Ralf Ekrowski
@ralfekrowski.bsky.social
Born in Ahlen, shaped in Münster, now settled on Germany’s coast. Lawyer. Focused on politics, urban development, and democracy.
"Humans built SUVs to feel powerful. They only look smaller inside"
ekrowski.net
@blogkrowski.bsky.social
"Humans built SUVs to feel powerful. They only look smaller inside"
ekrowski.net
@blogkrowski.bsky.social
The Atlantic piece reflects on quiet resistance. What concerns me today, in Germany, is something else: why it’s still so hard to learn from that history while the AfD keeps rising. The measure isn’t repetition of the past, but responsibility now.
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
The Germans Who Stood Up to Hitler
And the Germans who didn’t
www.theatlantic.com
November 29, 2025 at 5:24 PM
The Atlantic piece reflects on quiet resistance. What concerns me today, in Germany, is something else: why it’s still so hard to learn from that history while the AfD keeps rising. The measure isn’t repetition of the past, but responsibility now.
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
When I read the NYT piece, I stopped at the idea of opening someone’s found handwritten diary. That just feels wrong. Handwriting still carries a different kind of weight. Even with Chat & co., my first thoughts always start out on paper.
gift article from The New York Times.
gift article from The New York Times.
Opinion | Why I Love Reading Other People’s Old Diaries
www.nytimes.com
November 29, 2025 at 5:15 PM
When I read the NYT piece, I stopped at the idea of opening someone’s found handwritten diary. That just feels wrong. Handwriting still carries a different kind of weight. Even with Chat & co., my first thoughts always start out on paper.
gift article from The New York Times.
gift article from The New York Times.
Germany’s major papers agree: Trump is aligning with Putin. And with the AfD rising — some members even traveling to Russia — Europe is heading into darker days. Shuster’s Atlantic piece shows how stark the shift has become.
www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
Inside Trump’s Latest Push for Peace in Ukraine
The most consistent thing about Trump’s 10-month search for an end to the war in Ukraine has been his inconsistency.
www.theatlantic.com
November 27, 2025 at 7:04 AM
Germany’s major papers agree: Trump is aligning with Putin. And with the AfD rising — some members even traveling to Russia — Europe is heading into darker days. Shuster’s Atlantic piece shows how stark the shift has become.
www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
If Trump’s favorite book is the Bible, he surely knows the line: you cannot serve two masters.
This new recording makes the question painfully clear — which side is he really serving?
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
This new recording makes the question painfully clear — which side is he really serving?
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Trump envoy Witkoff reportedly advised Kremlin official on Ukraine peace deal
Steve Witkoff spoke to Yuri Ushakov on territorial control and suggested congratulating Donald Trump and framing talks more optimistically, audio recording suggests
www.theguardian.com
November 26, 2025 at 10:00 AM
If Trump’s favorite book is the Bible, he surely knows the line: you cannot serve two masters.
This new recording makes the question painfully clear — which side is he really serving?
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
This new recording makes the question painfully clear — which side is he really serving?
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
As the EPC warns, Europe wakes up in a world shaped by others. CFR’s analysis of Trump’s plan shows why: it empowers Moscow and weakens Kyiv. And the FAZ reminds us this isn’t theory but reality. If Europe won’t act, others will keep writing its future.<
www.epc.eu/publication/...
www.epc.eu/publication/...
Europe didn't plan, so others did | Trump's Russia–Ukraine peace plan
Trump’s Russia–Ukraine ‘peace plan’ is not a negotiation – it’s a geopolitical verdict. It shows that Europe is drifting onto the wrong side of history – the side where others make the decisions and Europe foots the bill.
www.epc.eu
November 26, 2025 at 7:59 AM
As the EPC warns, Europe wakes up in a world shaped by others. CFR’s analysis of Trump’s plan shows why: it empowers Moscow and weakens Kyiv. And the FAZ reminds us this isn’t theory but reality. If Europe won’t act, others will keep writing its future.<
www.epc.eu/publication/...
www.epc.eu/publication/...
Culture is still alive. The difference? My generation grew up unwatched—no algorithm, no constant gaze. That freedom made experimenting easier. Maybe culture needs spaces again where curiosity matters more than reach.
www.theatlantic.com/culture/2025...
www.theatlantic.com/culture/2025...
Make Culture Weird Again
Even failures and half steps will be more interesting than the boring stuff.
www.theatlantic.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Culture is still alive. The difference? My generation grew up unwatched—no algorithm, no constant gaze. That freedom made experimenting easier. Maybe culture needs spaces again where curiosity matters more than reach.
www.theatlantic.com/culture/2025...
www.theatlantic.com/culture/2025...
