Introduction to Negt and Zipes

For quite some time. West Germany has been described in clichés. According to popular legend, this is a country whose “economic miracle” of the 1950s laid the groundwork for a stable, well-functioning democracy characterized by discipline and efficiency. As the main bulwark of the Atlantic alliance, the FRG is considered to be the most dependable representative of U.S. interests in Western Europe. Despite this status (or perhaps because of it), the U.S. press has consistently failed to provide more than superficial coverage of current events there, and little critical analysis has been forthcoming. Even during the recent wave of terrorist activity, few reports went beyond sensationalism or admiration for the “tough” stance taken by Chancellor Schmidt's government

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