Quoted By:
German comrades!
Seven years is a short time span, a fraction of a single person's life - barely a second in the life of a whole people. And yet the past seven years somehow seem longer than many decades of the past. A very important historical event is contained within them: the rebirth of a nation formerly threatened by extinction. It is an incredibly eventful time, and seems barely comprehensive sometimes to us, who have not just had the opportunity to witness but also to actually create a small part of it.
Democratic ideals are a big topic of discussion right now; not in Germany, but other parts of the world talk about them. We in Germany have learned our lesson with democratic ideals; if the rest of the world praises these ideals, we can only answer that the German people had the chance to live within the purest form of this ideal, and we ourselves are now reaping the legacy left by this democracy. We then get a lecture on the wonderful goals of war, especially from the British side. Great Britain has much experience in proclaiming goals of war, considering they have waged more wars than anyone else. The goals they proclaim today are fantastic: the creation of a new Europe. This Europe will be a just place, and the general equality will make arms unnecessary, so we can all disarm. This disarmament is supposed to kick start a period of economic blossoming, trade and movement should commence, especially trade, much trade, free trade! And from this trade, culture is supposed to bloom, and not just culture, but religion, too. In one phrase: the golden age is supposed to dawn. Unfortunately, this golden age has been described in a very similar fashion on several occasions, and not even by prior generations, but by the same people that are describing it yet again today. It's like a very worn-out groove on an old LP. Comment too long (3568/2000)
