Leonidas the Great E-Book

Michael Ghanem

• Herausgeber: tredition
• Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 65

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2026

Beschreibung

This is a tribute to a man who was the author's neighbour for many years. The author has named him Leonidas the Great for this book. That was not his real name, but it suits him well and expresses what an unusual and very special person he was. Leonidas was not particularly attractive; he looked like a typical Greek, even though he was not one. He was neither loud nor domineering, but he had a natural authority and spoke in a soft voice. He came from somewhere in the Mediterranean region. He seemed to have enjoyed a first-class education and culture, which in turn was certainly an expression of his high social standing. His fate, which the author was able to share at times, did not always seem to have been very happy, even if it appeared otherwise. He actually had everything one could wish for, he was intelligent and apparently he was also wealthy. Why he chose Germany in particular to settle down here – no one knows. He did not find happiness here. However, this book could serve as a warning to any young person considering moving to a country where superficiality is the main concern of society. This book could also serve those who have retained their faith in the culture of their fathers, which is widespread in Northern Europe, and their critical thinking.

Leseprobe

This book is dedicated to all those who sound the alarm and cry out in isolation, who care deeply about the well-being of our society. Every critical mind is lonely and belongs to a minority. However, today's minority may be tomorrow's majority.

This book is also dedicated above all to my wife Marlene for her critical and wise advice, which has accompanied me throughout my life and which is always a good guide for me.

Bonn, February 2026

Michael Ghanem

"Thoughts are free"

Leonidas

the Great

or

I am a human being!

© 2026 Michael Ghanem

Website: https://michael-ghanem.de/

Printing and distribution on behalf of the author:

tredition GmbH, Heinz-Beusen-Stieg 5, 22926 Ahrensburg, Germany

The work, including its parts, is protected by copyright. The author is responsible for the content. Any use without his consent is prohibited. Publication and distribution are carried out on behalf of the author, who can be contacted at the following address: tredition GmbH, "Impressumservice" department, Heinz-Beusen-Stieg 5, 22926 Ahrensburg, Germany.Contact address in accordance with the European Product Safety Regulation:

[email protected]

ISBN:

Softcover 978-3-384-83198-9

Hardcover 978-3-384-83199-6

E-Book 978-3-384-83200-9

About the author: Michael Ghanem

https://michael-ghanem.de/

https://die-gedanken-sind-frei.org/

Born in 1949, he grew up in France and graduated from a prestigious French engineering school with a degree in economics. After moving to Germany, he studied economics, sociology, political science, philosophy and ethics.

Bonn, February 2026

In the field of philosophy, he was greatly influenced by the philosophy and teachings of Zarathustra, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius, Rabelais, Michel de Montaigne, Baruch Spinoza, Thomas Aquinas, Ibn Khaldun, Niccolo Machiavelli, René Descartes, Blaise Pascal, Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Immanuel Kant, Gottfried W. Leibniz, Auguste Comte, Arthur Schopenhauer, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Karl Marx, Henri Bergson, Karl Popper, Karl Jaspers and Erich Fromm. The Frankfurt School, with its professors Jürgen Habermas and Adorno, had a strong influence on him, as did Michael Schmidt-Salomon, Claude Lévi-Strauss, the Dalai Lama, Luc Ferry, Peter Sloterdijk, Werner Lachmann, Amartya Sen, Oswald Nell-Brauning and Niklas Luhmann.

In sociology, he draws heavily on the Cologne School with its professors René König and Erwin K. Scheuch, as well as Gustave Lebon. In political science, he also draws on the Cologne School and the Cologne-Mannheim School.

In economics, he was strongly influenced by post-Keynesians and behavioural economists. He is highly critical of the teachings of Milton Friedman, the Chicago Boys, the Freiburg School and Friedrich A. Hayek. He feels very close to Joseph Stiglitz, Paul Krugman, James K. Galbraith, Daniel Kahneman, Thomas Piketty and the Club of Rome.

His professional career first took him to an international organisation, where he worked for five years as a project controller for major water projects, mainly in Africa, which enabled him to discover many countries and their leaders. He then worked for many years in a European organisation and in several international consulting firms as a consultant for the modernisation of various industries and companies.

He considers himself a critic of current globalisation and has been strongly committed to water management issues since 1974.

These experiences have given him a deep understanding of geopolitical issues and enable him to assess current political developments, particularly in the context of economic interdependencies.

Since his retirement, he has lived in seclusion in Bonn and works as a writer. In his publications, he focuses primarily on the pressing social, economic and political issues of our time, as well as water management.

