How Much Do You Value Ordnung?

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Ordnung is a German word meaning literally order; however, it carries with it the connotation of the brand of order the Nazi regime tried to impose on Germany, Europe, and the rest of the world. Ordnung can be described as that urge to impose upon others one's own sense of how the world should operate when the people being imposed upon are doing no harm to others. Those who seek Ordnung usually value a common national culture and prescribed set of behaviors (usually derived from some preset social role); they expect compliance to these things and would like to enforce these ideas.

A social conservative, for example, values Ordnung to a high degree. They would seek to impose what they believe to be the nation's founding values on others: strict, dogmatic Christianity; a fervent patriotism; and a strict, repressive (especially sexually) code of behavior. They find something wrong with someone who wishes to seek a more alternative lifestyle. Similarly, to protect the national culture, they would like to impose strict limits on immigration, and they tend to be mistrustful of foreigners in general.

I don't mind order, just as long as it's not too restrictive. As a socially liberal non-comformist, I believe people should be able to do whatever they want as long as they're not infringing on the rights of others.

Besides, society doesn't stay the same forever. Society changes, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'd rather live in a sexually liberal society than in a prudish, sexually repressive society with old-fashioned and outdated ideals.

I don't mind immigration as long as they're coming here legally. This is a nation founded by immigrants. There is nothing wrong with people from other cultures moving into our society and keeping their traditions with them. I think multiculturalism is a good thing.

just keep society in loose order, and I'll take care of my own life...

Order, ordnung, or whatever you want to call it I'm generally in favor of it.
Throwing the Nazi thingy in there I guess is an attempt to make people feel guilty for preferring any kind of traditional order in society.

To me, as an American, order would mean traditional American values are upheld and society is in a generally stable state. Not perfect, though, because then it would be too boring.

I think the concept of ordnung is being stretched a little here, and that the likely purpose is to attempt to associate a word with definite Nazi overtones to apply to an ideology that the OP is not supportive of. We could certainly come up with a similarly loaded term for liberalism, "socialist" is a bit played out but I'm sure we can come up with something both suitably suggestive and not traditionally associated with the ideology. I'd suggest "looters" from Atlas Shrugged on pure maliciousness as it would invoke several of the great hatreds of the modern liberal simultaneously, but that term is already associated with them, and it isn't foreign sounding enough...

When I see the word ordnung, I immediately think ordure and dung, which is my general view of such a world view. I don't think innovation can thrive in such an environment. The most adaptable survive, not the strongest. There's a reason a mutt is healthier than a purebred.

Ordnung is fine. It is Deutsche Ordnung that worries me.

As they say in Germany: You do not like Ordnung? Ve haff vays of making you like Ordnung.

ruveyn