Dear World, I have to confess
I speak the same language like Hitler, Goebbels and the Kaiser. The same language that gifted us words like Blitzkrieg and doppelganger.
I live in the city in which radioactivity was discovered. I live in the city where the holocaust was decided, quite close to that place actually. The building where the holocaust was decided is less than 5 miles from my home.
Some guy from my home town decided to transport Lenin to Russia which helped start the Revolution. Some guy from my country gave the secret on how to build nuclear bombs to the Soviets. Some guy from my home country gave the world Communism. Some guy from my home town helped start a world war. Another guy who lived in my home town for a while decided to start another world war.
Yet I do love this town and my language.
It is worth not making the same mistake the bigots do.
Most of the good in the world came from the German-speaking peoples, so no point judging them by the aberrant cases.
In the meantime, look at some of the many good things that come out of Germany:
@amerika I like tabak but I switched to nicotine gum over time. Less cancerous. Except for that Germany is also famous for delicious wine that I can heavily recommend. And a lot of inventions stem from here, expecially quantum mechanics. But also book printing should not be underestimated, it fueled literacy all over Europe. Well and protestantism began in Wittenberg.
Gum is probably much easier. I cannot do cigarettes but enjoy a pipe or cigar. I have heard of the delicious German wines, but am unfamiliar with wine generally, being a beer drinker. And so, speaking of Germany... well who would not like to live next to a brewery rathskeller? I have fond memories of Lowenbrau in Munich. Gutenberg did good by all of us. I think so did Luther, although Calvin did one better.
There is also the sheer amount of quality coding (programming) that comes out of Germany.
Am revisiting early German death metal today with the Fleshcrawl demos.
@sycramore @amerika You do not need to cherry pick a dark moment in the past which (if we're honest) came close to happening in other countries. There is much wonderful history to come out of your Germany music, Science, Art and Language.
Like most countries, our politicians tell convenient myths about the past, and it is for us to understand the bad, celebrate the good and especially where the stories cross borders.
I agree. One historical error is not a huge deal, especially considering that most of humanity is screwing up all the time.
Our politicians and even more, our voters, like simple stories that explain us as good and destined for success even though deep problems pervade all human societies.
@sycramore
I am a raging realist. I do not believe that any country is peaceful because peace as a goal is an illusion, but I think the Germans have given quite a bit more to the world than they have taken.
Even though I dislike National Socialism, I can see why it came about, and think the Napoleonic Wars and Versailles Treaty were big mistakes.