Let us come back to the lantern exhibition 2018 at the Cathedral Square. This time I will talk about the gloomy topic that largely dominated this year’s carnival: The world at risk.

This is, how the Giftschnaigge illustrate the subject “Risiko – risk” on their lantern: “D’Wält stoot uff em Spiil” – “The world is at stake”. The metapher for “at stake” in German is “auf dem Spiel” which relates to the politicians gambling. The punch with gambling only works in German.

Three politicians are on the lantern below, Kim Jong Un loving the United States (hm), Putin sitting on an innocent unicorn and Trump uttering something not very nice.

The Alte Stainlemer painted more abstract faces for Kim and Trump at PjöngJangeles alluding to the Olympic Games in South Korea and simultaneously to the competition about “Ballistic Games” between the two.

The other side of their lantern shows Kim and Trump competing to score. In the cortège or parade “incarnations” of the two competitors even perfomed their score mastering. In another “incarnation”, Trump and Kim played with a globe and from time to time placed it on a nuclear power plant tower.

The Schnurebegge say on their lantern: “Es dien die beide wirre Irre zünftig mit de Sääbel klirre” – “the two confused fools are jangling heavily with their swords”.

The group CCB (Central Club Basel) invented the new name “Corean Club Basel”. Kim presents a very explosive menu, it is “a bombe surprise”.

“Wenn die acht so wytermache, wird die Wält usenander krache” –  In case these eight guys will continue in this way, the world is going to break apart”. Do you recognize the eight faces that the Dupf Club assembeld in this balloon?

Some lanterns show visions of where we may end up, in case the politicians will continue in this way.

All very frightening, but this is what the Basel Carnival is about – discussing both cheerful AND gloomy topics. The Carnival acts as a catalyzer for good and bad feelings. In my next, third blog about the exhibition of lanterns, I will take up some more cheerful topics.