I have complained here rather vociferously that many entertainers are ill-informed, naive, and/or just good old-fashioned stupid regarding politics and policy. They are, of course entitled to their opinions, but the danger lies in the fact that entertainers hold much sway over fans, and are at minimum going to have their opinions heard whether they are ill-considered or not.…
Article comments
26 - Brett McHargue
Eric, just because you don't see it does not mean it isn't there. Believe me, the people over here feel bullied when they see their culture being eroded by imports. Of course, others rejoice in it (Bulgaria comes to mind.) But a bully rarely considers itself a bully. Wal-Mart thought it was competing fairly with the Mom&Pop shops. Microsoft believes it plays on a level playing field.
I'm not saying there is much the US can or should do about the reception--just expect some resentment to develop when people are confronted with unwanted change and consider coming up with some strategies to deal with it before it grows into the next attack.
27 - tomdekruif
One of the many reason that Kupchan describes why the U.S will go back to an isolation state is arrogance or blindness ( isolationism is the total word for it ). Eric Olsen makes the same mistakes that many people do; He is blind for what will always happen: A change of econmic supremecy. The Euro is getting higher and higher, and will be more used as a world coin than the u.s dollar. The Oil companies are thinking weather to change to price per oil to euro's rather than dollars. Europe already is the biggest Export AND Import 'country'in the world. With a population much greater than the u.s, it's just a matter of time that Europe will claim the role of economic supremecy. The U.S will fall back just like the 20's and 30's only to get back as the worldpower years later. Power will always shift, wether it's will be Europe, U.S, maybe Russia and China or even Japan. There will always be a period of rise and fall.. it's just a fact from history. America's time as the world leader is coming to an end; with the EU trippling to take over ( 20 years maybe). By the way, the U.S military strength like it is now, will soon be declined. The U.S is already facing a HUGE gap within it's budget. The army expenses will go down some, and Europe's will go higher, until the break even point has been reached. Do you really think that the U.S will be so military strong, or that Europe will always be so military weak. No!!!! Just look back a hundred years ago.. When Europe was the mililtary strenght of the world. Military power too will shift, it's a dream and impossible to think that everything will be like now. It's hard to believe, especially for Americans. But over a 100 years or somewhat longer, the U.S will take over again and Europe get's back to it's second position. But until that time has come, Europe will be there shouting with a bigger voice than the U.S
28 - tomdekruif
this message is just a short note on what i think of some of your criticism.
John Opie, Europe HAS desinged it's own fighter. The Euro fighter. And many countries bought them, because of it's great peformance. Also ever heard of the Galileo project? The EU sattelite project? It's a project the U.S was afraid of, and it wanted Europe to stop it. Galileo is a whole new GPS sattelite system, with far more advanced options than the GPS system now. Also Mike Plaiss, you were talking about the EU getting futher and futher behind economically. Well ever watched the News? Ever watched the stock market. Well if you do, just compare the Euro to the dollar. The reason that the Euro is so high is that many shareholders sell their dollar and buy Euro's, because of the weak U.S economy. ANd the U.S is getting more depended on China. Just go to a shop and look what is from china. Almost everything!!! So America falls back more and more, while Europe with the Euro will rise as the economic power
29 - tomdekruif
i meant satellite no sattelite
30 - Eric Olsen
Tom, thanks for your thoughts. I do not dispute the basic cyclical nature of history (within a larger forward-directed arrow), but I do question the capacity of Europe to surpass the U.S. economically (even as it presents a larger market - so does India and China) due to its socialism, and militarily it isn't even in the same universe. I do not sense that Europe has the will to do what it would take to surpass the U.S. militarily.
Re your answers to the comments of others: please note that the original post and the comments were written over a year ago and I don't know how many of those people are still around.
31 - tomdekruif
Eric,
I do not think that Europe is socialist. I think that the U.S is just far more conservative or right winged than Europe. Also if you want to know I am from Europe, The Netherlands to be precise. I lived in the U.S for over a year. ( 2002-2003) I do question the capacity of Europe to surpass the U.S military, but i do not question the capacity for Europe to surpass the U.S economically. As I said before, it's the lagerst im and export continent on the world. And with a lot of new countries being a coming member the capacity will only grow bigger.
32 - Eric Olsen
Europe is much more socialist than the U.S. - all you have to do is look at taxes and how they are spent for social services. This can be argued to be good, bad or indifferent overall, but it definitely affects economies.
