German experience revisited

[Guest guest]

On Sat, 25 Nov 2000 10:53:35 umbada wrote:

>Perhaps the Germans involved in this email series are for

>the first time in their lives telling the world about what

>they call their national shame.

>

>However, there is no sense being on the nonduality lists if

>one cannot see, even on a far horizon, the questions

>arising: Who does not live in that family and nation? Who

>was not mobilised?' Who did not inflict and suffer?

>

>And there is no sense in thinking we westerners are hearing

>the Germans at all, if we muffle the wails of the Indian

>Nation or of the Vietnamese.

>

>You'll find the article at

><http://www.nonduality.com/1123es.htm>

 

Hi Jerry,

 

Thanks for posting. The articles are very interesting.

 

I just talked with a very close German friend.

 

He shares the sentiments of these people. A lot of Germans I have met say the

same things and mention or express the national shame, no matter how old or how

young they are. Shame is deeply buried.

 

In other countries, where there also is a national shame due to WW2, the issue

has been buried by emphasising the "heroes", those working for the resistance,

and shamefully trying to cover up the existence of those supporting the other

side, even though it is well known among local population that these existed

also.

 

No other word or name creates such reactions on spiritual fora as "Nazism" and

"Hitler", which is usually expressed as an all out demonization, coupled with a

display of very little knowledge of the foundations of WW2 and the Third Reich.

This to me is nothing but pure ignorance. Historians are of course still

debating the issue of the why and wherefore of the Holocaust and WW2, but with

even a little openness into history and human psychology, the mystery becomes

much less.

 

But it takes courage to dive into the matter, because it directly confronts you

too. And it takes courage to realise that incidents of extreme, organized power

abuse and genocide has happened many times in the course of history and is still

happening.

 

Perhaps the Holocaust and WW2 has been made symbolic of this. I am not sure. If

we solve the blame and hurt on this issue, does that mean the blame and hurt for

the other incidents presently happening as well ?

 

I just know: All ideas of genocide and nationalism, no matter in what form or by

which nationality it is committed, is an expression of extreme ego contraction

and duality. It could be said that extreme prejudice is the very antithesis of

non duality.

 

But my stance remains: I am not going to go into extreme prejudice on genocide

and nationalism, as I can "afford" not to do it. (It is probably much different

if you are a Holocaust survivor or a German yourself). In Europe, neo nazism is

on the rise again, young angry human beings having run out of ways or protesting

against the lack of hope in their life situation and turning to the things they

know will shock their elders into reaction and disgust; neo nazism and extreme

racism and nationalism. Everyone knows what will prevent an increase in neo

nazism as most everyone are aware what creates this kind of protest. Here in

Sweden, a program called "Getting out" is just about the only program that has

been successful in reintegrating neo nazis into society. Jail sentences and

indignant fear by the general population does not seem to have worked. The

program is run by former neo nazis as they understand the attraction of the

movement. As a young person, it is not very difficult to see these.

 

As someone mentioned on this list: "we need to make enlightement less holy". We

need to make Holocaust and Nazism less unholy and less scary and start to try

and understand instead of just judging. Judging is the easy way out.

 

A few interesting and perhaps early experiments in approaching the national

shame for Germans are the three films "Das Boot", "Stalingrad" and "Das

Blechtrommel". These films directly and indirectly approach the isse of "how"

and "why" and perhaps the start of unraveling the long thread of national shame.

 

Having been interested in the subject for a long time myself, I could probably

write pages and pages on this issue, but I shall refrain from doing so.

 

Thanks again for sharing this with us, I found it very interesting.

 

 

 

Love,

 

Amanda.

 

 

 

 

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