need for action

Featured photo: Newport Beach in summer

It is the "American Dream" that holds the population together in the United States of America. It is also amazing how quickly new immigrants are willing to support their new homeland and, if necessary, to sacrifice their own lives for the United States. And even with the greatest differences and disputes among themselves, almost everyone agrees that they are Americans and want to live a dream together.

In Europe and especially here in Germany, the whole thing looks different. Like the United States, we are a coveted immigration destination, but we don't manage to get as many immigrants as possible to embrace the "European idea", the counterpart of the "American dream". And I'm not even talking about a self-image of making a personal contribution to your new home. Nor am I saying that the new citizens should apply for military service; Voluntary work for the fire brigade, rescue services or social institutions would be quite an achievement.

In my opinion it is much worse that many of the immigrants, even after decades of being here, not only reject our values ​​and ideas for living together, but on the contrary try to adapt their new homeland to the supposed conditions of the old country of origin. In doing so, however, they overlook two essential things, namely, firstly, that it was the conditions in their countries of origin that prompted them to emigrate, and secondly, that the majority of long-established residents here are very satisfied with the conditions in Europe.

I am deliberately speaking of the "still overwhelming majority of the long-established", because many have never been able to identify with the "European idea", the basis for our security and our prosperity, and are obviously only "hibernating" in our democracies until the next twilight of the gods.

The crux of the matter is that both the "American Dream" and the "European Idea" only stand a chance if the majority of the population believes in them! That's why I see an urgent need for action if we don't want to achieve conditions that will once again turn Europe – and Germany is a not insignificant part of it – into a country of emigration.

What can, what must we do? First of all, we have to reflect on our values ​​that have grown over the centuries, which can be described excellently with the "European idea", and represent them again ourselves, both towards "unteachable" and towards "newcomers".

We are strong when we believe in ourselves and our community again: the "European idea" as well as the "American dream" are still the best there is in our world. Let's live our ideas - and for everyone else the rest of the world should be big enough!