I sense a touch of anger on your part skraut. First of all I am not a 'german basher'. If what I say offends you. Call someone who cares!
No doubt one who just wants to 'move along, nothing here to see' type! History has consequences. You are correct in that you as a german and no doubt all who were born after the fact and including those germans who faught against the cancer of nazism are not responsible for what happened. Just like slavery is not the responsibility of those that came along generations later. The issue is not if the german people have exercised this demon but if the world has finally turned the page and forgiven the german people for crimes that were committed on countless. The verdict is still out.
Fascism masquarades under the veneer of victimhood. Hitler got a lot of mileage as a result. Islamofascism will no doubt act from the same script.
"But in the long run, it is easy to predict: the more you try to put pressure on future generations of Germans with this subject the less you will get!"
Pressure? What pressure? Germans have rebuilt their society because there was half a million foreign soldiers stationed on german soil for the last 60 yrs. When was the last time germans fought for freedom and democracy anywhere? When? So if this is what you mean by giving, hell man don't worry we won't ask!
Anyhow Europe will be an Islamo wasteland in 50 yrs. Want to bet this whole fascism bit gets played out again in Europe? The smart money says yes. Sorry Skraut. like I said before, history has consequences!!
''You are correct in that you as a german and no doubt all who were born after the fact and including those germans who faught against the cancer of nazism are not responsible for what happened.''
I’m glad you made this point clear. However, there are still posters around, who would disagree here.
''…but if the world has finally turned the page and forgiven the german people for crimes that were committed on countless. The verdict is still out. ''
I don’t understand this point. What do you want to forgive the current generation , your own words - who are not responsible for what happened ? My impression - as a German, who has been working and living in some Anglo-countries – the hostility towards Germans in these countries is increasing. I still remember times in England, when you could discuss issues like this in a more balanced way (In those times it was also unthinkable, that German exchange students were beaten up in London as it happened just recently etc).
Germany has successfully established a good and friendly relationship with the French, because politicians in both countries realised after WW II that something had to be done about this French/German eternal enemy issue (''Erbfeind'' in German). And that has happened with many countries in Europe. When you take to people in theses countries – even the ones who had to suffer heavily under Nazi Germany's rule, they often remind you, that Stalin for example was not better, may be even worse. Astonishingly, there seems to be a more balanced view about this subject than in Anglo countries..
Hence I believe this verdict of the world is more an Anglo issue. Why? Because it is so wonderful to be able to claim moral higher grounds forever without even having to look at their own( minor of course!!) sins?
Or is it just an ongoing Anglo/German rivalry/competition, IMHO the real cause that triggered WW I ?
I believe we have quite a bit of hypocrisy here.
''Germans have rebuilt their society because there was half a million foreign soldiers stationed on german soil for the last 60 yrs. When was the last time germans fought for freedom and democracy anywhere''
That's true and we are thankful for that. But there were another half million German soldiers who stood their ground for democracy and freedom in - at that time - Western Europe,too.
''Anyhow Europe will be an Islamo wasteland in 50 yrs.''
I am pretty confident that won’t happen in most European countries.
You may get a wrong impression about skraut. He's just bored and fed up. This is about having the same discussion with almost every Anglo about this topic. The worst kind ist the "we" kicked "your" ass, "you" deserved it variant, mostly comes up after some cold ones. Modern Germans can't relate to the "you" part as well as Anglos of every age can relate to the "we" part even 2 generations after the end of WW2. It tastes like a cheap insult born from circumstances neither of us had any influence on. Anyway, we're still atoning for the past, and we're quite thankful that the Allies didn't repeat the mistakes of the Versailles treaty, quite the contrary.