Proud to be a German?

Question

I know an American who traveled to Germany recently, and someone asked him if he was ashamed to be an American right now He answered with, "No, I'm proud to be an American. Immigrants are fighting to get in my country, not out." He then asked the man if he was ashamed to be a German, after what the German's did to the Jews during WW2.

Some of you are missing the point of the question. My friend was asked if HE was shamed to be an American. He didn't ask if the other person was shamed to be German. He started it, and my friend finished it. America is the best country in the world. That's why immigration here is out of control. No one is fighting to get out!

America not the greatest nation in the world? No other country anywhere could have "come back" the way we did after 9/11, no one. Europe came back, after WW2 only with our help. You all knock us, but you love our money, don't you. I've always said, with all the rhetoric we hear from Europeon countries since Iraq, that we Americans should boycott the travel agencies and American's should not travel to Europe. Hit you where it hurts, in your pocketbook. I would never travel to any city in Europe. Too much of my own beautiful country to see. Believe it or not, there are many of us who feel this way too.

Just jealousy, that's all. Always has been. We are the greatest country in the world, and the richest, that;s why other countries come to us for help. Billions and billions of dollars are spent by us every year helping others. As far as the Biemer or the BMW, or the designer suit goes, that just goes to show if you work hard here, you can achieve anything. If you don't, then you don't deserve to have anything. You can start out with nothing, and end up with everything. No other country anywhere could have recovered after 9-11 the way we did. Europe recovered after WW2 with our help.

Answer 1

I am German. I am proud of my country, the standard of living, the political system and the social system. I am, of course, not proud of the horrible things that Hitler did during and before WW2. But people should differenciate between being proud of a country and being proud of things happened in the past.
I could also ask can Americans be proud to be American, considering what Bush is doing. But that is also too general. People think, when they hear someone is proud of Germany, he is a Nazi. But also could people think, proud to be american means being the same opinion as Bush in Iran-, Iraq- and other wars. So if I am asked wether I am proud to be German, I can say yes without being a Nazi. I am not proud of Germany's behaviour in the past and I am not proud of the racist movements that take place just now. But that is a different matter. Proud to be German doesn't necessarily mean to be a Nazi or to agree to the things Hitler did.

And I don't think America is the best country in the world, no matter how many points minus that will give me. America is not in the Kyoto programm, still polluting the world more than the whole of Europe does. Mr Bush is the most stupid man I have ver seen, doing almost the same to the civilisation of Iran and Iraq as Hitler did to the Jews. I wouldn't honestly be proud to be American, at least not until Bush's time is over as a president!!!

No country should claim to be the best one, every country has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, a lot of people move to South Africa, because it's great there. Germany, too, has to watch now, how is coming, because there are so many coming in, the place where they live must be build.

And about recovering after 9/11: You should ask yourself why it happened after all. And you should have a closer look on things. Here in Germany we get a lot of material that has been restricted in the USA, by order of Mr Bush. I would wonder what could be so embarassing for him that he wouldn't want you to see. No country is jealous, not as long as Mr Bush messes up the world.
And about the money? So what, you get a lot of other things from us and Germany also got help from other countries. It is not you that has to play the role of the world's police.

Answer 2

I'm proud to be German. And 9/11 doesn't even begin to compare to WWII, and making any parallels between the two is disrespectful to the people who suffered through it. What makes you think that another country could not have recovered? If you won't travel to other parts of the world how can you know that you live on the best country in the world. It is true that there are a lot of very poor countries out there and the US seems like El Dorado in comparison. Europe doesn't rank among those countries....and in fact Europe is equally overhwhelmed with immigration issues. I'd want to travel to make sure what I'm being told is actually true. I think you'd be surprised to know that the US is in fact is not the best country in the world....that place does not exhist. Most countries have something good to offer the world, whether it is in terms of culture or art or in regards to social systems.

Besides, the Germans are not the only ones to put people in concentration camps. During WWII a lot of peolpe are surprised to know that people of Japanese heritage were rounded up into camps...albeit one has to say they were released alive...but the very fact that american citizens of Japanese heritage were rounded up goes against everything the US preaches to the world about equality. Seems a bit hypocritical.

I don't think that Americans should be ashamed either...and that wasn't a cool question for your friend to be asked. Most americans are decent people. There are, however, an increasing number of Americans who are ashamed of their leadership. And by the way, a lot of Germans like Americans and anything American a lot...and the majority of people who have actually traveled to Europe recipricate that feeling.

