its now 20 years since I went to America on my Harkness fellowship. Before we were allowed off to try our luck on our own, we had a three day induction session in New York - the general message of which was - you might think these people speak the same language as us - but they are really different.
I didn't really believe it at the time. And I found the Americans I met nice, bright easy to get on with and liked them a lot. So I thought this bit about culture shock was somewhat overdone. The biggest gaps I encountered were over spelling with "s"s instead of "z"s and the fact that to table something in Congress means to take it off the agenda rather than to put it on...
But the fact that Sarah Palin is even considered a candidate for elected office outside Wasalia (or Hartlepool) seems to be to be evidence that the culture gap is alive and well. I woke up this morning (4/9) to her convention speech playing on the World Service. Every word, every sentiment grated. On every issue she seems to represent all that is most alien about the ueberchristiansed obsessive American right -- and those of us who thought that Obama vs McCain mattered less than the fact that 2009 that there would be a new person - and some new thinking - in the White House have just been proved very wrong. McCain is now looking like a desperate old man - willing to sacrifice anything for his four years of fame - a prisoner of his party who will do anything to be a one term president - including leaving a legacy of a creationist global warming denier as President.
And what makes it even worse is I have a bet with an Obama fan that McC will win. Never will I be more relieved to write a cheque for $ 100.
But another thought.... how does Canada manage to be surrounded by bible belts to the north and south and stay so (relatively) sane? Is this the legacy of a longer heritage of empire and the Anglican church dulling all interest in religion?
3 comments:
Er, who lives in a Bible belt north of Canada?
Not sure that a reading of the Sarah Palin speech quite justifies the visceral response in your post... this is the sort of thing all American politicians say. It's annoying and sickly, but then that's the house style. If anything it was about getting stuff done rather than talking about it.
It is of course replete with distortions about Obama's record and policies. But that too is an American thing and will go unpunished in the useless American media. So agains shouldn't raise too many eyebrows.
Most importantly, what I would like to know is why her five kids sound as though they have been named after oil platforms: Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper and Trig?
CB
I couldn't agree more - if Sarah Palin becomes Vice President we should all be very scared. I couldn't believe that McCain's advisors criticised the media for being sexist and unable to handle a 'successful' woman. What?! More like they were simply exploiting the media circus that is her private life. I think McCain has made a massive error. At the Convention, he didn't get half as much attention as Palin, yet hes the one running for President. I can only assume that his advisors think the bible belt voters could tip the balance in favour of him over Obama. Maybe they have done the 'maths' and will be laughing in the end. Its true, only in America could this happen... Julie F
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