While casually venturing about the countryside today in my fully electric automobile and while listening to the news on SiriusXM – CNN, MSNBC, NPR, POTUS, BBC, FOX NEWS and PATRIOT – I could not help conclude that the predominant theme of Americans is, “You too can be like me if you try!”, a convincing conclusion without the contaminating benefit of either argument or fact. Certainly without fact! More importantly – the assertion of discredit upon others for whatever useful reason, preferably advanced with metaphoric trumpets akin to the music of Aaron Copland or Jeff Beal, “evoking the vast American landscape and pioneer spirit”.
Aaron Copland (November 14, 1900 – December 2, 1990) was an American composer, critic, writer, teacher, pianist, and conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as the “Dean of American Music”. The open, slowly changing harmonies in much of his music are typical of what many consider the sound of American music. He is best known for the works he wrote in the 1930s and 1940s in a deliberately accessible style often referred to as “populist” and which he called his “vernacular” style.
Americans – at least those of the more noticeable category – are big on money. And self-approbation. The combination – appetite and advertising – drive an unqualified definition of the product for sale. And naturally the sale is the goal. Presenting the package for sale involves clouding the issue with images, preferably understandable, overstated and perfunctory.
The image of Americans – in summary format – breaks down to the “left” and the “right” (capturing its indisputable bipolar nature, whether rich or poor, black or white, communist or capitalist, in or out). My first encounter with this divisive epithet was 50 years ago when vacationing on Cape Cod. The innkeeper maligned the Republicans as fugitives. Later, when visiting New York City, I wasn’t long hearing attacks on the Democrats as “woke”. Both Parties struggled to align Evangelical Christianity with their respective cause. And underlying them both as well was the inevitable conflict between black and white – which often descended to immigration of any character wherein the argument was inclusion or exclusion. The niceties of “assimilation” or the Melting Pot have long ago been abandoned for more forceful dialogue.
Reducing fundamental differences to broadly worded sobriquet affords the advantage of whatever fabric is already invested in the labels – for example, insinuating something “Marxist” or revolutionary when attacking government funded public programs life health care. Today I overheard Megyn Kelly who, with a reported net worth of $45M, is clearly no stranger to getting paid. Previously to touching upon her particular rant I had listened to talk about a gubernatorial battle arising in New Jersey. The moderator of that podcast explained that, “Jersey girls don’t pump their own gas”, a comment arising from the intelligence that self-serve gas stations were replaced (by the Democrats) with full-service stations to advance employment among the needy. The result was a conflict between the two because the rising cost of employment was added to the fuel cost – a penalty which even a self-serving (pardon the pun) candidate would unwittingly – and perhaps unwillingly – suffer.
This theme is consistent with another I heard several days ago; namely, “You get what you’re entitled to by hard work not by government benefit!” Admittedly there is substance to the premise; but it skilfully overlooks the advantage of sharing with others when possible. And that’s when things really begin to break down for Americans – “What are the limits on sharing!” This quickly extends to immigrants and foreigners generally (including erstwhile political allies of democratic “Western” society in Canada and Europe). The Americans are repeatedly authoring estrangement and isolation as the remedy to their educational, health and infrastructure issues. Yet, to connect the problem bluntly with the cause – money. The Americans have fallen victim to their own card game of borrowing and chance. They are hopelessly in debt. And the people holding the entitlement to repayment are the very immigrants and foreigners the Americans have sought to control.
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Cultural stereotype:Jersey Girl: A sometimes controversial term describing a specific type of New Jersey woman, often associated with suburban life. The stereotype is debated, with some viewing it negatively and others accepting it as an identity.