Chomsky News Network

[Justin Schwartz]

>
>He could say it, you could say it, but would it be true? There are lots of 
>good and decent people in the U.S., for sure. I took a beating last fall 
>for saying agreeing with the WSWS that anti-Americanism is the 
>anti-imperialism of fools, and for saying that the U.S. is hardly uniquely 
>racist, and is more welcoming of immigrants than most other places. But the 
>U.S. is also full of people who believe awful things - religious nuts, 
>social Darwinists, etc. Why is it essential to indulge the national 
>narcissism?
>
>Doug

It's not true or false to say "we are a nation of good and decent people." 
Well, it is true, though no more or less so than most places. Mainly, 
though, it's a way of expressing identification--which is why its so hard 
for many lefties to say it, even though their own ideology tells them it's 
true. As to the people who believe awful things, that's also no moreso than 
anywhere else. Some of those religious nuts are good and decent people and 
my friends, btw. My best friend from law school's a conservative Christian 
fundamentalist, and an absolutely wonderful person. Very brilliant, too, a 
PhD engineer. There are people here who are genuinely awful, of course, 
Borks and Bennetts and Matthew Hales, Phil Sheridans and Al Sharptons. And 
they're as American as the good guys. Ever read Steven Vincent Benet's The 
Devil and Daniel Webster?

jks

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