The author is right: X has become a perversion of what the internet was meant to be. But the deeper question is why people remain so captivated by a platform that has turned into a hall of poisoned mirrors — and why serious newspapers still participate in it.
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
Elon Musk’s Worthless, Poisoned Hall of Mirrors
How X blew up its own platform with a new location feature
www.theatlantic.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:10 AM
The author is right: X has become a perversion of what the internet was meant to be. But the deeper question is why people remain so captivated by a platform that has turned into a hall of poisoned mirrors — and why serious newspapers still participate in it.
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
From a German perspective, this whole discussion is astonishing. An ideology that relativizes human rights inevitably leads to antisemitism. The vast majority of Germans know one thing for certain: There are no good Nazis!
gift article www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/u...
gift article www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/u...
Why Republicans Are Fighting About the Nazis
www.nytimes.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:49 AM
From a German perspective, this whole discussion is astonishing. An ideology that relativizes human rights inevitably leads to antisemitism. The vast majority of Germans know one thing for certain: There are no good Nazis!
gift article www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/u...
gift article www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/u...
The NYT report shows one thing clearly: OpenAI had to step in because ChatGPT was getting too close to people. The risk isn’t the AI itself, but the race for attention. When engagement outruns safety, even a small shift in the system can go the wrong way.
gift article from The New York Times.
gift article from The New York Times.
What OpenAI Did When ChatGPT Users Lost Touch With Reality
www.nytimes.com
November 23, 2025 at 5:41 PM
The NYT report shows one thing clearly: OpenAI had to step in because ChatGPT was getting too close to people. The risk isn’t the AI itself, but the race for attention. When engagement outruns safety, even a small shift in the system can go the wrong way.
gift article from The New York Times.
gift article from The New York Times.
Bremerhaven — my hometown — wins, Hamburg loses.
Irony of this new era: it took Putin to push our port forward.
Only now does politics realise it has to respond to his assault on NATO — and the NATO hub finally brings the investment our harbor was denied for years. (PW)
www.faz.net/aktuell/wirt...
Irony of this new era: it took Putin to push our port forward.
Only now does politics realise it has to respond to his assault on NATO — and the NATO hub finally brings the investment our harbor was denied for years. (PW)
www.faz.net/aktuell/wirt...
Bremerhaven bekommt Geld aus dem Verteidigungshaushalt
Plötzlich gibt es Geld für den Ausbau von Kaianlagen und Drehbrücken, jedenfalls für Bremerhaven. Andere Häfen bräuchten dringend Geld für die Modernisierung.
www.faz.net
November 23, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Bremerhaven — my hometown — wins, Hamburg loses.
Irony of this new era: it took Putin to push our port forward.
Only now does politics realise it has to respond to his assault on NATO — and the NATO hub finally brings the investment our harbor was denied for years. (PW)
www.faz.net/aktuell/wirt...
Irony of this new era: it took Putin to push our port forward.
Only now does politics realise it has to respond to his assault on NATO — and the NATO hub finally brings the investment our harbor was denied for years. (PW)
www.faz.net/aktuell/wirt...
Follow the money.
Applebaum makes it clear: this “peace plan” isn’t about peace — it’s a business model.
Putin and Trump aren’t trying to stabilize the world; they’re carving it up. And when the feast begins, Europe will be handed the bill.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Applebaum makes it clear: this “peace plan” isn’t about peace — it’s a business model.
Putin and Trump aren’t trying to stabilize the world; they’re carving it up. And when the feast begins, Europe will be handed the bill.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
The Murky Plan That Ensures a Future War
Who will benefit from the White House’s 28-point proposal for Ukraine?
www.theatlantic.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Follow the money.
Applebaum makes it clear: this “peace plan” isn’t about peace — it’s a business model.
Putin and Trump aren’t trying to stabilize the world; they’re carving it up. And when the feast begins, Europe will be handed the bill.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Applebaum makes it clear: this “peace plan” isn’t about peace — it’s a business model.
Putin and Trump aren’t trying to stabilize the world; they’re carving it up. And when the feast begins, Europe will be handed the bill.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
The “US peace plan” even contains Russian phrasing — no surprise, since Putin’s envoy co-wrote it with Trump’s representative while Ukraine and Europe were excluded.
A plan that speaks the aggressor’s language isn’t peace. It’s a warning.
A plan that speaks the aggressor’s language isn’t peace. It’s a warning.
