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My dear European friends,
I’ve been reflecting on our many conversations and your reactions to my recent blogs. The outcome of the US elections has appalled you, reinforcing in many of you the image of “the ugly American”. Not Trump, or rather, not only Trump. No, the average American, whom you see as uneducated, brash, loud and shabbily dressed — very unlike the sophisticated Europeans sipping coffee in Milan in Piazza Cordusio’s Starbucks.
Fifty shades of gray
The ugly American who sees things in black and white, whereas Europeans, steeped in centuries of philosophical thought, always see the shades of gray. Even when 1,200 Israelis were savagely raped, mutilated and killed a year ago at a music festival, many of you told me that it wasn’t black and white; you essentially implied that…there were some very fine people on both sides. Ironic, I know.
I hope you’ll agree with me that it’s good the ugly Americans saw things in black and white in 1944, so that for people like me — and most of you — studying German became a precaution rather than an obligation. Imagine if the Americans had thought well, it’s not black and white, think of the exorbitant reparations in the Treaty of Versailles, Germany does have a point…
You almost always see shades of gray, I should say. These US elections were, for many of you, black and white. On one side: misogyny, racism, fascism, authoritarianism, ignorance and religious superstition. On the other: tolerance, equity, diversity, reason and science.
And yet, this time it’s the ugly Americans who saw many gray areas.
Racism and misogyny
Yes, Trump has often made misogynist remarks. Some Republican states have imposed inhumane restrictions on abortion. And some religious constituencies on the right hold a rather conservative view of women’s role in society. But the Biden administration abandoned Afghan girls and women to the Talibans; Democrats happily tolerate the inhuman treatment of women in many countries across the world; they support having men compete in women’s sports (and jails). And they favor late-term abortion without any restrictions, something that makes most Americans uncomfortable. (Most would favor the kind of abortion laws that Europeans live under.)
Yes, there are some ugly racist elements in the Republican ranks. But the Democrats have imposed identity politics to an extent that makes racial identity more prominent than ever, discriminated against Asians in Ivy League admissions and chased Jewish students off university campuses shouting “go back to Poland”. Obama promised to unite us, but he divided us more. Biden promised to unite us, and he divided us more. So when Harris promised to unite us, well…
America is a country of immigrants; but the open borders policy of the past four years brought immigration inflows to levels so high that they threaten jobs and wage prospects for blue collar workers already hammered by inflation. And it made a mockery of our rule of law. (Close to 11 million illegal entries recorded in the last four years). By the way: if you have any success stories of your own on immigration and racial integration, Americans would love to hear them. Holland? Germany? France? UK? Sweden? Anyone?
Trump can be vulgar and uncouth. So are many MAGA Republicans. But Democrats call anyone who doesn’t agree with them ignorant, fascists, nazis, garbage, “deplorables” who keep “clinging to guns or religion”. That hardly lifts the tone of the debate.
Science and religion
Speaking of religion: yes, there are more religious people in America than in Europe, many of them on the right. But many ugly Americans don’t quite understand why, for the left, religion is beyond criticism and reproach only when your holy book has a green cover.
And I know, it’s tempting to see a link between religion and the fact that so many Americans believe in angels (7 in 10), witches (2 in 10) and ghosts (6 in 10). Crazy, right? Except that the left’s attitude on many issues has all the hallmarks of religious fanaticism: on diversity, equity and inclusion, on immigration and crime, on the demonization of political opponents — all topics on which they leave no room for debate, just dogma. Climate change also looks like a new religion, with superstitious sacrifices to appease the gods: let’s give up gas stoves and we’ll be saved, our earth-defacing sins forgiven. Let’s accept de-growth, reduce our living standards, and we’ll be spared destruction. You often find its prophets glued to artworks in your beautiful cities and museums.
During the pandemic, masks, 6-feet social distancing, blanket lockdowns and vaccine mandates had as much scientific basis as the belief in angels — yet they were imposed in the name of “The Science”. Dissenting voices were silenced as “misinformation” — the Catholic Church of Galileo’s time would have applauded. Ironic, I know. (On the partisan divide that characterized views on the pandemic, I strongly recommend this brilliant 2020 article “They blinded us from science”.) And it is the left that denies the scientific reality of biological sex.
By the way, Americans believe in angels, ghosts and witches, but they do tend to embrace innovation. It’s Europeans who remain superstitiously opposed to genetically modified foods, for example. The US somehow remains the leader in science and technology.
Authoritarianism and democracy
But what about the threat of authoritarianism? Yes, Trump has clear authoritarian traits and a disquieting sympathy for dictators. Many ugly Americans found his behavior on January 6, 2021 unacceptable and hoped the judicial system would bar him from public office. Sadly it did not. But our institutions remain strong enough and they have proved it. I know, The Economist magazine ominously warned you that “The Supreme Court has weakened the checks on presidents by ruling that they cannot be prosecuted for official acts.” But it is standard international practice for heads of state to enjoy immunity for official acts under both civil and criminal law — otherwise governing would be impossible. This is not something the US Supreme Court dreamt up to enable a would-be dictator.
More importantly, it was a Democratic administration that unleashed government agencies against disfavored journalists and political opponents; that waged a campaign of censorship with the compliant collaboration of the media, often under the guise of fighting “misinformation”. According to a ruling by the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal, the Biden administration
“engaged in a broad pressure campaign designed to coerce social-media companies into suppressing speakers, viewpoints, and content disfavored by the government"
It then launched an unprecedented series of judicial actions against the opposition candidate. It was the Democratic Party that treated the first Trump administration as illegitimate, mounting a four-year “resistance” based on fabricated Russia collusion charges; that suggested “packing” the Supreme Court and elevating D.C. and Puerto Rico to states so as to have four more safe Senate seats. It was not clear at all which side posed a greater risk of authoritarianism; which might explain why Trump won an election where democracy was the voters’ top concern.
Foreign policy and global leadership
The Ugly American is a 1958 novel about the failures of the US diplomatic corps in Southeast Asia, because of…deplorable ignorance of local customs and culture. I know Trump’s foreign policy stance is a key concern for Europeans: he praises dictators and frames everything in transactional terms. And yet his first-term Middle-East policy delivered the Abraham Accords. The Biden administration presided over the ignominious abandonment of Afghanistan, encouraged Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and emboldened Iran and other US adversaries. The ugly American is no foreign policy wonk, but senses that projecting weakness is not in America’s best interest.
So, you see…
So you see, my European friends, it was not all black and white. I think most of you see America through a very narrow lens: loose translations of New York Times or Washington Post articles, clumsily plagiarized by foreign correspondents who enjoy a comfortable life in Washington D.C. or New York, socializing with representatives of the same media that Americans have lost faith in. (Or one of the UK “Times”, which amounts to the same). I hope this note can give you a different perspective.
Yours faithfully,
The Ugly American
Opening image credit: Photo by Brina Blum on Unsplash
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Stepping away from groupthink, with a focus on economics and innovation
Thank you, Marco, for so eloquently explaining to our European friends, colleagues and relatives some basic truths. I recall very similar reactions when Ronald Reagan was elected. But it is difficult for them to understand us as they are so much more comfortable with the idea of their lives being controlled by government and have little experience of freedom, self- determination and - sadly - democracy.
Loved this piece Marco, spot on.