What are Germans good for?

People at college constantly ask me what I have against the Germans - is it the war?  Or just some crass bigotry on my part?  The answer is that I love Germans; if I didn't love Germans I couldn't enjoy living in the South Burnett (most of my neighbours are Germans).  Germans, however, are very different from the rest of us (especially if the rest of us happen to be Irish, like me).  Whereas I am a non-linear thinker, Germans are linear.  They are so linear that they are disappointed that they can't take short cuts in their linear thinking and get to the conclusion even quicker.  I enjoy the ride.  And the odd stop to admire the view along the way. 

But anyway, to demonstrate the reasons I love Germans I've put this post together.  Here goes.

1.  They invented lager.  The Irish are good at making Beer, too, but a light, intentionally cold beer like a lager, instead of a heavy, not always cold beer like stout, is much better in the Queensland climate.  It tastes good, too, especially in summer.  The Germans seem to be the best at making it - when I was in Africa the best beers were made by Germans, often from Namibia.

2.  Small goods.  The Germans have given us much in the way of small goods - cabana, wurst, smoked sausages, etc.  This goes together very nicely with their beer.  What would life be like without small goods? (Longer, perhaps, Morphy, but also deprived of a taste sensation).

3.  Armaments.  The readiest example of what I'm talking about here is the MG 42.  This was the German belt fed machine gun during WWII.  It was so good that the Americans copied it and called it the M 60.  The only trouble was that firstly, it was rubbish, and secondly, that the Australian Army bought them.  The Germans made them after the war and called them the MG 3, which was on the Leopard II tanks (which the Australian Army had until recently), and were very good.  Good design and good manufacture resulting in a good piece of equipment.  Germans have focus.  They don't do things by halves - they do things properly.

4.  Good farmers.  German dedication shows in the way they run their farms - neat, tidy, and well managed.  Germans know their stuff.  Some of them are resistant to change, but those that adopt new innovations do so with the precision and dedication that we expect from them.  They don't win every match, but they always land on their feet.  In the early days they often got the worst land but still managed to survive and do well on it, and they are still going strong today.

5.  Theology.  The Germans really went off the rails theologically in the 1800s, and have never really recovered.  In the last hundred years von Rad, Rendtorff and others have had some useful things to say about the Old Testament, but they have produced no strictly orthodox standouts in theology.  Until you look at their diaspora.  Geisler, Waltke and others from North America provide worthwhile reading which gives the liberals a run for their money.  Closer to home is my own principal, Bruce.  The second time I met him (our interview) something twigged me to him being of the Teutonic race - firstly his direct, dogmatic and insistent stand on all things evangelical and reformed, and then his physical appearance.  A couple of years ago I was having a polite debate with Mr Vonhof about the demise of contemporary German theology, and, (with the ascent of Mr Kristofel) asked 'When did you last produce an orthodox theologian?'
"Hmmm," thought Glen. "Its been a while, hasn't it.  I think it was probably Martin Luther." Checkmate.  They've always got to bring up kicking off the Reformation.  Still and all, the rest of us can be eternally grateful that they did. 

So, there are my first five examples of why I love Germans.  Think about it, and maybe you can come up with your own five reasons which make the Germans so lovable (even if you are German).  I'm not suggesting Germans are perfect (they did after all start two World Wars, and lost both of them, in spite of their very good gun-making ability - this represents a serious character flaw), just that there are many good things in what makes them different that compliments the rest of us.