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And why try to distinguish in every discussion? A government acting on behalf of the people doesn't necessarily act for the people. You can't act for all the people. The people aren't a homogeneous group either. And the government is split into several branches (sub-systems) too.

This isn't a sad world. It's just not very romantic.

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If a government does something, then that doesn't mean that the people do something. "Germans", "Jews" and "Muslims" are always a generalization (as opposed to "Most/Some/A Few Germans/Jews/Muslims")

However, in this case the actor is clearly the government and it is a much more specific "subgroup" than "Germans". (Otherwise, we could as well write "Humans", "Mammals" or "Living beings" forget postwar ...).

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