Footie and Patriotism
Jun. 15th, 2006 07:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
herzverstreut_buShort commentary on the games so far: Yay Ecuador! Meh England. I'm expecting more from you, please start delivering soon. Terry saving that goal? Niiice move! Otherwise? Disappointing. ETA: Now, that's what I wanted to see! Though, really, I'd like for T-T to get into the next round as well.
Anyway. I... bought a German flag today. Now, I don't know how unusual owning national flags is for you non-Germans, but to me it seems pretty damn weird. I'm not usually much of a patriot - not because of Germany, but patriotism (as in: being "proud" to be of a certain nationality) is a concept that just doesn't work for me. It seems so exclusive, feeding a "we're better than everybody else" attitude based on a completely random criterium (i.e. being born at a certain place in the world) and lumping people together. Just because we both happened to be born roughly in the same area and speak the same language doesn't mean I have anything more in common with some German than I have with any other random person in the world. In other words: I do not have to feel guilty for the crimes of the NS regime, but I can't be proud of Goethe's works, either.
Now, don't get me wrong: I like living in Germany. We do have our share of problems and crappy politics, but overall I'd even go so far as to say it's one of the best countries to live in, these days. And sure it's nice to be "cool by association" when Germany does well somewhere (though that also goes hand in hand with the problems mentioned above). I'm glad, but I'm not "proud." It's nothing that I have achieved, it was given to me by birth - sure, I vote in the elections, and just by living here I help shape what happens, to a very small extent, but again: it's not enough reason to identify with the flag (or the national anthem, or anything else).
So, why do I go along with the wave of flag-flying and colours-showing that's sweeping Germany? Because these World Cup days it it doesn't seem to be about blind patriotism anymore. Walking around Berlin, there's thousands of people clad in flags, but they're not excluding each other, they're including. There's Germans wearing Brasilian shirts, Turkish youth waving German flags, Swedish cheering along with Croatians - whereever you see someone with football gear, no matter which flag, you know it's someone who has something in commong with you. It's about partying together, no matter what nationality, no matter the rivalry in the Cup - and I realize I'm sounding like the last hippie, and it's certainly not all sunshine and rainbows, but if you're in the middle of what's happening in Germany these days, you might have an idea of why I feel that way.
So I'm going to wear the flag of my team, that is not my team because they're German, but because they're likeable and exciting players, and let everyone see that I'm a fellow football enthusiast. :) Hey, maybe I'll get a Czech flag, too, when I see one. (After all I predict that they're going to win the Cup.) Or an English one. Maybe I'll paint the Swedish flag on my cheek when I go to the Fanmeile tonight - because while we might cheer for different teams, for different reasons, in the end we're all fans.
*steps off soapbox* What I meant to say with this entry? Nothing in particular. Just feeling the love and been wondering about the sudden amount of German flags fying about, when usually you barely see them outside of government buildings.
P.S. Made more football icons, mostly from last night's match, here.
Anyway. I... bought a German flag today. Now, I don't know how unusual owning national flags is for you non-Germans, but to me it seems pretty damn weird. I'm not usually much of a patriot - not because of Germany, but patriotism (as in: being "proud" to be of a certain nationality) is a concept that just doesn't work for me. It seems so exclusive, feeding a "we're better than everybody else" attitude based on a completely random criterium (i.e. being born at a certain place in the world) and lumping people together. Just because we both happened to be born roughly in the same area and speak the same language doesn't mean I have anything more in common with some German than I have with any other random person in the world. In other words: I do not have to feel guilty for the crimes of the NS regime, but I can't be proud of Goethe's works, either.
Now, don't get me wrong: I like living in Germany. We do have our share of problems and crappy politics, but overall I'd even go so far as to say it's one of the best countries to live in, these days. And sure it's nice to be "cool by association" when Germany does well somewhere (though that also goes hand in hand with the problems mentioned above). I'm glad, but I'm not "proud." It's nothing that I have achieved, it was given to me by birth - sure, I vote in the elections, and just by living here I help shape what happens, to a very small extent, but again: it's not enough reason to identify with the flag (or the national anthem, or anything else).
So, why do I go along with the wave of flag-flying and colours-showing that's sweeping Germany? Because these World Cup days it it doesn't seem to be about blind patriotism anymore. Walking around Berlin, there's thousands of people clad in flags, but they're not excluding each other, they're including. There's Germans wearing Brasilian shirts, Turkish youth waving German flags, Swedish cheering along with Croatians - whereever you see someone with football gear, no matter which flag, you know it's someone who has something in commong with you. It's about partying together, no matter what nationality, no matter the rivalry in the Cup - and I realize I'm sounding like the last hippie, and it's certainly not all sunshine and rainbows, but if you're in the middle of what's happening in Germany these days, you might have an idea of why I feel that way.
So I'm going to wear the flag of my team, that is not my team because they're German, but because they're likeable and exciting players, and let everyone see that I'm a fellow football enthusiast. :) Hey, maybe I'll get a Czech flag, too, when I see one. (After all I predict that they're going to win the Cup.) Or an English one. Maybe I'll paint the Swedish flag on my cheek when I go to the Fanmeile tonight - because while we might cheer for different teams, for different reasons, in the end we're all fans.
*steps off soapbox* What I meant to say with this entry? Nothing in particular. Just feeling the love and been wondering about the sudden amount of German flags fying about, when usually you barely see them outside of government buildings.
P.S. Made more football icons, mostly from last night's match, here.
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no subject
Date: 2006-06-15 09:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-15 10:21 pm (UTC)Yes, that is seriously awesome! (I just came back from the big public viewing area/party at Brandenburger Tor, and the Swedish fans were incredible. They were so happy that everybody else - Germans, lots of English people, Brasilians, ... - partied right along. It's incredible.
Even if England do make it so painful for me to watch sometime. ;)
Seriously! England is one of my favourite teams, but what they've been doing those two matches was beyond frustrating.