Ukraine risks losing key partner or its dignity, warns Zelenskyy, as Trump sets Thanksgiving deadline to accept deal – as it happened
US president says ‘Thursday is an appropriate time’ in radio interview as Ukrainian leader weighs up US proposal
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 10:18 AM
The “US peace plan” even contains Russian phrasing — no surprise, since Putin’s envoy co-wrote it with Trump’s representative while Ukraine and Europe were excluded.
A plan that speaks the aggressor’s language isn’t peace. It’s a warning.
A plan that speaks the aggressor’s language isn’t peace. It’s a warning.
Reposted by Ralf Ekrowski
Halve food waste.
Cut methane emissions.
Reduce hunger.
This new initiative lays out a game plan for cities to follow: www.stopfoodlosswaste.org/advocacy/foo...
#COP30
Cut methane emissions.
Reduce hunger.
This new initiative lays out a game plan for cities to follow: www.stopfoodlosswaste.org/advocacy/foo...
#COP30
November 22, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Halve food waste.
Cut methane emissions.
Reduce hunger.
This new initiative lays out a game plan for cities to follow: www.stopfoodlosswaste.org/advocacy/foo...
#COP30
Cut methane emissions.
Reduce hunger.
This new initiative lays out a game plan for cities to follow: www.stopfoodlosswaste.org/advocacy/foo...
#COP30
Trump keeps treating Putin’s demands as if they were his own. A “peace plan” that forces Ukraine to retreat is Europe’s capitulation. And we should remember: for Putin, the USSR never really ended. He thinks like a KGB officer shaped by 1989 — and he acts accordingly.
www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
Zelenskyy faces pressure from Trump to accept his Ukraine peace plan
President Trump said he’d like to see Ukraine accept his peace plan by Thursday of next week. But the plan asks Ukraine to make concessions it's previously rejected, and President Zelenskyy said his c...
www.pbs.org
November 22, 2025 at 7:18 AM
Trump keeps treating Putin’s demands as if they were his own. A “peace plan” that forces Ukraine to retreat is Europe’s capitulation. And we should remember: for Putin, the USSR never really ended. He thinks like a KGB officer shaped by 1989 — and he acts accordingly.
www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
Putin’s goal is the old Soviet sphere. Look at those borders — Ukraine is only the first stop. A “peace plan” that forces Kyiv to cede land and disarm isn’t peace. It weakens Europe at a moment when Washington treats Europe as optional.
gift article
gift article
U.S.-Russian Peace Plan Would Force Ukraine to Cede Land and Cut Army
www.nytimes.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Putin’s goal is the old Soviet sphere. Look at those borders — Ukraine is only the first stop. A “peace plan” that forces Kyiv to cede land and disarm isn’t peace. It weakens Europe at a moment when Washington treats Europe as optional.
gift article
gift article
Reposted by Ralf Ekrowski
Bremerhaven this morning —
blue hour, heavy clouds, a sweep of snow.
The coast in all its moods at once.
blue hour, heavy clouds, a sweep of snow.
The coast in all its moods at once.
November 21, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Bremerhaven this morning —
blue hour, heavy clouds, a sweep of snow.
The coast in all its moods at once.
blue hour, heavy clouds, a sweep of snow.
The coast in all its moods at once.
A song by Graham Nash — written by Stephen Stills — sums up Arthur Brooks’s piece perfectly.
The line “Feel a little smaller, and in stature you will rise” captures his point in a few words:
Real growth begins when the ego gets quieter.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
The line “Feel a little smaller, and in stature you will rise” captures his point in a few words:
Real growth begins when the ego gets quieter.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
To Get Happier, Make Yourself Smaller
Self-esteem is overrated. The better path to enlightenment is through contemplating one’s insignificance.
www.theatlantic.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:03 AM
A song by Graham Nash — written by Stephen Stills — sums up Arthur Brooks’s piece perfectly.
The line “Feel a little smaller, and in stature you will rise” captures his point in a few words:
Real growth begins when the ego gets quieter.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
The line “Feel a little smaller, and in stature you will rise” captures his point in a few words:
Real growth begins when the ego gets quieter.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
This wouldn’t just be a capitulation of Ukraine, it would be a capitulation of NATO. A “peace plan” that rewards aggression and creates new dependencies isn’t security.And Trump as a security guarantee even less.Between him and Putin,we’re looking at one of the greatest risks to Europe’s stability.
Ukraine would cede territory to Russia in draft of Trump peace plan obtained by AP
President Donald Trump’s plan for ending the war in Ukraine would cede territory to Russia and limit the size of Kyiv’s military, according to a draft proposal obtained by The Associated Press.
apnews.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:40 AM
This wouldn’t just be a capitulation of Ukraine, it would be a capitulation of NATO. A “peace plan” that rewards aggression and creates new dependencies isn’t security.And Trump as a security guarantee even less.Between him and Putin,we’re looking at one of the greatest risks to Europe’s stability.
