Book Review - A Mighty Fortress

Whenever Americans think of Germany, the first thing that comes to mind is Adolf Hitler. Then, the next thing is Grimm's Fairy Tales. Then, beer. Then, regimentation, Mercedes', Porches', and VWs.

The book "A Mighty Fortress" (by Steven Ozment) attempts to tell the tale of Germany, from when the first tribes appeared in the Roman world - before 100 BC - to today. In it, he gives a very brief history of the German people.

First, about some details of the book. His version of Germany narrows throught the millenia. "Germany" essentially goes from the broad Teutonic tribes (which would include the Angles, the Scandinavians, and the Frisians), then narrows to the Frankish empire (from which modern France can claim more direct lineage than Germany), to the Holy Roman Empire, to Deutchland. He focuses a lot on Italy, too, in the early chapters.

There are also some serious deficiencies in his history. As a nation is most often defined by language, he fails to explain how all those dialects became "Deutch." While this may be unimportant in the history of many countries (for example, in the United States, the development of the American ethnicity has almost nothing to do with the miniscule changes in the English language that seperates "American English" (and it's dialects) from "classical English") , for Germany, it is crucial, for the synthetic rump defined the German people. This is why Austria had such a strong pull toward the German ethnicity - despite the fact that Austrian German is kind of like the well-known southern American accent.

He also almost totally leaves out the Swiss. Native German speakers make up the majority of Switzerland. While considered part of Germany in the middle ages, the Swiss Germans eventually seceded from Germany - essentially by the late 15th century - and developed their own, Germanish society. The Swiss story is very interesting, in their love of liberty, and their strong conservatism (in some ways, Switzerland is more conservative than America). The Swiss story is also part of the German story.

He also leaves out other significant gaps, too. Much of the middle ages is ignored. Nary a word about the Hanseatic league. The history of Germany during the period following the Thirty Years War is ignored (except for Prussia, and that is only briefly mentioned until Frederick the Great enters the stage). In fact, the book focuses on personalities - albeit very important personalities. This book is about Charlemaign, the Hohenstaufens (alright, not a personality, but a family, but kind of my drift), Martin Luther, Frederick the Great, Otto von Bismark, and of course, Hitler. Focusing on personalities, despite their impact on a nation's development, does not do justice to a nation's history.

However, he does mention how the Germans transformed themselves during the 19th century. The most important chapter in the book explains how 19th century scholars and intellectuals set the stage for a complete transformation of the German people. This chapter is entitled "Absolute Spirit and Absolute People." Indeed. You see, Germany transformed itself from an enchanted land of castles, fairy tales, and gingerbread, to a nightmarish society Kraftwork, cabaret, and state socialism. From a society where liberty and order to co-exist peacefully, to one that is libertine and regimented, where everyone is a mind-nummed robot. Germany went from a loyally Christian people to a group of faithless automotons. While the French are snotty and smelly, the Germans today are just plain wierd. Why do you think "Mentos, the fresh maker" could catch on so easily? One where Deiter on Sprokets is fully representative of the German people.

"Wait a minute!" you say. "I like cabaret, but I have not an ounce of German in me!" That is because you have been to one too many performances of "Teatro Zinzani" in Seattle, another place that is full of wierdos. And one show of that is one show too many. To think that people doing bizzare things is entertaining, just puzzles the mind. But then again, some people think mimes are entertaining, too.

And "Deiter" was Mike Miers on "Saturday Night Live" as a parody of Germans. And there is a reason why such a parody resonates so well is because it's accurate.

Well, I return to my review. In the 19th century, those scholars collectively generated a faith in das Volk. By doing so, the Germans effectively replaced faith in Christ with faith in an organic "the people" (actually, there is no true English translation of "das Volk," but there is exact translations in other languages - for example, the Russian word is "Narod"). Why do you think the Germans call each other "They?" Worship of das Volk also ruined German individualism, such that they were willing to bend over and pull down their leiderhosen when Adolf came along - and not to moon him, either. When das Volk was totally annihilated after World War II, since Nietze (or however you spell his name) declared God was dead, the Germans had to find something else to place faith in, so they found it in such things like post-modernism and existentialism.

Thus, the super man became the super freak.

Since the time of Hegel, Germans are also suckers for intellectual trends. From romantacism, to anti-Semitism. Then from dialectleticism, to anti-Semitism. Then from nationalism, to anti-Semitism. Then from militarism, to anti-Semitism. Then from Nazism, well, that's anti-Semitism. Then from anti-Americanism, to anti-Semitism. You get idea.

Also having absorbed themselves from a bunch of individuals into the Borg, the Germans are ready to lap up any fad their elite (especially cultural elites) present them, like any docile pet. Anyone who doesn't agree with said elites (no matter how wrong the elites are) are automatically ignorant and dumb.

Thus, individualism=stupidity.

And thus, in the German worldview, American's are stupid.

To me, thinking for yourself, as Americans generally do, is a much stronger indication of intelligence than spewing out dogma, even if such dogma is from the highly brilliant intelligentsia.

Despite the fact our technology whipped their butts, twice. Despite the fact our economy is stronger than theirs (and we in fact subsidize it with our troops who are still stationed over there). If Germans are so smart, how come their cars spend more time in the shop than almost all GM products?

And, if the Germans would remember a bit of history, after Rome essentially neutered the Carthrininians after the second war (kinda like we did to the Germans after WWII), when it got a bit uppidity, it decided to make them good Romans. And the United States is the only nation who ever exceeded Rome in greatness. I think that it would be good if everyone became American...

Speaking of which, it has been the dumb US military which has propped up the German economy since World War II. Certainly not the ideal economic model. It is the American taxpayer who is helping to subsidize the German economy. Well, at least now American policymakers are having the wisdom of putting our troops as needed - I have been told that since American soldiers are no longer in Frankfurt, it is a depressed, rust-belt city.

And if the Germans are so much smarter than Americans, how come their imported food Germany tastes so terrible? Also, due to the popularity of microbrews, Americans very nearly overtook them in the quality of their beer ten years ago (of course, that excludes such brands as "Budweiser", "Miller", etc).

The only good things to come out of Germany over the past 30 years are The Scorpians, Rammstein, and some hot German supermodels. However, when the Scorpians decided to pander to their own ethnic group, they totally ruined their music.

Sure Germany has produced some good things. Like some cultural artifacts, such as Neuschwanstein. However, the Germans have decided to cut of their past completely, so that the best preserved German "village" isn't in Germany, it's 100 miles east of me, in the town of Leavenworth, a faux-German village (an interesting place to go, too, and you don't have to subsidize Germans to see an idealized fairy-tale village). Much of Disney is German heritage recreated.

And, as Thomas Sowell noted, German immigrants and their descendants have always been on the forefront of preserving American liberty. Such figures as General Pershing (the main general in World War I, for those of you who didn't pay attention in history classes) and General Eisenhower (the main general in World War II, and President, for those of you who didn't even attend your history classes) were both of German descent. The main leader of the conservative movement today, Rush Limbaugh, is of German descent. Of course, there are those who hate him, but such people themselves loath freedom - except the freedom to abort, euthanize, participate in promiscuous behavior, make wierd "art" and engage in sedition.

And the Pope is German, too. But then again, he is just about the last Christian left of German nationality.

Of course, most of this has nothing to do with the book, but as I noted in prior posts, book reviews used to be a way for people to get their ideas across (especially as this was the case in 19th century Russia). However, this book is a good read for those who want to know more about Germany besides Hitler, and who want to know how Germany went from the land of Hanzel & Gretel to the land of Deiter.