Germany

Thirty years ago, one was not considered truly educated, especially in the sciences, if one did not speak German. Today German is still a fine language, but – like Danish, Dutch and Greek – spoken only at home among friends, being replaced by ubiquitous English.

Germany came to the English Midlands this Christmas – in the attractive and traditional form of the Frankfurt Christmas Fair in the centre of Birmingham. Now, why on earth weren't Goering and the Luftwaffe thinking along similar lines sixty years ago...Think of all the decades of friendship and mutual admiration that we missed as a result of mistaking the efficacy of Xmas decorations and lovely warm gluehwein for that of cold bombs and rockets.

Germany produces fine automobiles, guns, cameras, wine, and of course beer (and many other wonderful products, I'm sure).

I was a young lad, American, in 1940. I grew up with the propaganda. I grew up believing what I heard. I grew up frightened of anything Japanese or German. Then I spent six months in Japan. My fears went away. I did not find Japanese. I found people. They are not much different than my neighbors at heart. I have met many Germans here in my country. But that is not the same. I must visit Germany. I expect to find what I believe is true. I will find no Germans, just people like myself, carving out a life in a particular corner of the Universe. There is no such thing as a sinister people. Only temporarily misled people. I spent a large part of my life being misled. I am changing that now. Long live the human spirit!

If Germany did not exist, one would have to invent it....How on earth could we do without Beethoven, Goethe, Weltanschauung, Blitzkrieg, Ersatz, '66, Munich 1-5....?? No, only joking, dear friends in Germany!!

What a strange country. I happen to live there. I happen to be German. It doesn't matter a little bit to me. I always thought of patriotism as rather disturbing, and whenever I see any Americans, Brits, French, Turks, Italians, or whoever, go all crazy, wave flags, dance around and get ecstatic about anythin patriotic, I just shake my head and think: What's so great about belonging to any nation? Nations are just some historical fiction! We're one species, called Homo sapiens.