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It’s not unwitting at all.
Germany has what’s called “Erinnerungskultur”, or ‘Culture of Memory/Remembrance’, the result of which is their famous legal enshrinement of remembrance of the Holocaust, and banning of antisemitism. It’s not universal, it is uniquely targeted at Jews and Israel. The term “Staatsräson”, or “Reason of State” (i.e. reason for the State existing) refers to the literal belief that Germany should only be allowed to exist contingent on its protection of Israel.
That’s not hyperbole. Merkel told the Knesset in 2008:
This historical responsibility of Germany is part of the reason of the state of my country.
After Oct 7, Scholz repeated that:
“At this moment there is only one place for Germany - the place on the side of Israel. This is what we mean when we say, ‘Israel’s security is the German reason of state’.”
It’s not their job, in their mind, to prevent another Holocaust, just to protect Israel. If Israel is the one doing it, they’ll defend them no matter what.
It is a guilt-created mindset which has evolved over the years in order to allow “acceptable” racism and other-isms back in, or even mandating them, such as surveillance of Muslim immigrants, under the justification that they may ‘import’ antisemitism.
Friedrich Merz, the leader of the opposition CDU party, said, “Germany cannot take in any more refugees from Gaza. We have enough antisemitic young men in the country".
In December the conservative State of Saxony-Anhalt passed a decree requiring those applying for German citizenship to recognise the State of Israel.
Germany allows Israel to directly dictate their definition of antisemitism, which of course means that they have basically outlawed any pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
This is all very well understood by them for what it is (Islamophobia and racism), but they don’t have a legal duty to suppress those, just antisemitism. On the contrary, there is quite a LOT of enthusiasm for Islamophobia in Germany. I was visiting my grandmother in Munich a few years ago, and in Marienplatz there was a big display set up that said ‘Stop letting in terrorists’, somewhat ironically right alongside a group talking about China’s oppression of Uyghurs (which China often justifies by claiming that Uyghurs engage in terrorism).
It’s very depressing stuff.
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I believe in giving people many second chances, and obviously I’m talking primarily about the German government, not about all individual Germans- many are absolutely against Israel’s actions.
But Germany as a State has had more than “many” chances to wrestle with their unquestioning support for Israel, and has always doubled-down on it, or even made it less legal to even raise the question. And it is a reflection of the dominant mindset there, whether I like it or not.
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Not even just vicariously, they’re getting in on the action themselves:
Abed, the lawyer who is also representing Michael, says the police “chased people through the streets of Neukölln, rounding up anyone wearing a Palestinian headscarf (keffiyeh), holding a flag or displaying any symbol related to Palestine.”
There is so much more in that article, but suffice it to say that oppression of people based on a specific religio-ethnic background is making a comeback in Germany.
Sunk cost falacy:
- Why stop spending money on this project if we already spent so much. Stopping would mean the intial money was spent for nothing
German version:
-Why stop killing more people if we already killed so much. This would be the first killed were in vain.
Conclusion: German government is disgusting
Hey friend, generally we avoid use of that as a slur on our instance.
I have rephrased, but still showing disapproval
Today in Germany, the day Germany is ok the ICJ being accused of genocide participation, all the German press could show was the Israeli protest to release their hostages