8/16 Any violation of core democratic principles is immediately disqualifying and ends the discussion, no matter what else is being proposed. – Is this my German self, and does America simply not work that way? Is the idea of core, unshakable principles simply not as deeply rooted in the land of pragmatism? – But what reason do I have to believe it would be different in Germany? – And finally, what if the roles were reversed? If there was a left politician about to dismantle democracy in order to save the world climate?