It's not too easy to express clearly what any nation's or culture's values are, but the way this phrase is being bandied about in the current climate of ass-kissing for votes is nothing short of bewildering.
What the hell does it mean?
For example, when Rom-Ry berate the Obama admin for not upholding American values in the Libyan embassy attacks...what the fuck do they mean? Which American values? Family? Church? Three square a day? How do they relate to Libya? Why would American values have any relevance whatsoever in Libya? What the fuck are they talking about?
I can only surmise that they are talking about the core value of freedom of expression. That's what needs to be defended. Of course for radical Islamists that's the problem. Why should people be allowed to say such things?
They have a point, given their lack of experience of open expression.
But wait...it was a terrorist attack, not a protest.
Ah, now which values do we mean? The value of self-defense? That's not an American value. That's a human value, or even more; an organismal value.
That can't be what they mean.
What do they mean?
I think they mean the value of the US as being the biggest and baddest motherfucker on the planet, the value of being able to tell other soveriegn states what to do, when to do it, and when and where to jump when we ask them to. That's what needs to be defended. That's what American values are.
I think they mean the value of arrogance.
I see no value in that at all.
Showing posts with label arrogance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arrogance. Show all posts
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Saturday, September 1, 2012
The Experts
It's a funny thing about tourists - so many seem to come back to their natal abodes and cohorts as sudden experts on almost every aspect of the place they've visited, however briefly. Their friends and family gush and quiver with excitement and envy at every new tale told of the 'adventure'.
Well, a trip to a new place, exposure to a new culture, and a new geography, different politics, etc., is an adventure. It's a wonderful thing to do. But what can you learn about a place on a two or three week visit?
Damn little. That's the truth.
All the same, you're bound to hear rabid pontificating and lecturing from returning tourists who've ventured into unknown lands. It seems like it's the worst with Americans, but maybe it's just a more general phenomenon of tourism. It seems like it's worse with Americans because they are on average affluent enough to be frequent tourists.
This realization will only come to one after one has lived in a tourist destination, or a foreign land of some attraction, and had the opportunity to listen to the speeches of the returning touristas about that place.
Generally, they don't know their asses from a hole in the ground.
I lived in South Africa for 8 years and traveled widely in that time as a biologist scouring the bush for insects. I read and listened to the local news and literature extensively, I listened to the music, walked the streets, watched the cricket and rugby and soccer, enjoyed braais, drank in the pubs, drove the bloody dangerous roads endlessly, worked and taught and laughed with a wide cross-section of the society, got burglarized regularly, got paid in rands not dollars, paid taxes - participated in every way as a member of South African society.
After all that time, I still don't know my ass from a hole in the ground. The history and culture and land is complex and it is likely that a foreigner will never really be in with it (South African tourists to the USA - you fall into this category too).
But there's something about Americans (USA Americans, that is). About 2-3 years after movng to SA an American couple came over to work on higher degrees. We had a few get-togethers. Within 6 months they were absolute experts on a vast array of aspects of South African life. It was astounding! They would go on and on, contradicting anything I tried to say from my own experience.
It was also absolute bullshit.
Fascinating phenomenon.
Be humble and honest, people. Life is much nicer that way.
Well, a trip to a new place, exposure to a new culture, and a new geography, different politics, etc., is an adventure. It's a wonderful thing to do. But what can you learn about a place on a two or three week visit?
Damn little. That's the truth.
All the same, you're bound to hear rabid pontificating and lecturing from returning tourists who've ventured into unknown lands. It seems like it's the worst with Americans, but maybe it's just a more general phenomenon of tourism. It seems like it's worse with Americans because they are on average affluent enough to be frequent tourists.
This realization will only come to one after one has lived in a tourist destination, or a foreign land of some attraction, and had the opportunity to listen to the speeches of the returning touristas about that place.
Generally, they don't know their asses from a hole in the ground.
I lived in South Africa for 8 years and traveled widely in that time as a biologist scouring the bush for insects. I read and listened to the local news and literature extensively, I listened to the music, walked the streets, watched the cricket and rugby and soccer, enjoyed braais, drank in the pubs, drove the bloody dangerous roads endlessly, worked and taught and laughed with a wide cross-section of the society, got burglarized regularly, got paid in rands not dollars, paid taxes - participated in every way as a member of South African society.
