Dear Richard Walter, I really enjoyed this edition of your podcast—another thoughtful, engaging exploration. Listening to your reflections on citizenship, I couldn’t help but add my two cents.
I became a U.S. citizen in 2023, and even now, I’m still in awe whenever I look at my passport. For me, it represents a sense of belonging that, frankly, I never felt with my previous German citizenship. Germany, for too long, was on the wrong side of history in an irrevocable and irreversible way.
What makes my American citizenship so meaningful? It’s not a denial of the country’s mistakes or missteps—there have been plenty, and some tragically wrong decisions along the way. But I deeply appreciate that America, as a powerful and complex nation, openly grapples with the really big problems of our times. There’s a unique kind of courage in tackling these monumental challenges with all the uncertainty and imperfection that comes with it, yet doing so with a confidence that we will come out stronger on the other side.
Yes, big efforts lead to big mistakes, but I’ve scrutinized American history before, during, and after becoming a citizen, and I’ve never found this country to have even remotely strayed in a permanent way. America’s foundation in diversity—and the ongoing reckoning with it—is one of its greatest achievements in human history, even when it’s messy.
Thank you for continuing to spark these reflections and conversations. Looking forward to more episodes!
Prof. Walter always entertaining both live and remotely. I'm glad to announce that I have become a US Citizen and look forward to being able to speak at the University of Las Vegas. I must say it took me roughly 35 years and I did not cross it over a river. The psyche is a permeable membrane and needs diverse experiences, thoughts, ideas, and art! The problem with wholesale immigration, however, like any pill your doctor prescribes, is that it tends to create an antagonistic response, an anti-immigration feeling that is perfectly justified when no one is being vetoed or held accountable for their personalities or past actions. It is not a right, it is a privilege to be in the USA and to be able to contribute. A readiness that is mutual must be taken into account. Not every soul that crosses that frontier is either fit, or ever able to assimilate, embrace, and understand how they can contribute to this society. Diversity as a priori virtue signaling, like any dogma, can lead us into dangerous, stagnant territory. Plenty of good intentions have led societies to terrible outcomes.
Dear Richard Walter, I really enjoyed this edition of your podcast—another thoughtful, engaging exploration. Listening to your reflections on citizenship, I couldn’t help but add my two cents.
I became a U.S. citizen in 2023, and even now, I’m still in awe whenever I look at my passport. For me, it represents a sense of belonging that, frankly, I never felt with my previous German citizenship. Germany, for too long, was on the wrong side of history in an irrevocable and irreversible way.
What makes my American citizenship so meaningful? It’s not a denial of the country’s mistakes or missteps—there have been plenty, and some tragically wrong decisions along the way. But I deeply appreciate that America, as a powerful and complex nation, openly grapples with the really big problems of our times. There’s a unique kind of courage in tackling these monumental challenges with all the uncertainty and imperfection that comes with it, yet doing so with a confidence that we will come out stronger on the other side.
Yes, big efforts lead to big mistakes, but I’ve scrutinized American history before, during, and after becoming a citizen, and I’ve never found this country to have even remotely strayed in a permanent way. America’s foundation in diversity—and the ongoing reckoning with it—is one of its greatest achievements in human history, even when it’s messy.
Thank you for continuing to spark these reflections and conversations. Looking forward to more episodes!
Prof. Walter always entertaining both live and remotely. I'm glad to announce that I have become a US Citizen and look forward to being able to speak at the University of Las Vegas. I must say it took me roughly 35 years and I did not cross it over a river. The psyche is a permeable membrane and needs diverse experiences, thoughts, ideas, and art! The problem with wholesale immigration, however, like any pill your doctor prescribes, is that it tends to create an antagonistic response, an anti-immigration feeling that is perfectly justified when no one is being vetoed or held accountable for their personalities or past actions. It is not a right, it is a privilege to be in the USA and to be able to contribute. A readiness that is mutual must be taken into account. Not every soul that crosses that frontier is either fit, or ever able to assimilate, embrace, and understand how they can contribute to this society. Diversity as a priori virtue signaling, like any dogma, can lead us into dangerous, stagnant territory. Plenty of good intentions have led societies to terrible outcomes.