Olympics 2012: Can German athletes learn something from all that US flag-waving?
(Read article summary)Even though Americans may get a little carried away at the Olympics, Germans could express a bit more public patriotism. Think Robert Harting, who just won gold in the discus.
The day after Gabby Douglas won the gold medal in the individual all-around gymnastics competition Fox News debated the question whether the 2012 Olympics US athletes were patriotic enough. David Webb, syndicated radio show host and spokesperson for the National Tea Party Federation complained about the lack of publicly expressed patriotism.
I don't think America has anything to worry about. Every day at the Olympics, athletes, viewers, and journalists show plenty of patriotism. Maybe Mr. Webb missed the endless athletes marveling about their country in post-win interviews, Ryan Lochte wearing a stars-and-stripes grill during his medal ceremony, or Serena Williams dancing on the court at Wimbledon.
Complex emotions
Not being an American, waving the flag at basically everything still bewilders me. And it stands in sharp contrast to my home country of Germany, where for historical reasons waving the flag still can engender deeply complex emotions.
