AIt all started with the bet emoji. Or didn’t Soyeon Schröder-Kim try to imitate him, with St. Basil’s Cathedral in the background in the window, his eyes humbly lowered and his hands folded, emoji style? Yes, she allegedly prayed that Gerhard would bring the evil Mr. Putin, the “flawless democrat”, back to reason.
In hindsight, however, one could think that this was primarily a matter of staging one’s own moral concepts, which were never guided by financial interests. In the end, the talks came to nothing, leaving the stale aftertaste that Schröder may not only have acted with good intentions, but also in the hope of somehow salvaging his reputation.
An idiosyncratic interpretation of things
Vain. After the talks with his old buddy, criticism of the former Chancellor rained down. Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Melnyk declared Schröder’s efforts a failure. There was hope for results, but the results were “useless”. The word “tragedy” was also mentioned. The magazine “Politico” had previously reported that Schröder had acted at the request of Ukraine. Ukraine, in turn, said: Schröder’s trip was Schröder’s idea. And Schröder now got ahead of the withdrawal of his honorary citizenship in Hanover by quickly returning it himself. Four SPD associations are now officially calling for Schröder’s party expulsion.
And Soyeon Schröder-Kim shares another picture on her Instagram channel on Wednesday: A worker on a scaffolding prepares to kick another in the backside from behind, whereupon both of them will probably fall down – they get up a balanced board. In addition, the somewhat pathetic sentence: “Some people are not aware of the consequences of their actions.” Schröder-Kim himself writes: “SPD in action or….” Excuse me? The fact that Schröder is now being completely innocently pushed down by his colleagues is a rather idiosyncratic interpretation of things. His attempt at mediation may have been honourable, but the disappointment in Ukraine and the SPD at their failure is all the more understandable. And what the picture is supposed to say about the development of the SPD, which in Schröder-Kim’s eyes is also falling into the abyss, is uncertain.
Schröder-Kim’s account is a good example of how people are always attracted to political figures who didn’t hear the shot, and not only in America. Many praise Schröder in the comments for his work. And his most loyal fan is of course his own wife. But the account is also a sign of the problems that social media cause in times of crisis.
A slide war, then a promotional post
Even during the Corona pandemic, it was teeming with fake news and conspiracy theories. Many influencers acted deliberately apolitical so as not to alienate any opponents of vaccination among their followers. And in times of war, many people who earn their living by showing beautiful things to the camera stand in the rain. Who likes to advertise stylish clothes or gym mats when peace is in jeopardy? Who shows their make-up routine or fitness tips when people are dying and clinics are being bombed in Ukraine? Many influencers show solidarity with Ukraine in one slide, then post advertising for the new protein bar in the next. As if the world needed protein bars right now.
Then again, social media help to collect relief supplies or spread information about a safe escape. They connect people in different countries with each other, enabling exchange where there would otherwise be no exchange – at least when the Internet is not regulated by the government. Many young Russians posted the truth about the war of aggression against Ukraine on Instagram – a criminal offense in Russia.
The Schröders, on the other hand, stick to their own rules and their own truth. Yes, they too publicly condemn the war. And Schröder is also giving up his post – but not at Rosneft, but at the German company Herrenknecht. Is that consistent then?