Though it is good for Germany to educate its own thoroughly about its dark history, there is a dark side to this institutionalized learning is something that is in of itself ingrained in general society, which is “stigma”. This relates to your German friend who stated that Germans cannot display a sense of national pride like we Americans do (which is a real tragedy in and of itself) but this also has negative effects. The Bundeswehr (German armed forces) are paying terribly because of this stigma. They are nowhere near supported by their own society like our military here in America; at times, military pride is scrutinized; they are underfunded and though their basic training is top quality, they suffer logistically from having inadequate equipment (malfunctioning aircraft, vehicles, etc.); also, and this is big BS, but it was declared by the German government that all servicemen receive veteran status, even if they don’t participate in the war itself (in terms of deployment).

Ach, Unsinn!