I agree with you, being proud of something you have no control over doesn't make sense to me either.
But saying "Germany is a great nation" with no ill intentions whatsoever will still make some people cringe. It's like a beaten dog. If you raise your hand, it will yelp, even if you have food in it. There's nothing wrong with being proud of Germany. There's many great thing about it, no doubt. I'm just saying the memories are still too fresh. It's not the average German's fault, by no means, it's just how things are. "Proud of Germany" just sounds too familiar. I don't think you can get it from an outsider's perspective, not if you haven't been to Auschwitz or if you don't have some dinnerware with swastikas on it in the basement.
But saying "Germany is a great nation" with no ill intentions whatsoever will still make some people cringe. It's like a beaten dog. If you raise your hand, it will yelp, even if you have food in it. There's nothing wrong with being proud of Germany. There's many great thing about it, no doubt. I'm just saying the memories are still too fresh. It's not the average German's fault, by no means, it's just how things are. "Proud of Germany" just sounds too familiar. I don't think you can get it from an outsider's perspective, not if you haven't been to Auschwitz or if you don't have some dinnerware with swastikas on it in the basement.
