Gérard Bökenkamp

Gérard Bökenkamp, born 1980 in West Germany, is a historian and publicist.

Reason for the success of ‘Fridays for Future’:Children of Privilege
Risk-free rebellion

These aren't rebels, they're conformists.

Significant disparities between the east and west of Germany:Why the East is Different
Thirty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall there are still traces of German division

The East Germans learned over decades to mistrust their media and to read between the lines. The West Germans never did.

Conservative critique of neoliberalism:Just One Small Step From the Sublime to the Ridiculous
Anyone who wants state social security must love the Federal Republic of Germany

It’s not unusual to find conservative contemporaries who complain that culture has been going downhill since the French Revolution, and then complain about welfare reforms and demand higher social benefits, without being aware of the contradiction or even comedy of this attitude.

Political and media fragmentation:No Majority for Anybody
German politics revert to the norm

The filter bubble is not an invention of the online age, but an ancient German institution.

False narrative about ‘elites vs. the left-behind’:Fake Globalists
It’s easy to be post-national while being drip-fed by the state

Immigration to Germany is concentrated primarily on the low-skilled, because they do not appear at all as serious competitors for the left-liberal middle class.

A guide to realism:The Alternative to Manic-Depressive Insanity
Disillusion yourself, before life does it for you

Naivety and goodness of heart often go together, as do cynicism and intelligence. It's the balance between these two extremes that matters.

Bungling politics:Open Door and High Wall
Why current asylum and refugee laws lead to barriers

Politicians often agree on slick soundbites to create a good image, trusting that no one will be so foolish as to follow through what they have decided to the very last consequence.

The case of Özil and Gündoğan at the World Cup:Market-Compliant Booing and Collective Identity
Fans not only buy the sport, but also the sense of community

The controversy surrounding two German soccer players with Turkish roots reveals that sport is an expression of identity.