Back in Germany

Been in Stuttgart for about six days now. I should have been writing on this really, but I've been frantically watching movies, which I will review in this blog.

Dogville

Supersize me

King Kong

Bowling for Columbine

The Office (not a movie, but remains cinematic genius)

I am in the headmaster's house, having to stay here because of bankers and estate agents. If I am waking up late, eating cheap cereal and sitting in front of movies most of the day, it's their fault. A bank and a property firm have turned me into a couch potato.

I left Switzerland 6 days ago to set up my flat. Arrived on an express train to get my keys, when I realized I couldn't withdraw the money the estate agent wanted for his fee. As it turns out, even when you have money, French banks won't let you withdraw more than 400 euros cash every week when you're abroad. Just in case you might travel or do things you want to do with the money. If it was about checking for theft, they could easily call me up and ask if it's actually me. But that would mean working.

I find myself raving about capitalists and alienation. The fruit of my labour is in the hands of a banker who won't let me do much with it. Even though his bank is sitting on billions of euros. I suppose that's why his bank is sitting on billions of euros. Because they get away with doing what they please with the money millions of unsuspecting idiots like me put into our accounts.

So I'm a Marxist now. A Gucci Marxist, of course. One who can afford to moan and complain on a weblog and goes to eat dinner in a restaurant. Like most Marxists, I speak do much and don't do anything substantial about my beliefs. I join in protests and rave about imperialism. But actually I don't know much about politics at all, and if I were thrown into the position of a politician, would be completely helpless.

Which brings me to the title of this thread. Germany is, to me, a very interesting place politically. People are careful about politics here: the scars of Nazism are still present in the collective conscience, even amongst the young. Germans tend to educate themselves well, and are aware of their country's history. Far more than the French or the British. This makes them a very conscientious people, prepared to criticise themselves as well as others, and aware of their country's flaws. They can see past simplistic political messages.

Even though there is more Christianity in politics than I believe to be healthy, I think there is a healthy self-awareness in this country.

Does it take a holocaust for a people to see the dangers of nationalism? Someone had better tell that to Gerry Adams.