You must take your own stand.
[The following conversation took place in August 2023 during a business trip to Germany, in a discussion with a German client.]
“In any case, you must vote. If you don’t vote, it will be very dangerous. You have to make a choice and express your thoughts,” the German client explained their perspective on the elections.
“What if I don’t vote?” I asked.
“If you don’t vote, you will be nothing. You won’t even have the right to complain about uneven roads or unauthorized construction. You won’t even have the right to speak,” the client emphasized.
“Is it really that serious?” I inquired.
“Yes, it is very serious. 80 years ago, we made a huge mistake, and that person was elected as a result of it,” the client said.
At this point, I didn’t ask further because I could sense his voice trembling and his gaze gradually becoming despondent. The catastrophe of 80 years ago still deeply imprinted in the heart of this German client. History is sometimes cruel, and nobody wants to discuss and face it on a beautiful evening after work. However, without discussing and facing history, how would one know if this beautiful evening will continue into tomorrow…
