growing up

born 1957 (!) in berlin, germany i grew up in spandau, one of the quarters of berlin. "going to the city" meant the city of spandau, heading for the city of berlin we'd say we'd "go to berlin." spandau became part of berlin in 1920 only and many residents consider themselves different from the berlin townsfolk.

wikipedia: spandau (old town)

my father was a local politician, not rich but well-to-do, my mom a typical german housewife. i went to a higher secondary school, called gymnasium in germany, but left before the final examination, abitur, which would have enabled me to study at university. i was 17 or 18 years old at the time and well into a life of constant party and drug abuse (alcohol, cannabis).

early youth

when final examinations took place i found it necessary to help occupy a forest in spandau where a thermal power plant was to be constructed, sacrificing huge swaths of forest. we actually succeeded, the power plant was canceled, and afterwards i moved with my co-conspirators into shared quarters in berlin kreuzberg, one of berlin's more central districts, housing mainly immigrants and blue-collar workers at the time.

anarchist

i considered myself an anarchist then, seeing that government, not only in germany, wasn't working for but against the people. as soon as they're elected, politicians forget about the interest of the people they're supposed to represent. interest of their party, the sponsoring lobby, and last not least their own interest, to remain in power and gain wealth and influence, takes over.

for a long time i remained blind to the fact that people, as in all of us, are not "good by nature." left to our own devices, no force applied from the outside, by laws or group pressure of some sort, most of us tend to think and act selfishly. this leads to conflicts: your interest against mine, my family's against your's, my country's against your country's interest. 

instead of painstakingly finding a solution that takes into account all interests, as just as possible under the circumstances, applying force -- verbal, political, or violence -- seems like an easier, safer, and quicker path to achieve the goal.

[work in progress...]