There is an interesting article in today's New York Times about Germany learning to love itself again. I find the recent history of Germans' sense of national self very fascinating, especially as it compares to the U.S.'s history of, for instance, coming to terms with slavery. Quite frankly, I think they've done a much better job, but the situations aren't all that comparable either.
I remember being very aware, when I was there, of Germany trying to make sure it learned its lesson and inculcated it into its children. I don't feel like we do that here. I wonder if the different time scale has anything to do with it. The Holocaust was a horrible, horrific, evil thing, but it only lasted a few years. Slavery, on the other hand, lasted over 100 years. And the genocide of indigenous peoples went on even longer. So does it take longer to repent of such things, or even to realize and admit that we need to repent?
National identity is such a weird thing. The problem I have with American national identity is that it's so dependent on denial, for the most part. I was always impressed by Germany, in say, the late 90s when I was there, because they were so not about denial. I am aware that there was a phase of that. The movie "The Nasty Girl" is very revealing in that regard. I recommend it.
Meanwhile, Happy Anniversary to Germany -- 60 years of democracy and 20 years since the Wall fell!
1 comment:
I'm a fan of that film. Have not heard anyone mention it before. I liked the courage of the main character. She's an example of why some social problems are best solved by the birth of new generations who can better see a way out of the morass, and aren't so burdened by the emotional impact of events they didn't live through. There's some of that here too in the U.S. with the millennials, who think the fading culture wars are silly and not at all a way to move forward.
It's hard not to be impressed by the work ethic and focus of the Germans, even as I find it equally hard not to still be a bit uneasy about them. But their prowess shows up in their endeavors: from waging a fierce, highly organized and effective multifront war against multiple powerful countries, to becoming an economic powerhouse, to making friends with France after WWII, their historical enemy for centuries, to being environmentally conscious, to dealing with the ghastly crimes of their past. As they become more assertive they will likely effect a lot of positive change in the world.
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