33 - Ms. Tek
"I wish modern Europeans would make some decent movies or write some good books or create a few million jobs or produce some brilliant music or have some universities that would actually draw hotshots from the USA. I wish that language cultures other than English would be so vibrant and flourishing that other people would want to join them, learn and speak their languages, marry into their populations, assimilate into their socities."
Most ignorant bullshit I have heard thus-far. The fact that you don't known any good European films, or any great European musics or literature is because perhaps you head is so far up your behind "rah, rah, rah, Americans!" that nothing else ever gets a chance to come over.
If Britney Spears, Sex in the City, and XXX are part of the super power that is America, then that is pretty damn pathetic.
As far as language is concerned, Americans are so "yank-centric" that they are only required at most to take two years of a foreign language. Even more scary is that it seems your only other option for another language IS spanish. That doesn't really help one to try to understand European culture now, does it?
As far as Europe becoming an Economic superpower... well that is going to depend on if they can get over their differences in nationalities. If they can do that, with the way the US is doing things now, expect Europe to start kicking American butt there as well.
This all the Americans fault for sitting on their asses and resting on their laurels.
As far as schooling, there are some great German Engineering Universities but the reason why Americans cannot go to them is:
YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PASS A GERMAN SPEAKING EXAM.
Which brings us back to the age old issue of not really teaching forgien languages in the US or if so, just SPANISH so you can order from McDonald's.
We don't teach our children to think globally, so why would we even notice if something is better in Europe. Believe it or not, there are a few things in Europe that are BETTER than the US just as there are some things in the US that are BETTER than Europe.
34 - mike
"Europe is much more socialist than the U.S. - all you have to do is look at taxes and how they are spent for social services."
And just think: soon middle class Americans will be paying HIGHER taxes for even FEWER social services, to pay for the bloated U.S. military, whose size is now approaching monstrous proportions.
Militaristic crony capitalism. It's the new America. But it's ok, because we're spreading democracy abroad!
35 - Eric Olsen
I'm certain the last statement is true. The guy you were upbraiding is Canadian, though, and he wrote this over a year ago.
36 - Eric Olsen
my statement was to Tek
37 - Ms. Tek
I'm not too impressed with Canadians lately either. When I started to see the "ant-Americanism" coming from them (which surprised me), I take what they say with a grain of salt as well.
Still, Toronto is a nice city.
38 - mike
What's coming from Canada is not anti-Americanism. Most Canadians love American culture and society. What many of them hate is the U.S. government, which is illegitimate, militaristic, bloated, oligarchic, undemocratically elected, and just generally repulsive.
39 - BB
What do you get when you mix Homo Sapiens with Neanderthals? A European Union (tee hee hee)
Not to worry Eric. The only unifying factor the Euro Union has going for it is its common jealousy of America's might. If they were ever to surpass America there so-called union would quickly break down and start squabbling again, and again, and again...
As for the Soviets they are a wild card, and keeping one eye open in the back our collective heads would be good advice.
A word of warning. If America's might is based on its "moral authority" more than bombs then it must be forever vigilant to enure that it deserves that entitlement.
Canada? Eh? Former Prime Minister Chretien did not reflect the majority of Canadians. He was a carry over hack from Trudeau's anti-Americanism. Canadians and Americans are cousins in every sense of the word. It's just that Canada suffers from penis envy and you can't fault them for that!
40 - mike
"As for the Soviets they are a wild card, and keeping one eye open in the back our collective heads would be good advice."
This just in, Sherlock: The Soviet Union has gone out of business. What happened is that it had an overlarge military, too many overseas military commitments and a political elite awash in cronyism and self-dealing. Unlike the United States, which--oh, dear...........
41 - shaun
MAC LETHAL
MAC LETHAL
Live from the working class trash bin
Where I'm surrounded by tax payers and soon-to-be has-beens
Where Afghanis in tents are in the past-tense
And black families are pissed on with harrassment
See everynight there's gun shots a couple streets from here
Where young Chris and both his brothers tuck and sleep in fear
Where runny streams of tears pour down they faces
The way they treat this shit gets on my nerve agents
Apparently my arrogance is feeling like the air against
the gate up at the cemetary in the sanitarium
The Aryans and all of the nefarious amulet wearin Libertarians is scared to
death tearin the hair again
American marriages wearin thin as parents prepare to carefully bury their
cherished kids in a garrison
Attackin full speed with torches in their chariots like
"Dont listen to Jay-Z that supports the terrorists!"
