From: Arlo J. Bensinger (ajb102@psu.edu)
Date: Wed Jul 06 2005 - 02:15:39 BST
Platt,
Part II:
> > Can you show me statistics or measures that indicate that the US scores
higher on these marks (in your previous reply) than Germany, Denmark, Sweden,
and Japan? Or are you just going on patriotic "gut instinct" that America is
better than everyone else in these measures?
>
> Going by the observations of Denesh D'Sousa, a foreign observer.
> Statistics never tell the whole story.
> For his observations see:
>
> www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-dsouza070203.asp
I read the article. Some comments on his points:
(1) America provides an amazingly good life for the ordinary guy.
From a materialistic perspective this is certainly true. We have more "stuff"
than the citizens of many, in not most, other nations. But to agree that this
makes us "better", you have to believe that the amount of material goods we own
is what counts. Platt, I'm sure you do. Me, I don't. Although our middle class
has far greater material accumulation than other countries, we (middle class)
have no greater political or social leverage than at any time in our history or
compared to the middle class in other countries.
We are, as Marx would say, confusing material possessions with power and
control. We are "opiated" by our possessions into thinking that the more we
own, the better off we are. This was his fundamental criticism of materialism.
We stop caring that we are powerless pawns and "feel good" because we own a
"nice car", or have a television in three rooms. We define "better lives" as
"owning more stuff".
If that's what you believe, and I know it is, that's fine. But it assumes that
material accumulation is the key to "better lives". I believe this to be
patently false, and a manipultive device by those in power.
(2) America offers more opportunity and social mobility than any other country,
including the countries of Europe.
This is, again, patently false. Study after study has shown that for the *vast*
majority, social mobility is a myth. There are, of course, examples of those
that do experience class progression, but they are (as I've said to Ham)
exceptions to the rule. This is *not* to say that social mobility occurs in
Europe, or in any other country. The studies have all indicated that the
overall majority of citizens world-wide die with the same socio-economic
leverage they are born into. Being in America does not provide any greater
chance than being in Germany.
(3) Work and trade are respectable in America, which is not true elsewhere.
Which is simply the most idiotic, and untrue, statement I've confronted in a
while. On the CONTRARY, Americans treat their laborers as if they are an
underclass. Just last year, Bush significantly cut the funding for vocational
education at the K12 level. University populations are increasing to a point
where an undergraduate degree is practically meaningless. We are not funneling
talented people into vocational trades. We are doing the opposite. In the
European countries where I've spent considerable time, Germany and Denmark,
there is a far greater respect for trades and vocational education than in the
US. This is, likely, due to an historical apprenticeship model that placed
great value in skilled labor.
In ZMM, Pirsig laments the decline in valuation of trade skills. The old shop
gurus were replaced with kids with no valuation for the work at hand, because
society has told them its meaningless. Admittedly, all the privileged nations
of the world are all guilty of devaluing vocational skills to some degree, it
is not a matter of either-or, but of degrees.
(4) America has achieved greater social equality than any other society.
The authors support of this is based on a belief that the average American would
not kiss Bill Gates feet for $100. As, I suppose, all Canadians and Germans
would do immediately and without hesitation. Since the author presents this
soley as "I believe this be true" without offering any supportive evidence,
I'll just ignore it. I know measures that can examine the validity of such a
statement, but since the author feels no need to provide any support, why
should I? After all, this amounts to nothing more than patriotic feel-goodism.
You can't argue with that.
(5) People live longer, fuller lives in America.
More lunacy. According to the CIA World Factbook, the US ranks ***46t*** in
worldwide life expectancy.
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html
46th. Methinks D'Souza is obviously more concerned with patriotic propaganda
than truthful arguments. At any rate, part of this claim is also that the
elderly in the US are "living better lives" than the elderly elsewhere. Of
course, he provides no "proof" in statistics or measures, he just "believes it
to be so".
(6) In America the destiny of the young is not given to them but created by
them.
The myth of class progression aside, he compares a typical trajectory for his
life had he stayed in India, versus coming here. And he makes a valid point. To
someone with the privilege of wealth, getting interested in literature and
being able to study it at the university is, perhaps, more common here than in
India (I don't know for sure, but I'll go on his word.) But this is actually
suprassed by the freedoms of the European educational system that foregrounds
ongoing learning and access to education for more citizens over a greater
length of their lives than in the US. Statistics bear this out. The cost of
higher education (and the cutting of the Pell Grants) makes "playing" with a
college degree an impossibility for most Americans, while in Europe it is more
feasable to consider.
As for his chosen wife, perhaps America does have a greater degree of ethnic
diveristy than this home country. I won't argue with him on that. What is
actually interesting is that he hits upon a key component of what I believe to
be a "higher Quality society", namely one with ethnic diveristy. Intersting.
So, I'll agree with him on that.
Same with America being great because an Indian can work in the White House,
where in other countries more xenophobic attitudes may exist to prevent this.
So, okay, I agree again. Greater diversity, greater acceptance of
multi-ethnicity and greater promotion and advancement of peoples with
non-white, non-european backgrounds makes America "better" than as he describes
India.
As I've said, the one thing I have repeatedly argued as being the "best" thing
about America is that, in most of her urban areas, one finds a great degree of
multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-lingual populations. If only the rest of
America would see the value in this.
I wonder, however, if Mr. D'Souza's experience would have been so positive had
he moved to a small community in Montana or Nebraska? Anyways...
The remaining "assertions" I find so laughable as to be unworthy of comment. For
those that may not have viewed the article:
(7) America has gone further than any other society in establishing equality of
rights
(8) America has found a solution to the problem of religious and ethnic conflict
that continues to divide and terrorize much of the world
(9) America has the kindest, gentlest foreign policy of any great power in world
history (this one, perhaps, takes the cake, which says a lot!)
(10) America, the freest nation on earth, is also the most virtuous nation on
earth
Keep in mind, ALL of these are unsupported by any measure or proof other than
"we are the best". Who can argue with blind patriotic ferver? But I wouldn't
expect any real critical discourse in the National Review. Or the need for an
author to support any claim in favor of America.
> Furthermore, keep in mind Pirsig's observation that socialist cities are
> "dull places."
I can't speak to Pirsig's personal observations. But I have spent a lot of time
in non-US cities. My experience is that Paris, Munich, Amsterdam, Rome, Cancun,
Mexico City (to name some) very much NOT dull. Indeed, I've been to much duller
places in America (Toledo, anyone?).
If Pirsig is speaking of his personal experience in any of these cities, then
I'd offer him my devoted tour-expertise to convince him otherwise. :-)
Arlo
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