The thing is, we, although now that I think about it, you too, have been fed a lot of indoctrination about the US.
It came with the whole Marshall plan package (that whole thing that was meant to refinance a peacetime US economy, and sell lots of US products in Europe, oh, and also rebuild stuff over there, as long as they pay for it).
But in the 50s and 60s, Europe was inundated with US media showing how awesome they were (it changed a bit in the 70s). It came with lots of US products. But that left a long lasting impression shomehow. Although it’s still true that the US it the place to go to get a project financed. Because thanks to its huge market, its considerably easier to find some financing than in Europe’s very fragmented environment.
But then we’ve been spared the whole political indoctrination. The level to which the US was indoctrinated is unheard of in the West. Very few countries have gone beyond it worldwide. The whole Cold War Witch Hunt thing has been written in the US psyche as in stone. It’s something that still echoes today. Deformed, but I’m pretty sure you could trace it back to its origins.
And yet, the US is the place where people make silly things. This is IMO such a uniquely US thing, the making of stupid and fun stuff (ok, China has caught up on it, but they’re just copying the concept), that it redeems the US for a lot of things.
So I’ve been to the US, I’ve met lots of great people. I’ve met lots of real bizarro weirdos. It’s a nice place. I wouldn’t ever live there. But I don’t mind visiting every now and then. For now.
The thing is, we, although now that I think about it, you too, have been fed a lot of indoctrination about the US.
It came with the whole Marshall plan package (that whole thing that was meant to refinance a peacetime US economy, and sell lots of US products in Europe, oh, and also rebuild stuff over there, as long as they pay for it).
But in the 50s and 60s, Europe was inundated with US media showing how awesome they were (it changed a bit in the 70s). It came with lots of US products. But that left a long lasting impression shomehow. Although it’s still true that the US it the place to go to get a project financed. Because thanks to its huge market, its considerably easier to find some financing than in Europe’s very fragmented environment.
But then we’ve been spared the whole political indoctrination. The level to which the US was indoctrinated is unheard of in the West. Very few countries have gone beyond it worldwide. The whole Cold War Witch Hunt thing has been written in the US psyche as in stone. It’s something that still echoes today. Deformed, but I’m pretty sure you could trace it back to its origins.
And yet, the US is the place where people make silly things. This is IMO such a uniquely US thing, the making of stupid and fun stuff (ok, China has caught up on it, but they’re just copying the concept), that it redeems the US for a lot of things.
So I’ve been to the US, I’ve met lots of great people. I’ve met lots of real bizarro weirdos. It’s a nice place. I wouldn’t ever live there. But I don’t mind visiting every now and then. For now.