“If people define situations as real, they are in its consequences really are.”
Dorothy and William Thomas, “The Child in America: Behavior problems and Programs” (1928)
You might think that Holger has studied Münch, sociology or cultural studies. In truth, Germany’s top police officer is the host, but it is diploma management expert. This is hardly surprising because, in münch’s view of the world seems to be more from certain currents of cultural and social Sciences to food than from the German administration. It’s a troubling, very troubling world view for the President of the Federal criminal police office (BKA).
At the autumn conference of the BKA in Wiesbaden, Germany, Münch said on Wednesday this remarkable set: “feelings are facts.”
of Course, feelings are for the person who feels them, real, real, undeniable present. But the “facts”?
“Total suspicious, we’d better”
the problem is the strange sentence is cut mainly by the context. Before “feelings to facts,” Münch said: “people’s fear of crime must be taken seriously.”
Also this is wrong: If a police officer is a citizen that makes him a, in his opinion, suspicious Person carefully, “you would not answer me so!”, talks a strange professional opinion.
Seriously does not mean, however, in this Situation, “oh, right, totally suspicious, let’s go dear” to answer. It is, investigate the note. Or, when it is obvious that the fear is unfounded, to this circumstance. That would münch’s Job.
What do you mean “enough”?
It is not enough that the number of reported crimes decreases and the detection rate is high, Münch said. But what is enough then?
“not” enough It is, with “feelings facts”: When people have due to other factors, the entirely false impression that the life is in this country more dangerous, then this is also combined. Or, even shorter: Who has fear, is automatically right. No matter how the reality looks like.
It is not the Job of the police to validate fictions
For an anxiety therapist, this may be a starting point for Intervention. For the chief of the German police authority, the idea is that safety is not measurable, but rather socially constructed, a lousy counselor.
münch’s task is to combat real crime and not perceived threats. Who fights perceived threats, conducts security theater, a limit to this, in case of doubt, the rights of citizens and wasting taxpayers ‘ money.
of Course, the BKA-President, what all of the BKA-President always want: more money and powers for its authority. Not just because you have to fight, in addition to the real dangers now felt. At best, it promotes fear, maybe even a little bit, in the service of their own budgets. With statements such as, “goals in Germany to be attacked by anyone and from anywhere in the world” could be – thanks to the Internet. Also the said Münch on Wednesday.
If the BKA,-says the chief, that Germany’s citizens are afraid of over charge, then he should work on his communication to the police authorities. Perhaps he should set every second week on a talk show and explain again and again that life in Germany is not dangerous, but always harmless. It is not the task of the BKA, to validate fictions.
real balls to make real holes
in fact, the Thesis that a substantial part of our experienced reality are constructed, in truth “social” is true: money has value only because we have all agreed to the fact that it has a. But there is an observable reality beyond social construction.
The authority of a police officer, for example, is first constructed once the social: a monopoly on violence, authority, the state, all agreements between all of us. If someone attacks a police officer, it shows very quickly that truncheon, handcuffs, or even the projectiles are not socially constructed. Real balls to make real holes.
The non-existing NSU-feeling
it’s a similar thing with crime is that Either one will be robbed or not. You better not show that one has the feeling to be robbed, although one was threatened or robbed. Faking a Crime is a Crime.
in fact, perceived truths are one of the reasons for the catastrophic failure of German security authorities in various cases. Münch’s predecessor as police chief, Jörg Zierke, has said 2014 for example the following about the so-called national socialist underground: “We have not considered it possible that a group could shoot from such inhumane and bizarre Motivation of people.” The German security authorities had the feeling that there may be in Germany, no Nazi-Terror. With the known terrible consequences.
greetings to Hans-Georg Maaßen
at The moment you can gain the impression that the German security authorities not to indulge in the feeling, with the Nazis in Germany was so bad. And then March at once organized groups of German cities, proudly call themselves “Adolf-Hitler-Hooligans” or weapons of war get. Where do they come from? Although one had the sense all the time, to have the matter well in hand! Greetings to Hans-Georg Maaßen, another master of the perceived truth.
we all wish that the President of the Federal criminal police office returns, at least in the exercise of his duties, to a clear distinction between feelings and facts. If not, he is the wrong man for the Job.
