Terror | Panicked fear of justice

Elif Eralp surrounded by journalists in the Berlin House of Representatives Photo: dpa/Britta Pedersen Depending on how you look at it, Berlin's left-wing faction leader Elif Eralp is supposedly an anti-Semite or a Zionist, a dangerous revolutionary or a wimpy reformist. Now she is also said to be a security risk and unsuitable as governing mayor because she takes advice from the State Criminal Police Office seriously and is afraid of crime and terrorism. To make matters worse, she is then accused of this by various media outlets, which, greedy for clicks on the Internet, often fuel fears of crime and terror.

Psychologists know that fear is a necessary reaction to dangerous situations. Fear prevents cautious people from stepping too close to the edge of a rock and falling while hiking in the mountains. Fear prevents sensible drivers from speeding at 250 kilometers per hour. This significantly reduces the risk of accidents. This is a very healthy fear.

Fears for democracy could motivate governments to take action against poverty and injustice to stop the rise of fascist parties. Fear of death and destruction could deter states from provoking war. We have far too few fearful politicians.

Another story is the unhealthy anxiety disorder that does not allow a patient to leave the apartment. Berlin voters should be made so afraid of Elif Eralp. The SPD and the Greens are said to be afraid of forging a coalition with the Left. Under no circumstances should the problems of Berliners be solved in such a way that corporations could have problems making even more profits. Hence the scaremongering.

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