Understanding the Germans?

Das übernehme ich mal Copy & Paste aus dem Psycholog:

Ein US-Rechtsprofessor erklärt „den Amerikanern“ warum „die Deutschen“ den Krieg im Irak ablehnen:

[…] 79% believe that it is a violation of international law.

One might be cynical about this survey result, and suggest that many of the Germans asked do not know very much about international law. Thus, one might say that, like so many survey results, this one simply shows that statistics can be used to prove anything. After all, what does a German car mechanic or homemaker know about the subtle and intricate world of the law of nations?

But to discount the importance of the rule of law to Germans–even the „average“ German- -would be to misunderstand the important changes that have occurred in Germany since the time of Hitler. It is a crude stereotype that Germans are, as a people, orderly and susceptible to authority. But it is not inaccurate to say that throughout its modern history, Germany has struggled with the proper understanding of the rule of law.

[Quelle]