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Return of the Repressed in Germany

by Nathan Gardels

Published 2026-10-02 14:50:25+00:00

When a country tries to bury its past, where does the need for a homeland actually go?

0:00 / 16:17 · Narrator Charon

Context

Thirty years ago, a small group of writers warned that Germany was ignoring a basic human need for belonging. Writing on 2 October 2026, Nathan Gardels returns to those forgotten warnings as nationalist parties gain ground across the country. He pauses on a difficult question about modern borders: what happens when mainstream politics treats the desire for a homeland as a taboo? When governments dismiss the emotional pull of local community, they leave a void that extremist movements are more than happy to fill.

Show notes

A historical analysis of how post-war Germany's rejection of national identity created a void that helped fuel current right-wing extremism. Drawing on 30-year-old warnings from German intellectuals, the argument uses this history to rethink Western immigration policy. It concludes with four practical steps for democracies to secure borders, redefine asylum, and integrate newcomers while acknowledging the human need for belonging.

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