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Feb. 11, 2006
Du Bist Deutschland
    
Allright, any of you who do any surfing on technorati probably noticed not so long ago the interesting tag, "Du bist Deutschland." I, having intimate ties with Germany, was curious. Now that I am taking a week off homeschooling, I have had time to do a bit of research and find the topic "hoechstinteressant" (most interesting). This is a bit outside even my normal off topic spiels, but it is relevant. In my mind, there is a clear connection between the German education system which I outlined earlier and this nefarious ad campaign.
What began as an ad campaing to combat German "grumpiness" exploded in the blogosphere. The multi-million dollar campaign was laughed at and made fun of. It was criticized on a more serious note due to the history of the slogan. Could its creator, Jean-Remy von Matt, have simply made a mistake in reviving Hitler's propoganda?
Herr von Matt fought back. In an email to a colleague, he responds to the criticism:
(My translation)
From the weblogs, the bathroom walls of the internet. (And what gives every computer owner the right to excrete his opinions uninvited, anyway? And most bloggers merely excrete. This new low point in the construction of opinion becomes clear when one enters "Du bist Deutschland" in www.technorati.com.)
What gives us the right to an opinion? Herr von Matt certainly does not seem to think that we have the right to express one. Not if it goes against the his little campaign, anyway. He did later issue an apology, but this does seem rather indicative of an elitist system, giving access to education only to those deemed worthy. Rather than provide a rundown of the criticism, I thought I'd go to the source. Curious? Take a look here, and view the ad spots yourself. They ran on television spots, radio spots and billboards. I cannot help but think of Germany's national anthem...Deutschland, Deutschland, ueber alles, ueber alles in der Welt (Germany, Germany, over all, over everything in the world).
Is the background music familiar? It is from Forrest Gump.
And behind any good campaign, especially one with National Socialist overtones, is a Manifesto. This is a long one. It reads rather well, in a New Age sort of way, in the original German. It's pretty poetic...a bit will be lost in the translation, but here it is (again, my own):
A butterfly can cause a typhoon. The puff of wind from the beat of its wing can perhaps uproot trees a few kilometers away. Just as a breath of air can develop into a storm, your deeds can have an effect. Unrealistic, you ask? Then why do you cheer on your team in the stadium if your voice is so unimportant? Why do you wave flags while Schumacher (German race car driver) turns his rounds? You know the answer: Because out of your flag come many, and from your voice comes a choir. You are a part of everything. And everything is a part of you.
You are Germany.
Your will is like a fire under the rear. It lets your favorite striker run faster and lets Schumi (Schumacher) drive faster. It doesn't matter where you work. It doesn't matter what position you hold. You hold the store together. You are the store.
You are Germany.
Our time does not taste like cotton candy. No one is going to tell you that. It may be that you are standing with your back against the wall or your face against a wall (note...the first word used for wall is like the wall in your house, the second is like the Berlin wall, MUCH bigger). But once we tore down a wall together. Germany has enough hands to reach out and take hold of one another. We are 82 Million. Let's get our hands dirty. You are the hand. You are 82 Million.
You are Germany.
Allright: What would happen if you were to motivate (literally, root for) yourselves again? Don't just give it the gas on the Autobahn. Let off the brakes. There is no speed limit on the 'Germany-track.' Don't ask what the others are going to do for you. You are the others.
You are Germany.
Treat your country like a good friend. Don't gripe about him, but rather offer him your help. Bring the best output that you are capable of. And when you are finished with that, outdo yourself. Flutter your wings and uproot trees. You are the wings. You are the trees.
You are Germany!
You are the miracle of Germany.
 
du bist deutschland
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Feb. 13, 2006 - Untitled Comment