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Scholz in the Wirecard scandal Political leadership from yesterday

Status: 22.06.2021 5:50 p.m.

Finance Minister Scholz bears political responsibility for the Wirecard scandal. An apology would be appropriate. Because of his antiquated understanding of political leadership, there won’t be.

A comment by Tobias Betz, ARD capital studio

After eight months of the committee of inquiry, the question of political responsibility remains. And that is a fundamental question of political culture. Because there is not a word of regret from the government. Let’s not kid ourselves: this is shameful, but the reality.

The finance minister is politically responsible

Let’s take a look at the situation: The Wirecard case is one of the biggest financial scandals in Germany. At least 24 billion euros in damage. Everything happened in front of the eyes of the responsible authorities, which did not do their job in any way and at any time. And that is why there is certainly someone who is politically responsible – and that is the Federal Minister of Finance in this financial scandal. But Olaf Scholz makes it easy for himself. Not responsible, not involved, more like an observer. He could very well have – and should have – intervened. Because the Ministry of Finance has the legal and technical supervision of the Bafin. This is the financial supervisory authority. And she made gross miscalculations; she even supported Wirecard at times, reported journalists who had clues.

Not ready for self-reflection

Mistakes have been made. And the Scholz Ministry is responsible for ensuring that the financial supervision process works. If it just doesn’t work, then Scholz, as a minister, could be the size and have the courage to admit that mistakes have happened here. Honest words of regret. Society doesn’t really ask that much, a “Mea Culpa!”, “My mistake!” Is often enough. But Scholz is apparently not ready for this kind of error culture, critical self-reflection.

Don’t make any mistakes, least of all admit none

Maybe he’s not ready to do so because of the election campaign. Just don’t make any mistakes, least of all admit any mistakes. Protect yourself, after all, he is a candidate for chancellor. Namely one who advertises to have a lot of government experience. But leadership doesn’t include ironing out and fending off everything. That is an understanding of political leadership from the past. Mistakes happen, people make mistakes and they are allowed to admit them. That would be honest and brave. But as a consequence, calls for resignation like those from the AfD are out of place.

The Chancellor apologized

That promotes this unspeakable error culture in politics. If every mistake immediately costs the post, then it is already clear that there can be no political Mea Culpa. Chancellor Angela Merkel once broke with this culture of mistakes. During the lockdown policy at Easter. She had to withdraw an overnight decision to introduce an additional public holiday. But she didn’t do that quietly and without comment. No, she stood in front of Parliament and apologized in public for it. Apparently this remains an exception. But the Chancellor has the format of a chancellor. Editorial note Comments generally reflect the opinion of the respective author and not that of the editors

