{Info-Prim Neo interview with university professor Gerhard Ohrband from the series “Independent for 21 years. New Moldovans coming?!” ORIGINALLY published on 9 August 2012 } *** {Having fallen in love with Moldova, Gerhard Ohrband, of German descent, has been living here for six years and says that has already gotten used to the lifestyle, with Moldovans and their traditions. He truly hopes to continue seeing Moldova as an oasis of freedom, because only here, he claims, he doesn’t fear expressing his thoughts and call things by their true name. He is a university professor and raises charity funds for the “Memoria” Center for the Rehabilitation of Torture Victims. Speaking 22 languages, Gerhard Ohrband sees communication with people as an extra chance to exteriorize his opinion, thoughts, and does not miss the opportunity to make himself heard.} *** [ - First and foremost, tell us, what does a German polyglot do in Moldova? What encouraged you to leave your friends and family?] - I am more of a medieval person, the time when borders were not too clear defined. At present, there is a lot of talk about European mobility, the borderless Schengen area, but people forget that until 1914 they had greater freedom of movement and visas were introduced only 100 years ago. I live already six years in Moldova and am married to a Bulgarian born in Ismail, Ukraine. I lived a period in Transylvania, too. Then I came to Moldova where I worked for over five years at Free International University of Moldova, in the domain of international cooperation, and now at the University of European Political and Economic Studies, “Constantin Stere" and the Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims “Memoria”. Romanian language I learned when I was in Romania, and listening to "Planeta Moldova", if you know about it. [ - What did you know about Moldova and Moldovans before coming here, and how do you see things now? Did anything change?] - Before coming to Moldova I was against the Church, against traditional values. Now on the contrary, and I appreciate that in Moldova they are better preserved than in the West. In this respect, Moldova is still a little island of freedom, and the European Union is gradually becoming a Socialist Union, and people here do not realize this yet. If you are not unconditionally pro-EU, then you must be for Russia. Why must one choose only between these two entities, and why can we not insist on certain freedoms and absolute values? Here, in Moldova, the pluralism of opinions is greater and freedom of speech still lives. In the West we have the Thought Police, as in Orwell's book "1984". Some things cannot be said there. Recently, some extremist environmentalists have called for penalizing denying man-made climate change just as Holocaust denial is punishable. For example, Australia has recently introduced a carbon tax carbon for, enterprises. But if a person publicly criticizes price increases he will be penalized. [ - When you say “home”, what associations does this word arise, and where is Moldova in this picture?] - Home is where I grew up, in my childhood, that is, more the region of Schleswig-Holstein than "Germany". There is a difference between the State and a nation or people. The state is against the people. It is a violent institution, as robbers who demanded tribute in the woods to pass by the road. To Germany I go twice a year. I like more the Germany until 1870, when there were many small independent states. As Goethe observed, then people had more freedom, because small countries were threatened by an exodus of productive people, and were forced to compete among themselves to create more liberal conditions. The smaller the state; the greater the freedom. Moldova is a small country, and with all faults, there is more freedom than in the big Eastern neighbors. [ - Moldovans admire the lifestyle and quality of life in developed countries. Germany is one of the models. What is that Moldovans don’t do, which would otherwise allow them to live as well as the Germans? ] - Obviously, there is today more wealth there, but all depends on the forecast. This can change rather quickly. However, if we refer to the quality of education, it is rather poor. In medieval European universities the ideal was to attain the truth through the practice of dialectics. Each student had to find convincing arguments for both positions and to settle a question by strict application of logic. For example, students of theology, in the spirit of Thomas Aquinas, were taught to discuss fundamental questions: is God or not. Now this does not happen anymore. In particular, in economics, the situation is bleak. Also in Germany the discipline turned into propaganda. The economists’ function is to justify state intervention. There are economists who say that some degree of inflation is something to be desired, to "stimulate" the economy. In economics, the more dubious theories come from the famous universities like Cambridge and Harvard. At some point, the mechanism of fictitious money, not fixed to gold or anything else real, will have to explode. The money will devalue quickly. Unfortunately, many people do not realize what money is. But a monetary collapse with hyperinflation will produce an enormous chaos. In the U.S., people are already making preparations to flee to the countryside. [ - You are a professor at a university in Moldova. You are in permanent communication with the young generation. Are there differences in mentality, between the country you come from and Moldova, when we talk about development, State, society? ] - If we compare now Moldova and Germany, certainly there is a difference. But if we see it historically, we see that Germans take advantage of the country's past, specifically the 50ies and Ludwig Erhard's liberal reforms. If people want to do something in Moldova, they should see where the success in Germany comes from, to search for the origins, its roots, but not to imitate mistakes. Unfortunately, now German politicians rather destroy the country by punishing enterprises. It is a natural law: where there is freedom and capitalism and private property prevails, welfare increases. But later, typically socialist redistribution schemes appear. Interventions in the economy, and price controls, taxes and regulation already are beginning to produce their consequences, known in the world with an open socialist past: scarcity and malcoordination in the economy. For example, there are signs in Europe that problems with water and electricity supplies which are known here will move there, too. These processes are intensified under democracy, where the tax consumers, including state employees, vote to increase the tax burden. The productive person becomes a victim. But, unlike the strong liberal roots in the past in France, UK and U.S., Germany has a long socialist tradition. The few liberal Germans, as were also von Humboldt, Goethe and Schiller would embarrass our politicians today. I like the words of Goethe: "Legislators and revolutionaries who promise equality and liberty at the same time are either psychopaths or charlatans." Youth in Moldova is much freer in thought than in Germany. There is much indoctrination at school. It is a society where freedoms disappear, and each is taught to glorify the welfare state. [ - The Republic of Moldova, as an independent state, exists for 21 years. Until now, which of the achievements and failures of the country do you consider important further independent development? ] - Usually the "independence" means the birthday of the state. But this advantages more the rulers than ordinary citizens. For me, real independence means that individuals be also independent from the state. For example, tax freedom day, that day each year after you work for yourself. In the Euro zone, it is, on average, after 173 days [ - Do you link your future to that of Moldova somehow?] - I expect to live a few more years in Moldova. I like, during the last time to write and newspapers. What will happen later, we'll see. [Lilia Duca, Info-Prim Neo] ****** {The first time the Info-Prim Neo Press Agency used the sentence “New Moldovans coming” was in the summer of 2010, also at the anniversary of Independence. It seemed appropriate to us, to attribute this description to a category of people whom Moldova can lay its future hopes upon. The Info-Prim Neo team believes that Moldova has changes for adequate development only in the case when the society will accumulate a critical mass of new people. We did not refer strictly to young people, and strictly to ethnical Moldovans. “New Moldovans” are all the people who adopt new visions and experiences, new will and mentality; all those who care about themselves, their family, and their country. It is true that the Agency found it necessary to end the sentence “New Moldovans coming” in an exclamation mark (!), as a symbol of hope, and an interrogation mark (?), in order not to scare our luck away. Info-Prim Neo}