On a personal level, I am also a bit defensive of Germany. A lot of low quality Internet discourse likes to shit on Germany, and I don't like it. Sometimes it is dumb stuff like "Hilter this/that" or trafficking in stereotypes. Part of what fascinates me about Germany is that they were able to completely reboot their society after an awful, destructive war. Plus, they survived the Cold War, and managed to merge again. For my generation, it still feels like a miracle when I say it out loud.