In 2018, African swine fever broke out in China, raging for more than a year, wiping out more than half of the country’s 500 million pig herd. The pork crisis has plunged China into a severe shortage of pork. According to estimates, the price of pork in China has skyrocketed to a record, at one point increasing by 60-80% compared to before the epidemic. The thirst for pork has led Chinese livestock corporations, scientists and farmers to find solutions to increase the supply of pork. And the idea of ​​raising pigs as big as possible appeared. At that time, Chinese scientists were looking for a way to create a “super giant” pig breed. Specifically, the Animal Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences produces pigs that grow faster and with better meat by modifying their DNA code. This breed is quite strong, able to withstand harsh winters thanks to a special gene in the body. Notably, this pig breed has a huge weight, weighing from 200-500kg, even reaching a weight of 750kg. As such, they are roughly the size of a pygmy hippopotamus or a female polar bear. Chinese farmer rides on a “super giant” pig. (Photo: China Daily). Chinese farmers also joined in to help. From the end of 2019, Chinese farmers started breeding “super giant” pigs in the hope of generating higher profits. They are constantly fattening to produce pigs that are twice their normal weight. At the end of 2019, Bloomberg Once reported, a pig farm in Ho Chi Minh City. Nanning (Guangxi province, China) has successfully raised a pig weighing 500kg. At that time, if slaughtered, these pigs could sell for up to 10,000 yuan (equivalent to about 36 million dong). This level of revenue is 3 times higher than the average monthly income of the household head compared to traditional pig breeds. Since then, farmers across China have competed to breed giant pigs. The trend of giant pig farming is considered as one of the solutions to relieve stress on pork supply for Chinese people. Lin Guofa, a senior analyst at agriculture consulting firm Bric, said at the end of 2019 that the average weight of pigs at slaughterhouses on large farms had increased to 140kg, compared to with a normal weight of 110kg. As such, farms have increased pig weight by at least 14%. Profits of pig farmers at one point increased by more than 30%. Huge pig, as big as a polar bear. However, Ren Shouven, an expert at the Cattle Research Institute at the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, told Sputnik that he disagreed with this conclusion. According to Mr. Ren, the increase in rearing time led to a delay in the release time. And the longer it takes to breed, the more capital is needed. The sooner pork is put on the market, the more likely it is to reduce the supply shortfall. Therefore, raising huge herds of pigs does not help in the fight against pork shortage. Mr. Ren also said that this method of “fattening” pigs is against the principles of scientific breeding. Increasing the head of a pig can be much more effective than increasing the size of the animal. Moreover, mass production of giant pigs is completely inefficient because increasing meat will increase fat. But grease has a lower commercial value. Not only that, the type of pork with a lot of fat will be less quality than the meat of pigs of normal weight. In fact, “super-giant” pig farmers in China are having to taste the bitter fruit when wholesale pork prices in the country plummet. Bloomberg reported that the wholesale price of pork in China has fallen more than 40% since mid-January. The reason for the shock drop in pork prices in the country of billions of people is due to falling demand, high imports of foreign pork and the panic of many farmers selling off their pigs after the outbreak of African swine fever in this country. Huge super pigs are also considered as one of the reasons why pork prices in China plummeted without stopping. At a conference in mid-May, Qiu Huaji, head of the swine infectious disease department at the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, pointed out that the “super giant” pig breed was one reason for the price of meat. Pigs in China plummeted. Many farmers in China say they will no longer raise super-large pigs because the price of pork has fallen deeply, in addition to the high price of feed, which has reduced profits. The giant pigs eat more than normal pigs, so the more they raise the more losses. Muyuan Foods – the largest pig producer in China – predicts pork prices in the country will continue to fall and is expected to bottom out in 2022 or 2023. Hanh Nguyen (Synthetic)

The animals will head to the International Space Station (ISS) next week as part of SpaceX’s 22nd cargo resupply mission. SpaceX is set to launch microscopic creatures aboard its Falcon 9 rocket on June 3, 1:29 p.m. EDT from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Tardigrades are tiny, measuring just 0.04 inches (1 millimeter) long and are popularly nicknamed “water bears” due to their bear-like appearance when viewed through a microscope. – they are able to survive intense radiation; a pressure six times that found in the deepest parts of the ocean; and the vacuum of space, these microscopic animals are tougher much more than their cute name. In fact, the Israeli Beresheet spacecraft carrying thousands of Tardigrades was dried on board when it crashed to the moon during a failed landing attempt on April 11, 2019. If any life form can survive the crash, it is probably these creatures, especially since they are in a dehydrated state called “tun”, from which they can be resuscitated. . It is these abilities that have made the tardigrade a useful research organism on the ISS, where astronauts hope to identify the specific genes responsible for its remarkable feats of adaptation. with harsh environments. This should give us some important insights into the health effects of long-term space travel. “Some of the conditions in which water bears can survive include being dry, freezing and being heated beyond the boiling point of water. They can survive with thousands of times more radiation than we do, and they can can survive for days or weeks with little or no oxygen,” Thomas Boothby, assistant professor of molecular biology at the University of Wyoming and principal investigator of the experiment, said in a press conference. “They have been shown to be able to survive and reproduce during spaceflight, and can even survive long periods of exposure to the vacuum of outer space.” For Boothby’s study, astronauts will examine the molecular biology of the water bears to look for signs of any immediate and long-term adaptations to life in low Earth orbit. – objects that expose astronauts to the rigors of zero gravity and increased radiation exposure. He hopes that the information gathered from the organisms, prepared to arrive at the ISS in a semi-frozen state before being thawed, will provide important insights into future therapies that could protect health of astronauts during extended space missions. A separate and parallel experiment also carried out by the resupply mission will bring 128 baby bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes) to the station. The 0.12-inch (3 mm) long squid have a special light-producing organ inside their body, where bioluminescent bacteria provide the squid with light. The researchers of this experiment hope to investigate the symbiotic relationship between bacteria and squid to see how beneficial bacteria interact with animal tissue in space. “Animals, including humans, rely on our bacteria to maintain a healthy digestive and immune system.” Jamie Foster, a microbiologist at the University of Florida and principal investigator of the Microgravity Understanding for Microbial Interactions (UMAMI) experiment. “We don’t fully understand how space changes these beneficial interactions.” The squids are born without bacteria, which they then get from the surrounding ocean, so the researchers are planning to add bacteria to the squid as soon as they are defrosted at the ISS. This way, the researchers could observe the squid as they established a symbiosis with the bacteria. By studying the molecules produced in this process, the researchers will be able to determine which genes the squid used to achieve the feat in space. Knowing this could help people better take care of the microorganisms in their immune systems and guts during long space voyages. Although the journey into space has been a stressful one, the tardigrades have suffered worse at least, having recently survived being shot from a high-speed gun. In that study, the researchers found that the tardigrade can survive tremors generated at speeds of about 3,000 feet per second (900 meters per second).

