h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"American Vertigo" is the title of a book that is about to be published, by the French philosopher and author Bernard-Henri Lévy. I read an interview with him in today's paper where he was talking about his book. I thought it was very interesting. I'll try to sum up a few points, because I'd love to hear some reactions, especially from the Americans here.

Okay. Lévy travelled through the USA for a year. Being asked what is "The State of the Union", he says he doesn't think that America is at all in a bad condition. He doesn't believe that social order is dissolving, that politics are heading for fascism, that religions are taking over power or that the whole nation is drifting to the right. He is against the (European?) habit of calling the USA an Empire. He says today's situation is far too complex, you can't call it an empire like the ones in the past. Instead, others like businesses and the media and also public opinion could be said to have empire-like structures. "As a French atheist jewish intellectual you are not what is commonly liked to come along in rural parts of the US. How were you welcomed?" -Much warmer than an American with the same mission would be welcomed in France. Nothing francophobic, hardly any personal animosities. Political animosities yes, definately. He visited a fundametalist baptist mega-church in Illinois, and he was pretty open about thinking their opinions dangerous. Lévy says that in America today there are ideological discussions/disputes taking place, much more lively than in Europe. An important question in these arguments is how America's relationship to Europe, to it's roots, to a common heritage is evolving. Lévy was surprised about American puritanism and hypocrisy [I'm not sure I understood his point there ]. He was positively surprised about a military academy in Colorado Springs that he visited. Most people there were democrats, not at all identifying with war culture, no Top Gun kind of people, most of them critical towards war in Iraq. Now an interesting theory: If you don't know who you are, if you have forgotten, and you are dizzy (-> vertigo), you are not able to distinguish between important and unimportant memory. Lévy claims that this is the case in the US, that there is a "museum culture" whitch doesn't know where it's going, and is unable to forget, so it is clinging to all detail, putting it in glass showcase. And finally, with advice to Europe, "The US is a machine to change immigrants into Americans", Europe could learn a thing or two about integration from America.

Any comments? I'll give everyone a who has read until the end.

I'd like a chocolate please!

My family is like a microcosm of America today. My brother and I are Democrats and Unitarian Universalists, while both my sisters are Republicans and conservative Christians. We are split on most political issues. My brother and I support gay rights and abortion rights. We voted for Kerry. My sisters are very opposed to abortion and gay rights, and voted for Bush. We all have different views on the Iraq war, with varying degrees of support and ambivalence. Despite all these differences we are a close knit, very friendly family. We like being in America, and appreciate being able to voice our opinions and criticisms of the government without getting in trouble. We believe in basics like freedom and fairness. I live a pretty comfortable middle class existence, and am grateful for it.

I think the biggest challenges America is facing are education and keeping jobs. There is too little discipline in the schools, especially the poorest ones, and too many kids are influenced by gangs. Also many high paying jobs have been eliminated in America as they are given out to overseas workers.

I don't really see America as a "empire" at all. And I'm not sure I understand the bit about vertigo and putting everything in a museum culture.

My favorite traditionally American things: cajun cooking, rock and roll, Abe Lincoln, tie dye, quilts.

My favorite European things: French Impressionism, The Beatles, Vermeeer and Dutch art, architecture, French pasteries.

Lots of for you!

I'm curious, do you discuss your different opinions in your family? Does everybody respect the differences? Or do you perhaps avoid controvercial topics? Oh I hope I'm not impolite JEllen, you don't have to talk about private things of course.

Would you say that education in America is rather dependent on wealth?

Keeping jobs, yes, it seems very extreme in America . I'm no economics professor, so I won't say "side effects of globalizaton, price you pay for capitalism", I know too little about the structures.

Hmm, it was complicated, maybe I'll try again..Lévy has this viewpoint: America is in doubt about where it's going/heading in the future. It is also confused about a National Identity. [ I'm getting confused now too ] If you don't know which direction you are going to follow, you don't know which memories are important. Ah I can't explain! Lévy said it like this: America doesn't know what will be important in the future, so it's ambition is to save everything, every little piece of culture and store it in a museum.

Ah but I like your listings My favorite American things (never having been there so you can correct me if I'm wrong): confidence and optimism

My favorite European things: loads of history, many many different cultures, languages, mentalities on a comparatively small continent

As a family we usually avoid controversial subjects. I do talk about politics some with my brother. But I never discuss politics with my sisters or Dad, beyond saying, "Eek, how could you vote for him?"

