According to a now well-established media narrative, German outrage over National Security Agency spying has historical roots. Today's uproar reflects yesterday's bitter experience of domestic surveillance under Nazi and, more recently, East German Communist rule, we are told.
"It is not just about a wiretapped phone — it is a reminder of the fragility of free societies," wrote Dagmar Hovestadt, spokeswoman for an agency that preserves the Stasi archives in Berlin.
Even a country without Germany's past might be upset to learn the NSA was tapping the phone of its elected leader.