Posted on 07/13/2012 10:34:52 AM PDT by SLB
Imagine you have a brother and he’s an alcoholic. He has his moments, but you keep your distance from him. You don’t mind him for the occasional family gathering or holiday. You still love him. But you don’t want to be around him.
This is how I lovingly describe my current relationship with the United States. The United States is my alcoholic brother. And although I will always love him, I don’t want to be near him at the moment.
I know that’s harsh, but I really feel my home country is not in a good place these days. That’s not a socio-economic statement (although that’s on the decline as well), but rather a cultural one.
I realize it’s going to be impossible to write sentences like the ones above without coming across as a raging prick, so let me try to soften the blow to my American readers with an analogy:
You know when you move out of your parents’ house and live on your own, how you start hanging out with your friends’ families and you realize that actually, your family was a little screwed up? Stuff you always assumed was normal your entire childhood, it turns out was pretty weird and may have actually fucked you up a little bit. You know, dad thinking it was funny to wear a Santa Claus hat in his underwear every Christmas or the fact that you and your sister slept in the same bed until you were 22, or that your mother routinely cried over a bottle of wine while listening to Elton John.
The point is we don’t really get perspective on what’s close to us until we spend time away from it. Just like you didn’t realize the weird quirks and nuances of your family until you left and spent time with others, the same is true for country and culture. You often don’t see what’s messed up about your country and culture until you step outside of it.
And so even though this article is going to come across as fairly scathing, I want my American readers to know: some of the stuff we do, some of the stuff that we always assumed was normal, it’s kind of screwed up. And that’s OK. Because that’s true with every culture. It’s just easier to spot it in others (i.e., the French) so we don’t always notice it in ourselves.
So as you read this article, know that I’m saying everything with tough love, the same tough love with which I’d sit down and lecture an alcoholic family member. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you. It doesn’t mean there aren’t some awesome things about you (BRO, THAT’S AWESOME!!!). And it doesn’t mean I’m some saint either, because god knows I’m pretty screwed up (I’m American, after all). There are just a few things you need to hear. And as a friend, I’m going to tell them to you.
And to my foreign readers, get your necks ready, because this is going to be a nod-a-thon.
A Little “What The Hell Does This Guy Know?” Background: I’ve lived in different parts of the US, both the deep south and the northeast. I have visited most of the US’s 50 states. I’ve spent the past three years living almost entirely outside of the United States. I’ve lived in multiple countries in Europe, Asia and South America. I’ve visited over 40 countries in all and have spent far more time with non-Americans than with Americans during this period. I speak multiple languages. I’m not a tourist. I don’t stay in resorts and rarely stay in hostels. I rent apartments and try to integrate myself into each country I visit as much as possible. So there.
(Note: I realize these are generalizations and I realize there are always exceptions. I get it. You don’t have to post 55 comments telling me that you and your best friend are exceptions. If you really get that offended from some guy’s blog post, you may want to double-check your life priorities.)
OK, we’re ready now. 10 things Americans don’t know about America.
1. Few People Are Impressed By Us
2. Few People Hate Us
3. We Know Nothing About The Rest Of The World
4. We Are Poor At Expressing Gratitude And Affection
5. The Quality of Life For The Average American Is Not That Great
6. The Rest Of The World Is Not A Slum-Ridden Shithole Compared To Us
7. We’re Paranoid
8. We’re Status-Obsessed And Seek Attention
9. We Are Very Unhealthy
10. We Mistake Comfort For Happiness
*********************
Throughout history, every dominant civilization eventually collapsed because it became TOO successful. What made it powerful and unique grows out of proportion and consumes its society. I think this is true for American society. We’re complacent, entitled and unhealthy. My generation is the first generation of Americans who will be worse off than their parents, economically, physically and emotionally. And this is not due to a lack of resources, to a lack of education or to a lack of ingenuity. It’s corruption and complacency. The corruption from the massive industries that control our government’s policies, and the fat complacency of the people to sit around and let it happen.
There are things I love about my country. I don’t hate the US and I still return to it a few times a year. But I think the greatest flaw of American culture is our blind self-absorption. In the past it only hurt other countries. But now it’s starting to hurt ourselves.
So this is my lecture to my alcoholic brother — my own flavor of arrogance and self-absorption, even if slightly more informed — in hopes he’ll give up his wayward ways. I imagine it’ll fall on deaf ears, but it’s the most I can do for now. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some funny cat pictures to look at.
Placemarker for later.
” I Don’t Care “ !! You took the words right out of my mouth Sam.
All TEN Times . Ok if I stand over here with you. ?
Hong Kong makes Manhattan look like a suburb.
It's run by the Red Chinese, they shoot drug addicts in the head then charge their families for the bullet!
My neighborhood in Colombia is nicer than the one I lived in in Boston...
When the local drug lords aren't blowing up a police station or kidnapping someone for ransom.
The author does make some good points but seems to be totally blind to the darker side of the places he has visited. My question for him would be; "If the US is such a mediocre, average, commonplace, ordinary, middling (take your pick) society/country why do we have such a large number of immigrants who give up everything they have to come and live here?" It can't be as bad as he paints it since there is a constant influx of people pouring in through the gates. There is no corresponding efflux as people tend to stay here. I submit that they must find the US preferable to their former "shitholes".
