scrubbedexpat099

When I was a kid I remember read Science Fiction stories regarding a universe where future history was calculable, the hero upset everything of course.

If you change one variable then you can hardly assume all the others will remain intact, you would need an infinite number of parallel universes.

My impression was that Churchill was a man for a particular moment, a different time, different results.

robin1234

Inevitable, though? I know that the Rise of Nationalism was the flavour of the moment, but if war hadn't stressed Austro-Hungary, could people in Bohemia and Slovakia (to take a couple of examples) have looked beyond their romantic völkisch sensibilities, and realised that the Austro-Hungarian Empire was actually quite a nice place to live?

scrubbedexpat099

It was for some, always is for some, others will accept what they have and for some the grass is greener.

RoadWarriorFromLP

A unified Germany is an industrial power that is largely surrounded by weaker nations that are easy to invade. Combine that with national pride and a penchant for law and order, and it's not surprising that bad things can happen.

I agree with the sentiments of François Mauriac, who said that he liked Germany so much that he was glad that there were two of them. The Cold War had some benefits.

FlaviusAetius

I'm related to Germans via my sister's marriage. In visiting my in-laws, and conversing with them, their kids and their friends, I've come to the conclusion that the national pride and warlike tendencies have been entirely expunged - they wouldn't defend Schleswig-Holstein if the Danes invaded. They're all pacifists now.

RoadWarriorFromLP

Instead of using the military, now they use the European Central Bank to inflict pain on their neighbors, as they sneer at them.

scrubbedexpat099

A little bit broad brush.

FlaviusAetius

Yes, they sneer at the PIIGS as unworthy wastrels. Meanwhile, German wealth is being redistributed to those unworthy wastrels through the good offices of the European Central Bank. Of course, that's the only way the unworthy wastrels could afford to buy new Mercedes and BMWs.

The Germans are so besotted with political correctness that they are in the process of shutting down their nuclear power plants. Of course, to replace the loss of power, they are being obliged to buy power from the French, who supply it from their nuclear power plants.