Having lived in Germany for almost 10 years now...I cannot agree more with the intramural arrogance and herd mentality. Its taught in school and kids become used to the whole concept. Everyone fits into a certain postion in life by the time they are 9 years old and its almost impossible to move up or out. University education may be totally free....but its down a certain path and most of the educational elite (professors) have no modern background. The technology side of universities is dismal and always behind the times. And business instructors are lost in the current environment. The most amazing thing is that no one can go out and creat a company out of thin air (a Bill Gates type) and expect to be allowed to run it. You don't become a German CEO unless you have a minimum of a MBA and all of your tickets punched.
As for the political sector...the Greens have made several significant mistakes in the last four years...but the media has barely acknowledged those errors...so they are getting a free ride out in the public. The Greens influence does not shrink...thats for sure. With the political system in place...it would be simple to have a Green Hitler in place within 20 years. ((Its the movie Mel Brooks has been waiting to make...lol))
I really think you have to have significant exposure on site in Germany to understand just how unchanged the culture is from pre-WWII. The public style is different. But the underlying culture is still kind of scary.
There's a reason Germany is still an occupied country. Other folks is high places have, for many years, felt that some heavy divisions in Germany make the world a better place. And they do.
I deeply disagree with those who would encourage the Germans to remilitarize.