### Reader’s Letter to The Guardian, 2nd September 2024 ###
Dear Editor,
So Germany is in upheaval about the gains of the AfD (and BSW).
I live in Cologne so did not vote in either of the elections on Sunday. But, in both prior coverage and in the current postmortem, there are two enormous elephants in the room: These are the wars in Gaza and in Ukraine … which have been dragging on for months and for years (respectively).
I am a university-educated, liberal, environmentally- and socially- oriented person but currently, with a.) my tax-money going to pay for weapons to prolong the slaughter in those wars and b.) the German (and European) government doing next-to-nothing to promote diplomatic resolutions of these conflicts, wild horses would not get me to vote for one of the mainstream parties.
So, while a lot of the analysis may be correct (e.g. the East being disaffected and migration having spooked the public), current discussion is ignoring the most obvious issue: WAR! It is like a doctor busy treating your verruca when you have an axe planted in your head.
God help us!
Yours,
Alan Mitcham
Leave a Reply