They Are Always for the Beautiful and Good: Moralizing as a Tool

Politicians and Their Alignment with the “Beautiful and Good”

Spireo begins by observing that politicians are often seen as representatives of the “Beautiful and Good”. A Russian saying cynically suggests that they always stand for the positive and never for the hardships or the negative. Spireo sees this as politicians adapting to current trends and sentiments. When the mood shifts, they simply change their position.

Spireo compares this observation with experiences from socialism, where the ideology always emphasized the Beautiful and Good — for the people, for peace, and for a better life. According to the news, plans were often overachieved, and the enemy forces were held back by the border wall. The will of the people was nearly completely implemented, as shown by election results with over 99% voting for the Block parties.

The Importance of the National Front in Socialism

In socialism, there were various parties, but all pursued the same goal. The so-called National Front was a political structure that fought against everything bad and “not-so-beautiful.” Spireo draws parallels to today’s world, where the demand for unity and conformity on certain issues is also present.

Today, it seems similar to the days of the DDR: Anyone not supporting the Beautiful and Good is perceived as an enemy of society. This was also the case when someone opposed the Party or the National Front — it was quickly interpreted as an attack on peace and the people.

The Hypocrisy Behind the Facade of the “Beautiful and Good”

Spireo calls it hypocrisy to claim that one is always for the Beautiful and Good, because no one can always hold that opinion. In history, such as in the National Socialism era, blame was often assigned to a central figure like the “man with the mustache,” while other people submitted to the regime. Similarly, in the DDR, it wasn’t only Honecker who was responsible. Instead, it was the ordinary people — teachers, policemen, and neighbors — who upheld the system.

Spireo emphasizes that although politicians may embody the Beautiful and Good, it is society that supports this mindset. After the end of socialism, many people suddenly changed their opinions. Those who had once believed in socialism became opponents — a phenomenon known as “Wendehälse.”

Parallels to Today’s World

Today, Spireo recognizes similar patterns: Politicians promote the Beautiful and Good, but often focus more on global issues than on the concerns of their voters. A quote by Mario Adorf illustrates this: “If someone is responsible for everything, they are responsible for nothing.” The Beautiful and Good is used today as a justification for various political measures, such as in energy matters.

Spireo criticizes that people often do not question or even understand these developments, which reflects a certain indifference. Many of today’s events remind Spireo of the DDR, and he calls for close observation of these trends. Step by step, what people once valued is being altered by focusing on the Beautiful and Good.

In conclusion, Spireo notes that honest communication is necessary to recognize and prevent these developments. Without an open dialogue, the narrative of the Beautiful and Good continues, without society truly questioning what lies behind it.

 
 
 
Link to the YouTube video with English subtitles

How does an Ideology work?

What is an ideology, and how does it influence our thinking?

An ideology is essentially a system of thought, a structure of ideas that relate to each other and give a meaningful purpose. From my experience in the socialist state of the GDR, I learned firsthand what an ideology truly means. Often, what we think on a daily basis is considered common sense, but what if that is just an ideology that we fail to recognize?

The nature of ideology: Everything is interconnected

To explain how an ideology works, I often use the example of a coffee cup. A coffee cup could not exist without the concepts of porcelain, handle, or beverage. It is interconnected with other terms, just as ideas are interdependent. An ideology works similarly: The thoughts we harbor are connected in a network, and this network shapes how we perceive the world.
We often only understand the term ideology when we view the system from an external perspective. Ideologies seem natural when we experience them daily, but foreign ideologies require effort to comprehend. This makes it difficult to realize that we are living within an ideology.

Socialist ideology and its implementation in the GDR

In the GDR, the dominant ideology was Marxism-Leninism, based on the ideas of Karl Marx. Marx explained in his work “Das Kapital” that workers would go to the capitalist for a meager wage and create the actual wealth, but they would receive little of it. The Marxist ideology predicted that eventually, the workers would seize the means of production to address the inherent injustices.
In the GDR, factories were transformed into state-owned enterprises (VEBs), and agriculture was organized into agricultural production cooperatives (LPGs). However, even though the factories were under socialist control, the workers had no real ownership. The power lay with the functionaries, not the proletariat.

The socialist vision aimed to communalize everything. But in reality, property was owned by no one in particular. Those in charge were the functionaries, not the workers. The ideology was pervasive in the GDR; everyone knew what they had to say to fit in, creating a strong societal uniformity.

Science and ideology – A lesson from history

Interestingly, the Marxist philosophy was labeled as “scientific,” meaning it could not be questioned. This is reminiscent of the dispute between Galileo Galilei and church officials. Galilei argued that the Earth revolved around the sun, but the Church refused to look through his telescope, insisting that everything was already clarified in the Bible. Similarly, in the GDR, Marx’s ideas were considered infallible.
Ideologies often function similarly. They act as a form of indoctrination, implanting ideas into people’s minds. Everyone believed in the socialist system because there was no alternative. Journalists, teachers, and professors all praised socialism as the only viable solution. But when the system collapsed, many realized they had been saying only what they needed to in order to get by.

In the end, the ideology failed because it simply didn’t work. The people of the GDR were dissatisfied, especially when comparing themselves to their West German counterparts.

 
 
   Article on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxism
Link to the YouTube video with English subtitles