I think I understand better what that author was saying about vertigo. The US is rather uncertain about it's national identity. But I actually think some uncertainty is good; because the opposite can be self-righteous nationalism.

It's funny how something that is "old" here means from say the 1920's or 1880's. Very little exists in Memphis older than say the Victorian age. "Old" in Europe can date back to a centuries old cathedral, or even the Roman Coliseum. It's a whole different concept.

Everything is London was very compact, including the little grocery stores. Here everything is spread out, with giant parking lots and enormous grocery stores and malls. America sprawls, at least this part of it does. Sometimes I like the wide open spaces though.

Oh yes, I think so too, some uncertainty will always be there, and I think it's good if it causes people to rethink about identity, constantly.

I'm always interested in history, I have a particular liking for seeing places that were the scenery to something in history. I like to imagine things, for example when I take a walk in parts of my hometown, and there is a ruin of an old city wall, I like to wonder: How did it look in the middle-ages? Were there guards standing in this place, collecting taxes? We're rather spoilt with history here, my town was founded more than 2000 years ago by the Romans. On the other hand, there is a lot of fascination for American cities, as they were founded comparatively recently. I suppose it would be strange for me to see towns where the city-center isn't a church with a little marketplace and cafés around. Oh I'd love to make a tour!

Whole different concept.. I may sound stupid for asking this but I sometimes hear that you don't go anywhere on foot in America, there's no pavement in Los Angeles..? Is this exagerated?

And how I'd love to see the wide country, endless views in the middle west, and giant Rocky Mountains

I'm chatting away, please stop me

Memphis has sidewalks for almost all streets, but not for the interstate/expressways. Memphians walk for pleasure and health, but not to get places. Everything is so spread out, you pretty much have to take a car to get anywhere. But things are different in Chicago and New York, where you have subways and many more cabs. As for Los Angeles not having sidewalks, I really don't know. I would imagine there are parts of L.A. it isn't safe to walk in!

I'll write some more tomorrow, I've been now...Just found a free music download service that works called Piolet...

Hi again JEllen!

I started reading Wild Swans yesterday, after finishing Harry Potter 6. Wow, don't know if you like/hate/don't care about Harry Potter, but it was by far the most exciting of the novels . And now Wild Swans, I admire the factual style it is written in . I just read chapter 2, where the grandmother and Dr Xia are going to marry, and the family disapproves. The eldest son shot himself in protest!

Do you read a lot of contemporary literature?

I'm trying to think of typical American authors that I've read...oh yes, Hemingway of course, and Fitzgerald...have to look at my bookshelf again..

Oh this cold winter is starting to annoy me I'm living in a pretty mild climate near the Dutch border, we're not supposed to freeze here! It hardly snows, it's just a constant dry frost, at night about -8 °C, and barely over freezing point during the day

I mainly read what our church book club is reading. We've read Einstien's Dreams, The DaVinci Code, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, and Memoirs of a Geisha. All really good books.

Weather stays pretty mild here too. I hate the cold.

Oh, I heard that they're making a film out of The Da Vinci Code, with Tom Hanks I'd like to see that!

I want to see it too! DaVinci Code was a cool book, and I LOVE Tom Hanks.

I watched "Catch me if you can" on TV the other day, that was wonderful, too!

And you are " getting a little worn down on the home front"? Is everything alright?

Oooo, I love Catch Me If You Can. Leo DiCaprio is my favorite actor you know. Have you read the book by Frank Abagnale by the way? Excellent and wildly funny.

I'll ramble on about the home situation on our other thread, so as to not take this one too far off topic.

I'd like to read the book. Wow, respect for that man, I can't imagine me being so cheeky . Just the way Leo pretended to be the teacher in the beginning of the film was so funny!

Going to check the other thread this evening...

It was funny that when my Dad read Catch Me If You Can, he didn't find it amusing like I did. He got mad! Dad kept saying, "That guy should still be in prison." I don't really agree, better that Abagnale was reformed, eh?

There's a part in the book that was not in the movie. Frank Abagnale dresses like a security guard and puts a sign on a bank deposit box saying "Out of order, deposit with guard." So all the people just drove up and gave him their money. Isn't that hysterical?

When he did all those frauds, he was still pretty young, I wouldn't say that he ought to spend his life in prison. Of course, it wasn't funny for all the people that got hurt or financially damaged. But I somehow still admire him for the courage

Sorry to intrude, but I've read the journal entry to the end so can I have some chocolate please?

Jab

Hi there Jabberwock! Of course:

Thanks!

Munch, munch.

Have some yourself

Jab