>Hardly. Deutschland ain't any more racist or xenophobic than the USA. They
>have skinhead thugs, we have the KKK and survivalists, etc. Germans do,
>however, have this tendency to constantly insist that they're much worse
>than anyone else -- it's why they're so pro-European, which is a good
>thing, but you have to take the Weltschmerz with a grain of salt.
Too true. It is a perennial error that faults OTHER COUNTRIES for being xenophobic.
Characteristically the best critique of English Imperialism was by a German Schulze-Gaevernitz, and the best critique of German militarism, 'Dreadnought' by an Englishman. If only they had dedicated the same efforts to criticising their own countries' chauvinism.
I have this vision that in time to come, America will have museums and monuments dedicated to the Holocaust, while Germany has the same but dealing with Slavery in the US. And each will be confirmed in their view that the other is a thoroughly racist country. -- Jim heartfield