June 21, 2006

I Like The World Cup

Pictures: DPA/DER SPIEGEL

I'd never thought that I'd be going to like the World Cup. The Über-Aryans have been sent home just in time, Saudi Arabia has been trashed 4:0 never mind by whom (not quite as good as the 8:0 against Germany four years ago, but I'm not petty) and the last three German goals were scored by two Poles -- in the best tradition of German football. The only downer is the fact that the Dutch haven't dropped out yet, but maybe that was asked too much regarding Ivory Coast and Serbia-Montenegro. Oh well, don't lets be defaetist, there is always the next round...

Apart from that, the streets are empty in the afternoon, which makes it even possible to find parking space in the city center, and I and the dogs don't get molested by bikers, joggers, "Nordic walkers" (yuck!) and other gadflies at night.

The apocalyptic predictions have been proven wrong so far, no doubt to the chagrin of those who'd have loved to look noble as a juxtaposition to some bawling, drooling skinheads, but only folks as obsessed as Germans would trigger off a new "patriotism" debate over some black, red and gold banners and jaunty football fans or figure out how much extra fuel the little flags cost that are proudly flown from every third car here right now.

2 comments:

Esther said...

If i understood correctly, the German left is now in a bind - on the one hand, it doesn't want to encourage right wing patriotism, but on the other hand, immigrants waving flags is good.

The_Editrix said...

Good question Esther, but I don't think that it is a contradiction for a bunch of intellectually dishonest hypocrites.

It is nothing specifically German, but part of the vast "we hate ourselves" in the West, or at least so I think.

German history just gives them additional fuel.

What they conveniently forget is that the black-red-gold colours stand for Germany's democratic tradition. At Nazi rallies, you'll see mainly black-white-red colours.