Not all Germans are ostriches:
medienkritik.typepad.com
We Are Germans and We Are Afraid…
German media continues to throw temper tantrums over Germany’s loss of influence and man-on-the-street interviews broadcast the day after the U.S. election did not disappoint. Asked what they expected from a Bush second term, many dutifully repeated the media’s mantra of the past eighteen months, and hoped that Mr. Bush would cause no more unpleasantness with terrorists because they did not want to live in fear. The conventional wisdom in Germany being that if America would leave terrorists alone, Germany would be safe.
Fear is a constant theme in German media and what Germans fear most is change. And while promoting people’s anxieties may sell newspapers and increase ratings, it is a poor foundation for foreign policy, especially when dealing with fanatical terrorists. It appears, however, to be a fear-based foreign policy Chancellor Schroeder is intent on following and one that is solidly endorsed by German television, especially the state funded ARD and ZDF.
In all the televised panel discussions, talk shows, news reports, and documentaries on Afghanistan and Iraq there has been one notable absence. Nowhere does a viewer get to hear an Afghan or Iraqi government official speak of the enormous positive changes taking place in their countries. This is especially sad in the case of Afghanistan, where Germany played a leading role organizing the post-Taliban government. Today German peacekeepers are active in building stability in a country that is vital for the security of the West. It would seem the government would want to take credit for its achievements. But to have President Karzai appear on German TV would run the risk that he would contradict an article of German faith. Namely, that Mr. Bush’s war on terrorism is a mistake and his policy of installing democracies in Islamic countries is at best naïve and at worst a debacle.
Germans have died for many causes but democracy is not one of them. It is understandable that their attachment to it is not as strong as in other countries. But I imagine the conversation that will take place next year between Iraqi Prime Minister Allawi and Chancellor Schroeder. Allawi will observe that fifty years ago the German people were given the gift of democracy after a terrible war. He will then ask the Chancellor why Germany did not help Iraq when it was Iraq’s turn. And Schroeder will answer, “Because we are Germans and we are afraid.” |
