Anti-Americanism

Anti-Americanism

In these days of war and general turmoil in the Middle East (when has this region ever known anything much different?) it is easy for attitudes to radicalise and cast governments and peoples in the same light. This is but one more instance of our basic tendency to oversimplify facts, which blurs rather than clarifies the picture.

I am not saying (or rather I am) that all the flag-burning mobs in Third World countries are deluded and should know better than demonize a whole country for the mistakes of its rulers. But they are, more often than not, bound to be manipulated by those exploiting their despair for their own ends –unscrupulous leaders in search of a scapegoat.

There exists, however, this armchair Anti-Americanism that some in the Left like to cultivate as an integral part of their ideological build-up. It arises not from despair but from… what? I refuse to accept that their rejection of all things Yankee (a much favoured term among them) is based on objective fact. On the contrary, I believe that this view has rather more to do with nostalgia-ridden rites, which they need to perform as a tribute to some glorified militancy of their youth.

The US belongs with Europe in what we call the West. Our political and social institutions are based on shared common values. It is true that the US rulers need to tackle, as ever, issues like imperial power, isolationism and intervention. But I think the succesive European governments (from the French with their detached friendship to the British with their so-called special relationship) have been wise to deal with the Americans never as anything but loyal allies. Because the fact remains that, above all else, we are on the same side.

Jugensünde

Es gibt jetzt in Deutschland eine Debatte darüber, wie manche Prominenten (heutzutage vielen von denen tot), sind in Mitgliedskarten der Nazi Partei erschienen. Angeblich haben sie, als sie nur 16 oder 17 Jahre alt waren, Aufnahmeanträge ausgefüllt und, in viellen Fälle, auch unterschrieben.
Die Sache ist ein heiss umstrittenes Problem geworden, besonders seit Günter Grass seine jugendliche Angehörigkeit zur Waffen SS gestanden hatte.

Wie solche nebensächliche Details so viele Achtung bekommen haben, ist mir rätselhaft, wenn nicht ausgesprochen lächerlich. Was treibt Leute dazu, die anderen so oberflächlich zu beurteilen? Wollen sie dann nur aus Spass grundlos beleiden? Menschen tun das immer, das weisse ich, doch würde man vielleicht mehr Analyse-Fähigkeit in diesen Kreise der Akademiker erwarten.

Transformers

The other day I saw Transformers. Apart from proving yet again that the special effects technology is getting better by the minute, there was something about the film that struck me as odd. It was unusually choral for a film of this genre, although I am no expert. Could it be Spielberg's hand? Whatever the case may be, I found it intriguing that so many characters had so much to say and do in such an action-packed film of robots crushing each other into metal pulp.

Somehow, among all the noise and fury, everybody manages to do their bit towards saving the world, from the nerdy male lead to the all-American soldier to the black fat-assed slightly queer computer hack. Females also join forces to play clearly leading roles which smack in no way of the traditional subordinate niche where they used to be confined.

It's a kids' film and I am nearly 40, so, predictably, even though I like to think of myself as a sci-fi fan, the film started to grow old on me after the first 60 minutes or so. Maybe that's why I used my viewing time to analyse it like that. ANYWAY, still undeterred, I am now looking forward to Fantastic Four.

My top 10 TV shows

I have just put up my top 10 favourite tv shows of all time (scroll down). I may change my mind about some of them, but right now I feel grateful for all the good times, sense of language and, yes, insight, which they have given me. I suppose it all depends on what your approach is.
To me, viewing these is, as Sinatra would put it, a many-splendored thing. One single episode can offer several readings: you can focus on what they say, how they say it, body language, let alone different cultural assumptions and expectations. I think one of these days I'll expand on this.