But if it cringes, it will miss its chance. For a capitalist democracy to digest a state socialist dictatorship is a heavy lunch. Faiths, myths and memory live side by side. Like a sunken continent, the G.D.R. has moved into the memory of individuals. Since it is no longer a menacing power, it has become a community of nostalgia.
Few people like to view their past, their youth, as miserable.
Though the beloved intimacies of others may seem strange, it is the mix of manners, respect and humor things one finds in a world-class city that promotes the learning of liberal democracy. Let s hope that the culture of the third millennium is defined by dialogue rather than combat, and let s call this empathetic behavior dialogism. Time Inc. New Media. All Rights Reserved.