A good drink

In a famous scene from the cult film Forrest Gump, the main actor speaks to a crowd about the Vietnam War. A saboteur disconnects the microphone from the loudspeaker and so the speech about the war consists of silence for the audience. It is not until the final words, "And that's all you can say about the war in Vietnam", that Gump's voice is heard again through the speakers. The crowd interprets this interlude as an artistic touch and applauds enthusiastically. A column about the political discourse in today's bar culture could be concluded for the alert reader at this point: because that is actually all there is to say about the political discourse in today's bar culture.

At first glance. Because, as already indicated, even what is not said sometimes contains far-reaching statements. In times of disorientation and polarization, the call from various sides to keep the bar free of politics as a place of relaxation and muse is also an expression of an attitude. Many topics are so charged that there seems to be only radical positions apart from the generally accepted opinion. It feels like standing in a room full of elephants and merely pointing out this strange circumstance is already censured as an extreme view. Consequently, it is better not to address certain points at all. Not better, but more comfortable. This basic sentiment presented here is of course only a rough sketch. A small proportion of the population will probably agree with this thesis. But many will find it disconcerting. The division just noted is more an expression of different perceptions than different opinions, which in a way is paradigmatic of the prevailing situation. A guest we don't know any better once put it this way: Where we get our information from determines our view of the world.

One observation is that the exchange of views on contentious issues is declining or becoming increasingly complicated, complementing the growing urgency of the problems. However, since everything is at stake at both national and global level, it is probably advisable not to simply clear the field of politics. After all, the ideas we have about the world influence the course of events in many different ways. And ideas are not set in stone, they are the result of dynamic processes. Supposedly incidental encounters or gentle impulses can take on an almost unforeseeable significance.

When mixing a drink, one of the most important criteria is whether it is balanced and whether the different facets and counterparts, such as sweetness and acidity, blend into a winning, harmonious whole. Following this maxim, both true and fictitious stories from the microcosm of the bar will be told here with the aim of approaching the difficult issues of our time in a conciliatory way. Just like a good drink, these stories can be edgy, challenging or even provocative. Ultimately, however, the aim is to achieve a stimulating, sometimes entertaining effect and not to push an agenda or further promote division - a balancing act.