Living in the world risk society

Abstract

In a world risk society, we must distinguish between ecological and financial dangers, which can be conceptualized as side effects, and the threat from terrorist networks as intentional catastrophes; the principle of deliberately exploiting the vulnerability of modern civil society replaces the principle of chance and accident.     

The Other Side of the COIN: Private Security Companies and Counterinsurgency Operations

The Iraq War was a watershed regarding the scope of battlefield support by Private Security Companies (PSC). Skeptics soon raised concerns about these new actors being an impediment to the success of the very same operations they are meant to support. According to the critics, PSCs are grist to the mill for insurgents as they employ aggressive tactics and thereby alienate the population, cause credibility problems because they enjoy impunity, and increase coordination problems since they are not subordinated under the military chain of command. This article argues that this is not a necessary result of their employment, but rather the consequence of a lack of preparedness to operate alongside PSCs. However, the military is accustomed to adapting to new unexpected circumstances. Hence, when problems occurred, the armed forces underwent a trial and error learning process that improved PSC employment. The empirical picture supports this view. Initially, the counterinsurgency effort did indeed suffer from the actions, lack of oversight, and lack of coordination of PSCs. However, over the course of the Iraq War, most of the shortfalls were either improved significantly or even resolved.     

Zur Funktion normierter Prinzipien im Umweltrecht

Zusammenfassung  Die Dogmatik normierter Prinzipien im einfachen Gesetzesrecht ist unterbelichtet. Das ver?nderte Verh?ltnis von Staat und Gesellschaft führt zu einer neuen Sicht auf die traditionellen Rechtsfiguren. Gerade normierten Prinzipien wachsen insbesondere unter dem Governance-Blickwinkel neue, weitere Funktionen zu. Das l?sst sich am Beispiel der Produktverantwortung zeigen. In der Konsequenz lassen sich solche Prinzipien als “hybride Normen” einordnen.     

Problems of a Concept of European Citizenship

Abstract: The article explores the possible content of the newly established institution of ‘Citizenship of the Union” as stipulated in Articles 8–8d of the EU Treaty. Within the broad scope of varying historical meanings which the concept of citizenship has undergone in the last two thousand years its main relevance must be found in its affiliation with the modern constitutional nation-state and its basic political feature, namely its anti-primordialism and its representative character. Although the European Community does not satisfy the conditions of democratic representation which are essential for the constitutional nation-state, the idea of citizenship can acquire a new meaning within the framework of the EU in that it is disconnected both from nationality and from national identity and opens the space for actions of which the significance is no longer defined by the territorial boundaries of the nation-state.     

Vom generellen Vorrang des Straßenbaus vor dem Naturschutz in der Rechtsprechung

In der Rechtssprechung des BVerwG haben die Belange, die für den Straßenbau sprechen, gegenüber den Belangen des Natur- und Landschaftsschutzes grundsätzlich ein größeres Gewicht. Dies wird besonders deutlich bei der Behandlung von Alternativen zu dem planfestgestellten Vorhaben (I.), der Beurteilung der Auswahl von Natura-2000-Gebieten (II.) und der Einordnung der Eingriffsregelung (III.).     

A DEADLY COCKTAIL

Coronavirus created havoc,then panic and social media amplified it After the novel coronavirus outbreak,we have new viruses-panic as an emotional virus and the media.You need to look at the other two viruses at the same time too.