While I understand what the author is trying to say, why does Germany need to be exceptional within Europe? Isn’t this the type of thinking that we don’t want to see?
I also don’t agree that the main source of national identity is the economy. Germany is always described as das Land der Dichter und Denker (the land of poets and thinkers) as an homage to its rich history in arts and science, but also liberalism and democracy. That’s what makes Germany truly special, not something as fickle as the economy.
Democracy isn’t weakened by the AFD. It’s the conservative parties like the CDU/CSU and the FDP that have switched to populism and disinformation to stay somewhat relevant in the age of climate change. Both parties were scared of the popularity of the SPD and especially the Greens in the last election. In the end, they’re only helping to raise the popularity of the AFD, as they support more and more of their talking points. Without them, the AFD would have stayed on its downward trajectory into irrelevance.
PS: Many CDU/CSU politicians see the Greens as their number one political rival and source of all problems, not the AFD.
It’s the conservative parties like the CDU/CSU and the FDP that have switched to populism and disinformation to stay somewhat relevant in the age of climate change.
They haven’t “switched” they were always that way. When in the 90s “Die Republikaner” and the “DVU” came up (like AfD but not as successful), they were riding on a wave of racism and anti-immigration speak the CDU/CSU started. It was them who invented words like “Schein-Asylanten” (Sham Asylum Seekers), “Asyltourismus” (Asylum Tourists), they wanted to change the Grundgesetz to limit asylum. That was 33 years ago.
And for the Greens as their “enemy”, it was like that from the beginning in the 80s, I was there. They started laughing at the Greens and then went very fast on to attacking them furiously.
Already in 1986 Strauß told his voters red-green would take away their cars and their freedom. His speeches are everywhere on the internet, of course very famous with the far-right today.
I am 57 now and I feel so trapped in a circle where the conservative parties stop progress at every step, a progress that was already known as necessary in 1980. 40 years lost.
Sorry for me rambling, I needed to get that out of my soul today.
I have never heard of anyone pinning German pride to the economy
It’s rather weird the German economy became so big so quickly. We threw Europe and much of the world into war and devastation for the second time. Credits go to foreign aid and allowance, and to foreign workers mostly from Italy and Turkey. Of course honest domestic hard work was also involved, but every country has that. All in all, this is not a story to fuel national pride, but rather humbleness and gratitude.
There’s also the Weimar Republic, the Frankfurt Parliament of 1848 and even during the medieval period, many free imperial cities had an early form of democracy and liberal freedoms, especially compared to the duchies surrounding them.
While I understand what the author is trying to say, why does Germany need to be exceptional within Europe? Isn’t this the type of thinking that we don’t want to see?
I also don’t agree that the main source of national identity is the economy. Germany is always described as das Land der Dichter und Denker (the land of poets and thinkers) as an homage to its rich history in arts and science, but also liberalism and democracy. That’s what makes Germany truly special, not something as fickle as the economy.
The article mentions the weakening of democracy through the AFD. Till Lindemann is Germany’s widely known poet of today.
Democracy isn’t weakened by the AFD. It’s the conservative parties like the CDU/CSU and the FDP that have switched to populism and disinformation to stay somewhat relevant in the age of climate change. Both parties were scared of the popularity of the SPD and especially the Greens in the last election. In the end, they’re only helping to raise the popularity of the AFD, as they support more and more of their talking points. Without them, the AFD would have stayed on its downward trajectory into irrelevance.
PS: Many CDU/CSU politicians see the Greens as their number one political rival and source of all problems, not the AFD.
They haven’t “switched” they were always that way. When in the 90s “Die Republikaner” and the “DVU” came up (like AfD but not as successful), they were riding on a wave of racism and anti-immigration speak the CDU/CSU started. It was them who invented words like “Schein-Asylanten” (Sham Asylum Seekers), “Asyltourismus” (Asylum Tourists), they wanted to change the Grundgesetz to limit asylum. That was 33 years ago.
Proof: https://correctiv.org/checkjetzt/2019/05/19/ja-das-abgebildete-plakat-war-1991-ein-offizielles-cdu-wahlplakat/
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asyldebatte#Die_Asylkampagnen_der_Unionsparteien_ab_1986
And for the Greens as their “enemy”, it was like that from the beginning in the 80s, I was there. They started laughing at the Greens and then went very fast on to attacking them furiously.
Already in 1986 Strauß told his voters red-green would take away their cars and their freedom. His speeches are everywhere on the internet, of course very famous with the far-right today.
I am 57 now and I feel so trapped in a circle where the conservative parties stop progress at every step, a progress that was already known as necessary in 1980. 40 years lost.
Sorry for me rambling, I needed to get that out of my soul today.
Strange dig with Rammstein.
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It’s rather weird the German economy became so big so quickly. We threw Europe and much of the world into war and devastation for the second time. Credits go to foreign aid and allowance, and to foreign workers mostly from Italy and Turkey. Of course honest domestic hard work was also involved, but every country has that. All in all, this is not a story to fuel national pride, but rather humbleness and gratitude.
Sorry, but when exactly was Germany famous for democracy and liberalism?
The years 1945-2023, so quite a long time.
There’s also the Weimar Republic, the Frankfurt Parliament of 1848 and even during the medieval period, many free imperial cities had an early form of democracy and liberal freedoms, especially compared to the duchies surrounding them.