NEW
GERMAN PATRIOTISM CENTERS ON PEACE
5 December 2003
In
the wake of widespread public opposition to the Iraq
war, Germany has seen itself reformulated in the minds
of its people. For reasons related to Nazi crimes,
German patriotism has been considered objectionable
by many, especially within the nation itself. But
after the German government stood against the forceful
hand of the Bush administration over the issue of
war, a renewed feeling of pride has taken root.
The global political tension created by the push to launch the invasion of Iraq and remove Saddam Hussein from power, served to highlight, foment and embolden the peace movement in Germany. The nation saw its political consensus rise amid avid avowals by politicians across the spectrum that the rule of law should always determine where and when a war can or should be fought, and to what end.
The
sentiment has become something of a movement, spanning
pop music, fashion and youth politics. Progressive
Germans are beginning to see an opportunity to use
the economic and political heft of their homeland
to promote humanitarian and democratic values in the
international arena. Says Deutsche
Welle: "a brave group of pioneers has begun
to embrace a new concept of patriotism rooted in pacifism,
tolerance and human rights". [For more: DW]
