[pasabagi]

I think the idea that germans are the victims of history (and that's why they're so sensitive about oppression) is actually older than the stasi, or the nazis. Hitler, for instance, uses the theme an awful lot in his speeches. It just got a big boost from the post-holocaust psychological judo where germans recast themselves as the victims of the nazi dictatorship, rather than the enthusiastic supporters.

It leads to some funny statements, to be sure. The woman who said she felt like Sophie Scholl because she had been in coronavirus lockdown was one example - but honestly, if you mess with somebody's parking place, they're about two sentences away from saying you're literally the NS-diktatur.

Still, if it leads to a sense of urgency over privacy, I'm all for it.