Fukuyama on Faludi

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

Doug sent this to the list:
>Wall Street Journal - September 24, 1999
>
>THE BETRAYED GENERATION
>
>By Francis Fukuyama
<snip>
>Back in the Good Old Days
>
>On the other hand, Ms. Faludi shows a complete lack of historical
>perspective by suggesting that somehow back in the good old days men
>always had meaningful work that embedded them in their communities.
>She seems to forget that the way to the West (or indeed, to the U.S.
>itself) was paved by the absence of opportunity at home, and seems to
>think that there was once a time when competitive individualism was
>not part of the American character (perhaps back in the days of Jay
>Gould or John D. Rockefeller).

Much as I detest Fukuyama, the above is a valid point: a narrative of
'betrayal' is suggestive of nostalgia (contrary to history).  Since I
haven't read the Faludi book, I'm not sure she in fact lacks a proper
historical perspective as Fukuyama says she does, however.  (And it's
certainly not that Fukuyama, unlike Faludi, possesses it as he implies with
his self-congratulatory tone.)

Yoshie