Water Bear – Tiny tardigrada that lives in the water. Photo: Earth Life According to CNN (USA), the SpaceX ship will carry necessities, scientific research experiments and even solar panels to the ISS station. In particular, 5,000 water bears and 128 small squids will also be sent to space this time. Both animals will participate in the experiments here. The scientists wanted to find out how water bears can tolerate the environment on the space station and whether microgravity affects the symbiotic relationship between squid and probiotics. Water bear in space Water bears look like little bears under a microscope. Photo: CNN According to Thomas Boothby, Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Wyoming, water bears are known to be able to survive and thrive in the most extreme environments. They are a group of microorganisms that can survive under extreme pressure. “Water bears have the ability to survive drying, freezing and heating past boiling point. They can withstand radiation levels thousands of times higher than humans and can survive days or weeks without oxygen,” said Boothby. He said this is not the first time water bears have been sent into space. They have been shown to survive and reproduce in spaceflight, and can even survive long periods of exposure to the vacuum of space. “Scientists were able to sequence the genome of the water bear, thereby testing how the microorganism is affected by different environmental conditions based on their gene expression,” he said. more. Boothby’s experiment is also aimed at understanding how water bears are adapted to life in low Earth orbit. This could help to better understand the stressors humans face in the universe. The water bear will arrive at the ISS in a frozen state, then be defrosted, revived and grown in a special system. The results of the study will allow scientists to track which genes help water bears survive. For example, if researchers determine that water bears are making lots of antioxidants to help cope with high radiation levels, that means astronauts need to eat a diet rich in these nutrients. more anti-oxidant. “Our hope is that this knowledge will pave the way to the development of countermeasures or therapies to help protect astronauts during extended space missions,” said Boothby. Glowing squid ink Young long-tailed squid are swimming in sea water. Photo: CNN In addition, the researchers will also conduct the UMAMI experiment – a study that investigates microgravity on interactions between animals and microorganisms. Jamie Foster, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida and the lead researcher on the experiment, said the study aimed to understand how healthy bacteria interact with animal tissue in space. . “Animals, including humans, rely on the microbiome to maintain a healthy gut and immune system,” Ms Foster said. “But we still don’t fully understand how the universe changes those beneficial interactions. The UMAMI experiment using glow-in-the-dark dumpling squid will shed light on these important issues in human health. “. The stomach squid is only about 3mm long, making it the perfect model to study for two reasons. They have special luminous organs in their bodies, which may contain a species of luminescent bacteria. The squid then uses the bacteria to glow in the dark. Since there’s only one species of bacteria and one type of host tissue, it’s easy for researchers to track how that happens. “Squid has a similar immune system to humans. We can see a lot of similarities in how the immune system responds to these beneficial bacteria in the space environment,” she added. The baby squid are born without bacteria, so they must be collected from the environment. The team of experts conducting the experiment will promote a symbiotic relationship by introducing bacteria into the squid and observing what happens in the first few hours. In the experiment, the squids will be placed in an automatic container. The pump will pump water or bacteria as they need it. After that, the squid tissue will be frozen on the ISS station and brought back to Earth. In addition, the scientists also carried out other experiments including mobile ultrasound, remote control of the robotic arm with virtual reality technology, analysis of how kidney stones form in space, studying the microbiome of the kidney. organisms in the mouth and produce more resistant cotton. Hundreds of scientific experiments are conducted every day on the ISS station, which is likened to a space laboratory. Astronauts will monitor this experiment and report their observations to researchers on Earth. These studies will help us better understand zero-gravity life and explore possible benefits on Earth.