By the way, tourist dollars won't do it. There aren't that many of you traveling to Europe, unfortunately, or a lot more people would be more culturally tolerant and educated. You'll have to sell your Beemer and give back your Braun hair dryer too. And definately don't buy a VW for sure! Oh, and don't forget that your Chanel suit might have been designed by Karl Lagerfeld...double whammy!

Answer 3

I have to agree with Alexa.
I am German and am living in the US since 2001. I never intented to live here - way to far away from home! Well, but I met my husband who happened to be a US-citizen and that's why I am here. Over those few years I have fallen in love with this country!!! I understand WHY people are proud to be Americans. But I also understand WHY people have a hard time being proud Germans. I feel the same way. There certainly is great technology coming from Germany, you can get a great education, there's breathtaking country side. Therefore, I would suggest NOT to say that you would NEVER go there!!!!! You'd miss out on a lot -and I mean A LOT of awesome, interesting, jaw dropping events, sights, and people!
I am not ashamed of being German, but I am not proud of what generations before us did. I love Germany, not just because it's where I grew up.

P.S. Did you know that Hitler was Austrian, not German?!?

Here's my husbands comment (we just came back from a 19-day trip to my german home town; it was his first time to Europe):
I grew up knowing about Germany from what schools and media have shown us. I am glad I went over to Germany to meet my other half of the family. I was surprised that many people on the streets don't say HI back to you. I was also pleasantly surprised to find people alot like you and me. There are some really good people over there! And some grumpy ones ;-) The landscape is very beautiful. And the architecture of the buildings is incredible. I would recommend that people see that country and meet the people before they pass judgment on something they've never experienced. If you go by what we've been taught then not only are you seeing a very narrow picture but you are missing out on some very beautiful things.

Answer 4

Germany has a loooot of immigration as well. Actually it seems to me like there are more immigrants than natives.
Anyway, I am german, but I can't say that I'm neither proud nor ashamed to be german. I used to be ashamed because of the bad hstory of germany, but I don't have anything to do with that. So there's no reason at all for me to be ashamed to be german. Now that I live in the US and am I'm foreign here, so the people ask a lot and seem interested which makes me kinda special and somehow a little bit proud.

Answer 5

There is no reason not to be proud to be German.
People forget that the German history is so much more than Nazi Germany. That was a very short (just very ugly) part of our history. There are other things and people Germans can be very proud of.
Every country has their moments in history that makes them look bad. Germany was not the first country that prosecuted Jews or started a war. But because it was fairly recent and pretty bad, other countries like to point the finger to Germany and forget about their own past.

Answer 6

I am not ashamed because I wasn't even born then. However, I cannot understand that some people ( no I can't call them people)
some sadists from a civilized nation that has brought forth some of the greatest minds could commit such horrendous crimes.
Again, however the normal civilians like my parents did not know about those atrocities until the war was over. I have talked to an 80 year old German yesterday and he still shakes his head and is nearly brought to tears.

Answer 7

No I don't because Im full blood german. But I have caught some flak about it. I've never been to germany but my grandparent's emigrated after the war on both side's. Be proud of what you are and laugh off insults about it at least your not a stupid american. p.s. Im american

Answer 8

I'm proud to be German and I always have been. There are lots of countries that have done shamable things and WW2 is just one of the bad things that Germans have done. It's not really even our fault just our leader misled us. The USA has done bad things but people are still proud to be an American. Its in the past.

Answer 9

I am German.
My father is Jewish.
My mother is Christian.
One grandfather had to fight in the "Wehrmacht".
One great-grandmother died in Theresienstadt.

Am I proud to be German?
Yes I am, but I had to learn to be proud. And I learnt it while spending ten great and amazing months in Pennsylvania. Dutch Land.
I do believe that we young Germans can and should be proud of our country. If we weren't, how could we be able to support our politicans or our national soccer team?

At the same time we do have to remember our cruel history. I think that one can only really be proud to be German after setting himself/herself apart with the German history. Each one has to find his/her own way to cope with it.

It is not our job to merely be ashamed. That would be too easy.

We have a resposibilty towards the world and towards the dead.

We have to be a memorial to the world and remind them, what human beings are capable of.

We have to be a watch tower and prevent a repetition of this worst case scenario in the memory of men.

Answer 10

Okay...I'm German and I'm proud of my heritage.....I'm not ashamed to say this to anyone.I don't agree with what Hitler did.....but is that really that much different from what the Americans did to the native Americans.
A lot of Americans seem to forget that their ancestors may have come from Germany.
So let's just stop the finger pointing and try to get along....maybe that way we can prevent things like that from happening again.