To date, he has published numerous works on politics and geopolitics, society and economics. He is the author of more than 100 books. In the political arena, he takes a critical look at Germany in particular. He also addresses topics such as health, identity, racism, the environment, migration, water management, Africa, demographic change and alternative economic systems such as anti-fragility economics. He has also published several stories and tales.

Here is an excerpt from his publications to date:

Specialised works Politics, economics, society

Geopolitics

"The dizzying fall of the West and the bitter tears of Europe, part 1 – Introduction – Critical assessment of the West 1949-2025"

"The Deep Fall of the West and the Bitter Tears of Europe, Part 2: The Deep Fall of the Army, Constituent Elements of Geopolitics, the Changing World Order, and Potential Conflicts"

"The Deep Fall of the West and the Bitter Tears of Europe, Part 3: The Foundations of Military Potential – The End of Hegemony"

"The Deep Fall of the West and the Bitter Tears of Europe, Part 4: Country Profiles - Multiple System Failures - Accidents of History - Water and Global Famine - Climate and Energy Catastrophe - BRICS vs. G7"

"The precipitous fall of the West and the bitter tears of Europe, part 5: problems: population explosion, migration, integration, poverty and famine, raw materials"

"The precipitous fall of the West and Europe's bitter tears, part 6: the sins of the West, global trade, the bazaar economy, corruption, taboo subjects

inflation, deflation, public debt"

The precipitous fall of the West and the bitter tears of Europe, part 7: changing financial and monetary markets, financial crises, the dollar crisis

Alternatives to the global monetary system, the deep fall of the Western financial system

Africa between curse and blessing, part 1: water

Water, a global power – Part 1: overview and assessment for 2021

The situation in Germany

Germany's deep fall, volume 1A Health

Germany's Deep Fall, Volume 1B Health

"2005-2021: Germany's 16 lost years – The legacy of Angela Merkel and her successors in the Chancellery"

"2005-2018: Germany's 13 lost years, part 1: Angela Merkel and her successors – An interim assessment"

"2005-2018: Germany's 13 lost years, part 2: the political system – Quo vadis?"

"2005-2018: Germany's 13 lost years, part 3: society – assessment and prospects"

"2005-2018: Germany's 13 lost years, part 4: The German economy – Quo vadis?"

"2005-2018: Germany's 13 lost years, part 5: Internal security – quo vadis?"

"2005-2018: Germany's 13 lost years, part 6: Justice – Quo vadis?"

"2005-2018: Germany's 13 lost years, part 7: Health – Quo vadis? Volume A"

2005–2018: Germany's 13 lost years, part 7: Health – Quo vadis? Volume B

2005-2018: Germany's 13 lost years, part 7: Health – Quo vadis? Volume C

"2005-2018: Germany's 13 lost years, part 8: poverty, old age, care – Quo vadis?"

"2005-2018: Germany's 13 lost years, part 9: Building and renting in Germany – No thanks"

"2005-2018: Germany's 13 lost years, part 10: education in Germany"

2005–2018: Germany's 13 lost years, part 11: The decline of the media

2005–2018: Germany's 13 lost years, part 12: Literature – Quo vadis – part A

2005–2018: Germany's 13 lost years, part 13: Development policy – Quo vadis – part A

German politics

German identity – Quo vadis?

German identity and homeland – Quo vadis?

"I know we can! An opportunity for Germany"

"The Germans – a cursed people?

"The Greens or the Feminist Club – 10 Reasons NOT to Vote for the Greens"

"AKK – No thanks!"

"A chance for democracy"

"Non-voters are voters too"

"The German Titanic – The Republic of Berlin"

"In the grip of political parties, part 1"

"Lord, do not forgive them! For they know what they are doing!"

"The symptoms of Germany's decline – Must we accept it?"

"Is Germany built on sand?"

"Four million Germans deprived of their rights"

"The German issue in 2025 – Can we still trust the Germans?"

"Germany: An ineptocracy and a kakistocracy? What kind of democracy should we defend: a partisan octopus? A party autocracy?"

Economy and finance

"Approaches to an anti-fragile economy"

"In the grip of the financial sector, part 1"

"In the grip of public debt, part 1"

"Under the grip of public debt, part 2"

Population, migration, integration

"Under the grip of migration and integration"

"Under the influence of the population explosion, poverty and food"

Racism

"Under the influence of racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, right-wing extremism, fascism, part 1"

"Theses on racial equality"

"Assessment, decline and fear of the white man, part 1: fundamental principles"

Man and society

"The Power of Words"

"The New Horsemen of the Apocalypse"

"Crises in the Age of Coronavirus, Part 1"

"Coronavirus 2021 – Waiting for Godot"