sudden impulses, and the intrigues of ambitious men; and that some firm barrier against these operations was necessary. They, therefore, instituted your Senate.
A faction willing to take the risks of making war on the ossified status quo in the Middle East can be described as many things, but not as conservative.
Government should fear the people, not the other way around.
I have two great enemies, the Southern Army in front of me and the bankers in the rear. Of the two, the one at my rear is my greatest foe.
From the U.S. point of view, negotiations are, in effect, a way for Israel to continue its policies of systematically taking over whatever it wants in the West Bank, maintaining the brutal siege on Gaza, separating Gaza from the West Bank and, of course, occupying the Syrian Golan heights, all with full U.S. support.