After all that time, I still don't know my ass from a hole in the ground. The history and culture and land is complex and it is likely that a foreigner will never really be in with it (South African tourists to the USA - you fall into this category too).
But there's something about Americans (USA Americans, that is). About 2-3 years after movng to SA an American couple came over to work on higher degrees. We had a few get-togethers. Within 6 months they were absolute experts on a vast array of aspects of South African life. It was astounding! They would go on and on, contradicting anything I tried to say from my own experience.
It was also absolute bullshit.
Fascinating phenomenon.
Be humble and honest, people. Life is much nicer that way.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
On ‘The Greatest Country on Earth’ and American Exceptionalism
On ‘The Greatest Country on Earth’ and American Exceptionalism
It’s the election season (the only season you’ll ever experience on earth that lasts 2-4 years) and we will be hearing the phrase ‘the greatest country on earth’ spewing rather loudly and repetitively from the mouths of Republican and Democrat alike, and probably from the mouths of some candidates from minor and marginal parties as well. It’s supposed to be a kind of unifying, rallying call and those who call it the loudest and longest are deemed to be the ones who love the country the most.
And that must be a good thing, right?
Except that it’s bullshit.
Making that statement precludes this piece from publication in any of the watered-down pussy-whipped rags called newspapers and magazines in this country. It will likely affect my job opportunities, even, if it were. It is simply unacceptable for a wide swathe of the citizenry of the US to utter critical, or even realistic, statements about the place of this country in the world if they seek many of the available jobs; including political office, of course. These dopes that run for office must tire of being endlessly coached on how to praise the country and feign patriotism.
If they don’t tire of mouthing those platitudes, we certainly do tire of listening to them; those of us out here in the real world.
But is loving one’s country the same as believing that it is the greatest country on the planet? Is it ever enough to simply think that one’s country is a great place to live and leave it at that - period, full stop?
If not, why not?
A rallying cry of a segment of the political spectrum seeks to revive the concept of ‘American Exceptionalism’. What does this mean? It has been said that it means that there is something in the American experience that is ‘exceptional’, unique, special, exalted, elevated to a level that rises above the status of other countries.
How fucking arrogant and obnoxious can you get? Entire histories filled with pain and achievement, rich and innovative art and music, complex social relations and colourful cultures, vibrant and ancient histories, get cast upon the slagheap so that the puny peons of industry can get exalted to the skies.
What crap!
It is no wonder that many people around the globe are not enamoured of the US
Do we, as Americans, really need these concepts and images (myths?) in order to feel good about ourselves?
I don’t think so.
It is an odd perspective on life and one that relies explicitly on the belief that others are inferior. It’s a grand delusion that reflects a kind of underlying inferiority complex, where self-esteem can only be found by denigrating others, by putting others down.
It is a very bad thing I think, a thing which we need to put into the dustbin of history, to grow up out of. Patriotism itself is a debatable virtue, but patriotism that depends on placing oneself on a fictitious pedestal towering above others borders on being evil. It perpetuates divisiveness as a virtue; indeed, even a virtue of the highest order.
American exceptionalism was perhaps born in the hyperbole of Manifest Destiny – the former colonists, now united in an independent nation, were fated to drive to the ends of the continent, colonizing all that lay before them, capturing all the resources and all the land in order to make the nation that would rise above all other nations.
The devastation of proud, virtuous, and noble nations that fell in the wake of that massive bout of bullying should be lesson enough on how to navigate the way forward.
But it hasn’t been, and the revival of a mind-set that seeks to place stupidity above intelligence smacks of the cold fact of continual battle.
Eyes on the prize people, eyes on the prize.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
US and UN
Watching the Colbert Repor(t) some weeks ago there was a telling exchange and revelation when Colbert, acting in character of the conservative who is staunch in condemnation of the UN as an agent for global domination and subjugation of America, is countered by the statement from Susan Rice, US Permanent Representative to the UN, that ‘The UN can’t even issue a press report without the US’ approval.’
A chilling affirmation of what very many countries around the globe have been claiming for a very long time.
I have not heard any commentator or satirist pick up on this outlandish statement.
That’s even more chilling.
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