Chau Bui is always a pioneering fashionista in new trends. She quickly updated both Gucci’s new designs at the same time with an impressive combination. With a multicolor design with outstanding colors, Chau Bui combined a pink sweater with green shorts and a Gucci Jackie bag with traditional motifs, creating an outstanding but still harmonious and comfortable overall. The KAIxGUCCI collection was thoroughly promoted by Chau Bui again with a set of long-sleeved shirts, midi skirts and bags with unique Gucci bear motifs. Another name is stylist Kelbin Lei, he combines a Gucci Multicolor hat, bag, shoes and top with shorts and a soothing blue shirt. “Trendy girl” Khanh Linh transformed into a young lady with a shirt and bag from Gucci’s Gucci Multicolor Capsule Collection.The wool coat has three colors of blue – pink – red, but it is not dazzling when combined with the shirt. shirt and skirt in neutral colors. Not only Vietnamese fashionistas, the world’s top stars are also fascinated by the new collection of this luxury brand. The muse Elle Fanning and the pop queen Madonna also quickly owned the Gucci Multicolor collection. If Elle Fanning’s sweet beauty is maximized in vibrant colors with floral motifs, the multicolor style exalts Madonna’s power and ageless beauty. Muse Elle Fanning Fan Queen of Pop Madonna Just a short time after the launch, two new Gucci collections have become a fashion phenomenon in the first half of 2021 and promise to continue to sweep the world fashion village in the near future.

Immediately after receiving information about the case, the People’s Committee of Hai Phong city drastically instructed the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, and relevant agencies and localities to step in. , inspect, review and mobilize owners to hand over bears to the State; strictly deal with the law if the bear owner intentionally violates it. Therefore, on April 28, the bear was transferred by the owner to a Bear Conservation Facility in Ninh Binh. Hai Phong is one of many localities across the country that are making efforts to completely end bear farming in the city. Previously, from the beginning of 2021, the City People’s Committee issued a general instruction document to relevant departments, agencies, agencies, and units, requesting the agencies to increase the mobilization of households to keep. bears in the locality voluntarily transferred bears to the State. Ms. Nguyen Phuong Dung, Deputy Director of Nature Education Center, said: “The Center for Nature Education welcomes the high determination and efforts of the city government of Hai Phong to completely end captivity. bear bile. The fast and decisive handling of the Hai Phong city government for bear-related violations will help the city soon end the situation of keeping bears in the area ”. By the end of March 2021, there were about 370 bears left in the confines of illegal bile. Hanoi city alone is currently the hottest spot for illegally confining bears with 161 bears (as of April 28). According to the Center for Nature Education, currently both bear species of Vietnam, the horse bear (Ursus thibetanus) and the bear dog (Helarctos malayanus) are listed in the List of endangered, precious and rare species prioritized for protection. issued together with Decree 160/2013 / ND-CP (amended by Decree 64/2019 / ND-CP) as well as listed in Group IB, endangered, precious and rare forest animals. List issued together with Decree 06/2019 / ND-CP. Bears of illegal origin (from before 2005) are only allowed to be kept in captivity if “there is a management record and electronic chips attached”. The act of “raising bears without management records and attaching electronic chips” is a prohibited act in accordance with the law. According to Article 244 of the 2015 Penal Code (amended and supplemented 2017), people who illegally raise, lock or transport horses (depending on the quantity) can be criminally prosecuted with penalty up to 15 years in prison. “The Center for Nature Education calls on the authorities of the provinces and cities to follow the example of Hai Phong city and drastically instructs the City Forest Protection Department and the district authorities to resolutely fight related violations. to come to bears in order to soon completely end the keeping of bears for bile in the provinces and cities. The registration and attachment of chips for illegal bears to confine bile not only violates the current regulations of the Government, but also makes the situation of keeping bears in Hanoi city even worse. complicated and cannot be completely terminated like many other provinces and cities across the country ”, emphasized Ms. Dung. “The transfer of bears in Hai Phong is an encouraging highlight, marking a step forward in the effort to end bear captive farming in Vietnam. Bear bile farming is not only cruel and hurting to bears. but also affects the image of Vietnam, “said Ms. Maya Pastakia, Campaign Director of the World Animal Protection Organization.