Essentially, liberals loathe Americans
Mediate offers a snarky clip from yesterday's Face the Nation episode, in which Bob Schieffer tries to get Theodore Roosevelt biographer Edmund Morris to hypothesize on Teddy's probable opinion of today's Tea Partiers. Morris doesn't bite but instead calls it a [expletive deleted and bleeped on TV] question because "you cannot pluck people out of the past and expect them to comment on what’s happening today." Instead, Morris, living entirely in the present, takes the opportunity to offer his own view of contemporary Americans:
I see an insular people who are insensitive to foreign sensibilities, who are lazy, obese, complacent and increasingly perplexed as to why [Americans] are losing our place in the world to people who are more dynamic than us and more disciplined.
Ouch. And for the record, I rejoined Weight Watchers yesterday.
If Morris merely echoes the liberal disdain at the root of our nation's growing Nanny State (i.e. Mama Obama and the food police), he does strike a nerve nonetheless. Remember the July 4 edition of "Jay Walking" with Jay Leno?
Yeah. That happened.
Now comes the solution! A new book edited by Jackie Gingrich Cushman called The Essential American: 25 Documents and Speeches Every American Should Own. This beautiful single volume includes the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, Lincoln's First and Second Inaugural addresses, George Washington's Farewell, Patrick Henry's famous "Give me liberty" address at the Second Virginia Convention, and one my new favorites (because I hadn't known it before), Theodore Roosevelt's speech, "The Strenuous Life."
It's time for Americans to put the Edmund Morrises of the world in their place. Let's make The Essential American a national best-seller, and reassert the exceptionalism that defines our national character. Bully!
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Jul '10
Re: Essentially, liberals loathe Americans
I see an insular people who are insensitive to foreign sensibilities, who are lazy, obese, complacent and increasingly perplexed as to why [Americans] are losing our place in the world to people who are more dynamic than us and more disciplined.
Wow. Morris doesn't think much of this White House, does he?
Nov '10
Re: Essentially, liberals loathe Americans
Whenever I watch those Jaywalking things I feel as smart as Peter Robinson.
Aug '10
Re: Essentially, liberals loathe Americans
Who exactly is he referring to, when he speaks of "people who are more dynamic than us and more diciplined"? Asians seem to take hard education more seriously than Americans, but other than that, I just don't get it. Since when are the Europeans more dynamic or disciplined? As our Tea Partiers protest too much government, the Euroweenies are protesting every threatened cutback, including the possible postponement in France by two years of a retirement that for most of the protestors is decades away. Sure, they may not be obese, but that's just because they all smoke like chimneys. And with each passing year they are finding it harder to get it up to make enough babies to care for them--excuse me, to pay to have the government care for them--in their dotage. I see little to admire or emulate.
Oct '10
Re: Essentially, liberals loathe Americans
Other than the comment of "who are insensitive to foreign sensibilities" I agree with Morris's analysis and I think to continue to deny otherwise is....insular?
Maybe I have a biased view, but from what I see, Morris is spot on about other nations (particularly Chinese and Indians) being more disciplined and dynamic. Grad schools in the sciences are having difficulty recruiting quality Americans. The majority of grad students and postdocs are now foreign born. Increasingly, they are returning to their home nations (rather than staying) as the job opportunities are better there.
As I said, I have a limited perspective, but at least in that area, we are on the decline, while they are on the ascendant and for some reason I don't think that this is limited to science.
One other personal experience. I'll never forget when I returned from having spent 2 months in Turkey to the States. I landed in Detroit and was boarding a flight to Des Moines and was amazed by how overweight everyone was. I had become used to a nation where being overweight was a rarity. Is Morris's analysis really that far off?
Edited on Nov 29, 2010 at 6:06pmJul '10
Re: Essentially, liberals loathe Americans
I see an insular people who are insensitive to foreign sensibilities,
Really! And how sensitive are foreigners to American sensibilities in, say, Caracas? Or Yemen?
who are lazy, obese, complacent
Technologically advanced, wealthy, free.
and increasingly perplexed as to why [Americans] are losing our place in the world to people who are more dynamic than us and more disciplined.
Kind of like America in the 1920's and 1930's, which was losing its place to those dynamic and disciplined people in Italy, Germany and Japan.
Course, we did get our place back.
Twit!
Aug '10
Re: Essentially, liberals loathe Americans
My wife spent about 6 months in Germany doing dissertation research not that long ago. While talking with a nice, older lady my wife mentioned that she was California. The lady then asked what language they speak there: English or Latin! A German Jay Leno would find plenty of marks there too.
Jul '10
Re: Essentially, liberals loathe Americans
I'm not so certain Liberals loath Americans so much as they loath Americanism. (is that a word?)
This is an excerpt from an e-mail a friend sent me...
If a Conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one...
If a Liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.
If a Conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat...
If a Liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.
If a Conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation...
A Liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.
If a Conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels...
Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.
If a Conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church...
A Liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.
The way to make a Conservative angry is to lie to him....
You make a Progressive/Liberal angry by telling him the truth!!
In the end, what they loath is the fact that they cannot control us they way they want to.
May '10
Re: Essentially, liberals loathe Americans
In my 60 years I have lived in 12 countries, 5 more than once, on every continent bar Antarctica and have travelled to dozens more. All have been interesting, with individual plusses and minuses. Some, like Australia and Chile, I grew to love. None have had the dynamism and exceptionalism found in the USA. It isn't perfect, but I do believe it to be the best by a significant margin.
Mr. Morris and I have vastly different perceptions.
Sep '10
Re: Essentially, liberals loathe Americans
My apologies Marybeth, I've been ranting about Morris in another thread. Will you forgive me?
Edited on Nov 30, 2010 at 11:03amRe: Essentially, liberals loathe Americans
Heck yes, P! I actually skipped town for a few days and didn't notice your neglect! tee hee... The problem with this twit's observations about Americans is, sadly, Peopleofwalmart.com. Unfortunately, there's no denying that our technology/wealth/freedom permit a fair consumption of cheetoes. But you know what? Never judge a book by it's Walmart shopper cover. These are the same folks whose sons and daughters hike themselves down to the recruitment office and sign on to protect and defend the liberal blowhards who call them fat, lazy and undisciplined.