Kochland Germany?

When the other day, Red Baron read an article in Der Spiegel titled Die heimlichen Einflüsterer der FDP (The Secret Influencers of the Free Democrats), Charles Koch was frequently mentioned. His influence on the thinking of a hardcore in our liberal party was extensively discussed.

Multi-billionaire Charles Koch:
According to "Forbes" worth 57 billion dollars (©Axios On Hbo/imago)

I learned that Koch had revered the Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises who stated in 1929, "There is no other choice than this: either to refrain from isolated interventions in the play of the market or to transfer the entire management of production and distribution to the authorities. Either capitalism or socialism; there is simply no middle ground."

These ideas are propagated by Frank Schäffler, deputy of the Free Democrats in the Bundestag (Germany's federal parliament), with reference to climate change. As you know, Germany is governed by a three-party coalition, the Social Democrats, the Greens, and the Liberals. Conflicts are frequent between the two latter parties.

Publicly Schäffler last denied climate change in 2014, "I am a climate skeptic." He used vocabulary like "climate hysteria," "guilt complex," and "re-education attempts." Schäffler even strained a phrase that Koch's remote-controlled citizens' initiatives had used in 2009, "The polar bears are becoming more numerous."

Since then, Schäffler became more prudent, but in the traffic light coalition government's attempt to push the Gebäudeenergiegesetz* (GEG = building energy law) through parliament, he sowed uncertainty among the German citizens on June 12, saying, "Recently the chimney sweep was with me; if you want to install a heat pump, invest around 150,000 euros with all the trimmings."
*In principle, from January 1, 2024, every newly installed heating system (in new and existing buildings, residential and non-residential) must be powered by at least 65 percent renewable energy.

The formulation that climate policy is a "planned economy" gains respectability within the FDP up to its chairman, Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner.

While Germany is slowly progressing and reducing CO₂ emissions in industry and heating, road transport fails to follow. Confronted with the unpleasant situation on national television, Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) blamed German drivers, "In 2022, citizens were not able to emit as little as prescribed." "After all," he continued, "it's not politics that drive around with many cars."

Red Baron never read such a radical rejection of the authority of a government by libertarian ideologues, "The government can do nothing to meet its targets on greenhouse gas emissions; the population must manage that on its own."

In this spirit, we still have no general speed limit on our autobahns that would reduce CO₂ emissions. Instead, the FDP demands "Freie Fahrt für freie Bürger (Free driving for free citizens)."

Red Baron is worried about days with temperatures of more than 30 C (86 F) already in June and increasing surface water shortages with groundwater levels falling.

Recent measurements show the unabated rise of CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere.

Daily surface temperature variations in the Atlantic over the years
and 2023 anomaly in red

And recently, scientists observed an unexplained rise in the surface water temperature of the Atlantic. The consequences are unclear, but warmer water evaporates more rapidly, giving rise to denser clouds and violent thunderstorms. They will discharge their water locally, leading to landslides and inundations, while most parts of the European continent lack rain.

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