Completely self-explanatory, and long overdue. This guy (no idea who he is) elucidates something I have mused about for a long time since it hit me a few years ago: humans have a really bad habit of taking any and all positive developments for granted, and bitching relentlessly about the least little thing. We live in the most incredible time in the history of mankind, and you'd never know it.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Nobody buys American?
Before it recedes too far into the rear-view mirror of history, it is worth noting some of the more revealing prejudices exposed during the auto "bailout" debate. My favorite, heard from countless talking heads on the news networks: nobody wants or buys American vehicles.
Now, of course, we know that this is patently untrue. The data clearly shows what everybody in the car business knows: GM, Ford and Chrysler still dominate the U.S. market, they just do so to a far lesser extent than they did years ago. It's not even really a close call.
So what's to learn from this? It's just another prime example of how profoundly, radically out of touch the major media outlets are with mainstream America. Just because the producers, directors, copywriters, and talking heads at CNBC (or any other number of countless broadcasts from Manhattan) don't find domestic cars and trucks attractive does NOT mean the rest of the country doesn't, but precious few of them even have sense enough to be aware of their own prejudice. This is disturbing enough, but it's really scary to think about the extensions into every other facet of cultural and political life in America. For a lot of Americans- from Wichita to Walla Walla- these outlets, both broadcast and print, constitute their main base of reference (which is scary enough in and of itself).
As someone who had a "cup of coffee" in that environment, interning at a prominent Manhattan-based political magazine in college, I can tell you that it's NOT a liberal, humanist, urbanist, democratic plot. It is simply human nature at work. Manhattan in general and journalism in particular just happens to be full of urban liberal humanists who vote democratic, most of whom are perfectly decent people. It's just that too often, they forget their own prejudices, and we forget that their circumstances and surroundings prejudice them, as they would anyone.
What we need is something to more constantly remind us of this pernicious effect- either that, or physically relocate the bulk of broadcast media to locales more closely reflective of mainstream America- like, say, Indianapolis.
On the other hand.... maybe we just need the occasional reminder.
Now, of course, we know that this is patently untrue. The data clearly shows what everybody in the car business knows: GM, Ford and Chrysler still dominate the U.S. market, they just do so to a far lesser extent than they did years ago. It's not even really a close call.
So what's to learn from this? It's just another prime example of how profoundly, radically out of touch the major media outlets are with mainstream America. Just because the producers, directors, copywriters, and talking heads at CNBC (or any other number of countless broadcasts from Manhattan) don't find domestic cars and trucks attractive does NOT mean the rest of the country doesn't, but precious few of them even have sense enough to be aware of their own prejudice. This is disturbing enough, but it's really scary to think about the extensions into every other facet of cultural and political life in America. For a lot of Americans- from Wichita to Walla Walla- these outlets, both broadcast and print, constitute their main base of reference (which is scary enough in and of itself).
As someone who had a "cup of coffee" in that environment, interning at a prominent Manhattan-based political magazine in college, I can tell you that it's NOT a liberal, humanist, urbanist, democratic plot. It is simply human nature at work. Manhattan in general and journalism in particular just happens to be full of urban liberal humanists who vote democratic, most of whom are perfectly decent people. It's just that too often, they forget their own prejudices, and we forget that their circumstances and surroundings prejudice them, as they would anyone.
What we need is something to more constantly remind us of this pernicious effect- either that, or physically relocate the bulk of broadcast media to locales more closely reflective of mainstream America- like, say, Indianapolis.
On the other hand.... maybe we just need the occasional reminder.
Friday, January 02, 2009
End of the US?
A Russian professor apparently has developed a rather elaborate and considered theory about the demise of the U.S. as a functioning entity. The Cliff Notes version of the theory is that the States begin squabbling over tax revenue and the union dissolves, with allegiances of US regions going to their strongest economic partners: California and the West in the Chinese orbit, the East Coast in the EU orbit, etc. This is fascinating stuff on a number of fronts:
1) It's a healthy reminder that we were not always the Imperial Superpower and World's Policeman that we are now. The fact that there are enough chinks in the armor for anyone to even pay attention to such a theory is news enough. The fact is that this country rose from relative political obscurity and certainly could return there. It would not happen without disastrous worldwide economic and political consequences, but it could happen.
2) It's a healthy reminder that our strict constitutional construction is as the United States of America, not the United States of America. It's not coincidental that the spoken emphasis-for the entirety of my lifetime, anyway- has always been on the last word in that phrase. For those of you that are historically challenged, that was not the original idea. We morphed into a huge imperial power just after the turn of the last century, but prior to that, it was a different story. There was a time in the not-too-distant past when a citizen's allegiance was to his State first and the Union OF those States second- a laughable idea today.
In any event, its a little sad its come to this, but its also a welcome development in my mind in that it reminds Americans that our position of global prominence is one that must constantly be earned. We've definitely had some serious issues lately but the first step to recovery is self-awareness. Perhaps this will illustrate the fragility of our prominence to the American public.
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