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- Editorial: Minister for Floods
- Presidential Message: The Sweetness of Doing Nothing
- Remembering August
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- Vice President's Corner: How the Axis of Resistance Recovere
- The Last Page
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EDITORIAL
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Dear Members and Friends of the ABS,
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August has been the driest month in Austrian history, just as it was in Britain 50 years ago. 1976 saw Britain's driest summer in over 200 years and Denis Howell was appointed "Minister for Drought" and was given the task of persuading the nation to use less water. He was even ordered by No 10 to do a rain dance on behalf of the nation.
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Mr Howell invited the press to his home in Birmingham and revealed that, to save water, he was sharing baths with his wife Brenda. And Denis Howell was successful in his job. At the beginning of September heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding, and Howell was promoted to "Minister for Floods".
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As a footnote to this little story: two years later, our "Minister for Floods" was held responsible for the very harsh winter of 1978/79 and was appointed "Minister for Snow".
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Wishing you all a "Great Summer Time" and hoping to see you at more great ABS events in September.
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Wolfgang M. Buchta
ABS Secretary General
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PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE
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The Sweetness of Doing Nothing
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As high summer draws to a close, here is something to reflect upon. It is still August. The sun blazes from a blue sky for hours on end, the days are long, the nights tropically warm, and the heat slows the pace of everyday life a little. It is a time to pause and simply enjoy the moment. That may sound tempting, but it does not come easily when, for eleven months of the year, we are caught in the relentless treadmill of performance, appointments and efficiency. I am no different.
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The sweetness of doing nothing does not mean sitting around idly all day. To my mind, it means not constantly having to justify our time or put it to some useful purpose. Enjoying a leisurely lunch, gazing peacefully across a lake or into a forest, having a coffee at home or in a coffee house—in short, shifting down a gear.
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Ease gently into the day. Begin by stepping onto the balcony or into the garden, or simply look out of the window and take in the natural world. Leave your mobile phone untouched for ten minutes. Do not fill the morning immediately with news, social media, emails and tasks. It is only a matter of a few minutes, but they can change the pace of the entire day.
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Take a siesta and a break at midday. Lunch may, for once, last a little longer. The mobile phone remains out of reach and no one constantly checks the time. After all, lunch is not merely a meal, but also an opportunity to sit together. Afterwards, take a short siesta—even if it is only for twenty minutes—or go for a walk without any particular destination.
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Let the evening linger. After dinner, stretch your legs, stroll through the city, sit on a bench or look up at the night sky. Have no destination, no step counter and no podcast playing in your ear. And if ten minutes turn into an hour, so much the better.
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There is magic in simple things. The pleasure of life is often found in small details: fresh flowers on the table, a white tablecloth, good music, sitting barefoot on the terrace, lighting a candle, or enjoying a good glass of wine, either alone or with one’s partner. And sometimes simply doing nothing at all. Spending an hour talking—or saying nothing. There is something rather pleasant in the thought that not every free hour needs to be filled. It is certainly worth trying.
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No (official) ABS Action in August
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August 2026 gave us not only hot days in Vienna (temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius!) but also very enjoyable holidays for the ABS Board Members! No events to report on!
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Summer has been a time of rest and relaxation – but now the ABS is back, with three events in September.
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Lecture by Professor Felbermayr
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Human Rights Space (formerly the Musiksalon), Diplomatic Academy of Vienna
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in the vineyard of the Wolff winery in Neustift
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Wine Tasting at Vienna Spirits, Food & Beverage Handels-GmbH
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ABS Members will be treated to an excellent wine and spirits tasting at Schönbrunn Palace.
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VICE PRESIDENT'S CORNER
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How the Axis of Resistance Recovered
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The Iranian Led Network is More Dangerous Than Ever
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The United States’ five-month-old war with Iran continue to evolve, Theran’s ability to continue punishing the United States and its allies has become as a surprise to many strategists and analysists.
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In fact, the resilience on both the Islamic Republic and its partners despite years of apparent setbacks points to an underlying flaw in the thinking that has led to the conflict. In launching the campaign against Iran on late February, the United States and Israel were drawing on a theory pushed by American regime-change advocates and Israeli strategists for years: by targeting the Islamic Republic’s economy, its leadership, weapons facilities, and ident’scentral supply lines with military force and economic sanctions, Washington could fatally undermine the Iranian regime. Sever the head of the octopus in Theran, the theory went, and the axis group - the octopus’ many arms-would shrivel and die, too.
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Two decades ago, a military campaign motivated by the so-called octopus doctrine might have worked.
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But it is the increasingly sophisticated and flexible structure that has allowed Iran’s and its allies to adapt in the years since Hamas’ October 7 attacks.
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As a result, Washington can no longer fall back on its go-to toolkit of escalating political pressure, sanctions, and military strikes. Outright defeat of Iran and the axis groups is likely out of reach. Washington must now consider containing and potentially striking deals with Iran and its most powerful nonstate allies.
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Twenty years ago, the groups now known as the “axis of resistance” were mostly local insurgents using the tactics and technology of twentieth century guerillas, In the decades since, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)has developed a strategy for bringing the and other capabilities into the twenty first century.
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The new reality of the axis requires a new strategy. A more promising approach to blunting the threat posed by Iran and its allies, must first acknowledge that relying on military force and economic warfare alone will only lead top repeated cycles of conflict that could drag the United States into yet open-ended war in the Middle East.
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What Washington cannot do is turn back time. Hoping for the collapse of Iran and its allies around the region will not be enough to destroy this still pot end network. New ideas are needed.
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by former Ambassador Alexander Christiani
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Account name: Österreichisch-Britische Gesellschaft | Erste Bank der oesterreichischen Sparkassen AG | IBAN: AT422011184479592100 | BIC: GIBAATWWXXX
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Für den Inhalt verantwortlich: Wolfgang M. Buchta
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