Regards,
GtG
He likes the mangina, like our current President?
I actually appreciated the article. If you ignore some of the leftism, what he’s saying is what I experienced in my travels.
This is standard boilerplate liberal elite thinking: - 'I'm not a middle class tourist staying at hotels - I stay with THE PEOPLE in foreign counties - and that makes me so "UPPER CLASS' and SUPERIOR... unlike the rest of you American who don't have my great contempt for my home country.
This is common, very common liberal "group think" put forth as if it was original. Sorry, I'm not that impressed...smacks of nouveau riche...
Am I really the only one who has hit Report Abuse here?
Unedited F-bomb in the article? For nearly an hour?
I guess America is not the only place that is disfunctional like an alocholic brother.
Free Republic used to know better.
Actually, when I first saw the article, I was thinking that the author was going to mention how you can learn how "unfree" America now is, by going to other places that don't have the liberal nanny state we now have.
No such luck. Wouldn't be surprised to find that that guy really likes the nanny state and wishes we had more of it.
I've lived in other countries, and some of what this guy says is tainted. Probably from his liberal background (e.g. who the hell sleeps with their sister until the age of 22!?):
1. Few People Are Impressed By Us.
Let's see, we have saved the English, French, etc. TWICE. They don't have to speak German. We saved the Chinese, and they don't have to speak Japanese. We feed the world and more than 50% of all patents are held by Americans. I could go on...
2. Few People Hate Us
True.
3. We Know Nothing About The Rest Of The World
Actually this is true. Although, most of our population never joins the services, or has the money to travel abroad extensively.
4. We Are Poor At Expressing Gratitude And Affection
Sheese, check out the way Canadians and the French tip. In the fwiw department, I have been very grateful to all of my hosts in the countries I visited or lived.
5. The Quality of Life For The Average American Is Not That Great
Not true. I've been to some shithole countries, and their "middle class" can't compare to our poor. Sure, there are a few countries that I have been where the standard of living is comparable to ours.
6. The Rest Of The World Is Not A Slum-Ridden Shithole Compared To Us
See #5.
7. We’re Paranoid
No, there are people who want to kill us. They want to kill us BECAUSE we are Americans, and it doesn't matter if you're black, white, Jew, Christian etc..
8. We’re Status-Obsessed And Seek Attention
We are somewhat "status obsessed," but you gotta seek attention to sell something. It's call self promotion, and it is one engine of capitalism.
9. We Are Very Unhealthy
See this pieces prologue.
10. We Mistake Comfort For Happiness
Sometimes, but it depends on the individual.
Thank G-d I was born in America. Just think, even someone not born in America can become president. What a great country.
5.56mm
I always thought a Sudan was a 2 door automobile
“A Little “What The Hell Does This Guy Know?” Background: I’ve lived in different parts of the US, both the deep south and the northeast. I have visited most of the US’s 50 states. I’ve spent the past three years living almost entirely outside of the United States. I’ve lived in multiple countries in Europe, Asia and South America. I’ve visited over 40 countries in all and have spent far more time with non-Americans than with Americans during this period. I speak multiple languages. I’m not a tourist. I don’t stay in resorts and rarely stay in hostels. I rent apartments and try to integrate myself into each country I visit as much as possible. So there.”
What do they think of smarmy Americans?
No, that’s a coup.
“As John Steinbeck famously said, the problem with poor Americans is that “they don’t believe they’re poor, but rather temporarily embarrassed millionaires.” “
I actually think that is America’s strength. I love that about us.
As for life expectancy, what hogwash.
1. Few People Are Impressed By Us
2. Few People Hate Us
3. We Know Nothing About The Rest Of The World
4. We Are Poor At Expressing Gratitude And Affection
5. The Quality of Life For The Average American Is Not That Great
6. The Rest Of The World Is Not A Slum-Ridden Shithole Compared To Us
7. We’re Paranoid
8. We’re Status-Obsessed And Seek Attention
9. We Are Very Unhealthy
10. We Mistake Comfort For Happiness
Gee ... what a shocker. Sounds just like most of the other countries in the rest of the world.
Nope...that's a coup d'etat. Sudans have 4 doors.
They had some crazy idea that we spend our time wondering if other countries like us and listing what we don't like about others.
We don't care.
I did let them know however that we Americans do spend time thinking about how so many of our soldiers, our family members gave their lives to save Europe from what they could not save themselves from...
The article tells me too things.
1 - Mark Manson is “projecting” his own traits, faults and weaknesses on an entire country.
2 - Based on the description he provided of his family life, he really needs therapy.
These liberal knuckleheads are little more than bratty teenagers who are trash talking their parents in a pathetic attempt to impress the “cool kids.”
Most of our citizens are ignorant of our history and founding documents. I won't argue with you on that point.
However, do you believe that Jay Leno's people might edit those tapes to remove intelligent answers? As for me, I refuse to formulate my opinions based on datum provided by left leaning late night talk show hosts.
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