Trump senses that he’s losing people’s respect — and with it, part of his power. That’s what makes him more dangerous. History is full of leaders whose loss of control led straight into catastrophe.
www.theatlantic.com/culture/2025...
www.theatlantic.com/culture/2025...
President Piggy
This is what consequence-free misogyny looks like.
www.theatlantic.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Trump senses that he’s losing people’s respect — and with it, part of his power. That’s what makes him more dangerous. History is full of leaders whose loss of control led straight into catastrophe.
www.theatlantic.com/culture/2025...
www.theatlantic.com/culture/2025...
What do we see in this photo? A scene that highlights the importance of independent journalism in any political system.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Trump’s Self-Damning Response to a Legitimate Question
The president scolded a reporter for “embarrassing” Mohammed bin Salman. But MBS seemed less aggrieved than Trump.
www.theatlantic.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:29 AM
What do we see in this photo? A scene that highlights the importance of independent journalism in any political system.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
EU rules on IT are being loosened. Makes sense — the system got too heavy.
But in Germany, every new WP site is scanned by crawlers hunting for tiny mistakes in the imprint or privacy policy.
That’s not protection, it’s an industry.
So simplification is needed — but carefully.
But in Germany, every new WP site is scanned by crawlers hunting for tiny mistakes in the imprint or privacy policy.
That’s not protection, it’s an industry.
So simplification is needed — but carefully.
EU moves to delay 'high-risk' AI rules amid pressure to boost innovation
The European Commission on Wednesday proposed easing key AI and data privacy rules to help Europe’s tech sector compete globally, despite criticism that the bloc is retreating from its role as a digit...
www.france24.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:50 PM
EU rules on IT are being loosened. Makes sense — the system got too heavy.
But in Germany, every new WP site is scanned by crawlers hunting for tiny mistakes in the imprint or privacy policy.
That’s not protection, it’s an industry.
So simplification is needed — but carefully.
But in Germany, every new WP site is scanned by crawlers hunting for tiny mistakes in the imprint or privacy policy.
That’s not protection, it’s an industry.
So simplification is needed — but carefully.
Shall we place bets on how much of it will be redacted?
Does anyone really believe we’ll see everything that’s actually in those files?
Transparency tends to be promised only when it’s already too late.
www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
Does anyone really believe we’ll see everything that’s actually in those files?
Transparency tends to be promised only when it’s already too late.
www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
Trump’s Epstein-Files Punt
The president’s about-face shows how he’s a terrible ally—but he may be hurting himself too.
www.theatlantic.com
November 19, 2025 at 6:21 AM
Shall we place bets on how much of it will be redacted?
Does anyone really believe we’ll see everything that’s actually in those files?
Transparency tends to be promised only when it’s already too late.
www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
Does anyone really believe we’ll see everything that’s actually in those files?
Transparency tends to be promised only when it’s already too late.
www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
Humanoid robots are the oldest trick in sci-fi to hide power. Musk knows how these stories end. And he knew exactly what he was doing when he raised his arm—a gesture with a history no one can ignore. Pair that with a million-robot vision, and it becomes a warning, not a future.
Tesla Wants to Build a Robot Army
And so does the rest of the auto industry
www.theatlantic.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Humanoid robots are the oldest trick in sci-fi to hide power. Musk knows how these stories end. And he knew exactly what he was doing when he raised his arm—a gesture with a history no one can ignore. Pair that with a million-robot vision, and it becomes a warning, not a future.
We easily miss it in the news rush: a New York mayoral candidate on a bike.
A picture I know from the Netherlands — or my old hometown Münster.
If New York goes this way, that’s real change.
time.com/7330318/zohr...
A picture I know from the Netherlands — or my old hometown Münster.
If New York goes this way, that’s real change.
time.com/7330318/zohr...
Zohran Mamdani Could Be New York's First Citi Bike Mayor
Zoran Mamdani's "embrace of Citi Bike suggests he’s somewhat of a pragmatist—not the rigid ideologue his critics fear."
time.com
November 16, 2025 at 7:31 AM
We easily miss it in the news rush: a New York mayoral candidate on a bike.
A picture I know from the Netherlands — or my old hometown Münster.
If New York goes this way, that’s real change.
time.com/7330318/zohr...
A picture I know from the Netherlands — or my old hometown Münster.
If New York goes this way, that’s real change.
time.com/7330318/zohr...