You gotta understand people Iraq is strong
They got 2 headed soldiers and secret magic bombs
And flying dragons that'll eat the stomachs out their victims
And magic wands that'll cripple cable television
Look Bush, there's a difference between change in regime and blowin half the
world off the face of the map
But if the Muslims got it right
I promise you Allah's gonna be pretty upset at you for that
[Chorus]
I never fought for a cause I did not believe in
Especially if the cause did not believe in me
So (Pow, Pow) would you pass me the ammo?
And hang me from my family tree
I never fought for a cause I did not believe in
Especially if the cause did not believe in me
So (Pow, Pow) would you pass me the ammo?
So I can shoot my t.v.
[Verse 2]
I'm feeling so disgruntled and aroused to pull it
To shoot a conservative with a liberal amount of bullets
This is America...we roll thick
Like natives traded their land and souls for casino chips
2,000 died for you to unite
Blood shot eyes and pissed because it ruined your flight
Taking silencers and screwin them tight durin the ride home
To smell the apple pie, green grass, and pinecones
A different type of threats upon the soccer-moms
It's blackness to the Sun's corona during Ramadan
David Koresh doesn't represent you blue-eyes
But Bin Laden started a sick perverted holocaust
My Muslim friends never acted like villains
But these yuppy women see em' and they grab their 5 children
'Cause Christ turned water to wine, but blood is thicker
What are you people representing with these bumper stickers?
A place where inner-city kids play reluctantly?
And, F.D.N.Y.'s the #1 clothing company?
And, the Presidential niece is sniffin all the drugs
But kids up in Rawanda shrug while eating water bugs
We all got a jug of brew cracked
In the Center of attention thinkin World Trade means shoot back
Genius Anglosaxons
That think if you move a million units overseas you go platinum
But nah go back to your reality show
You in the front row, just sit and let the casualties grow
And eventhough I pay these veterans respect
I won' pick a gun up and shoot and kill someone I've never even met
It's alright to the point their ain't shit left
Except a blizzard of ashes and radiated insects
You see these parents want these kids to enlist
'Til their kids are the ones who get murdered by this bullshit!
[Chorus]
I never fought for a cause I did not believe in
Especially if the cause did not believe in me
So (Pow, Pow) would you pass me the ammo?
And hang me from my family tree
I never fought for a cause I did not believe in
Especially if the cause did not believe in me
So (Pow, Pow) would you pass me the ammo?
So I can shoot my t.v.
I never fought for a cause I did not believe in
Especially if the cause did not believe in me
So (Pow, Pow) would you pass me the ammo?
And hang me from my family tree
I never fought for a cause I did not believe in
Especially if the cause did not believe in me
So (Pow, Pow) would you pass me the ammo?
So I can shoot my t.v.
42 - Victor
The main problem with China is that it keeps falling apart from civil wars. If you look at China's history you will notice that all 5000+ years it has existed that civil war is always the true downfall of China itself. It's not the Huns that invade, it's not because it expands to much. It's because internal strife attacks and then something else takes advantage of its weakness. While it's true that China is an expansionist and it did explore most of the world (read 1421 by Gain Menzies), it didn't really conquer them like Europeans conquered new lands. If I were to compare their methods I would say the Europeans were much more deadlier when conquering lands then China. China usually just developed a tribute system. And the countries or civilizations that China interacted with got benefits (China's technologies and goods).
One thing is for certain however..China cannot keep up it's half communism, half democracy ways. It needs to either swing one way fully. I am hoping this way is Democracy. Or at least some form of it. But China is a superpower and its becoming a powerhouse thanks to America. My friends argue with me all the time that America can take China. Which I think is impossible. Then they're stupid enough to use nukes in the arguement. While it's true America does have enough nukes to take out the world several times, what benefit does that have? If the USA launched nukes at China then China would launch their nukes at the USA. Not to mention Americans heavily rely on China for their manufacturing capabilities. Heck not just America, I'm betting alot of places around the world rely on China for manufacturing of parts. This has given China the economic push and weakened some other countries (loss of jobs).
43 - Eric Olsen
Victor, good points. I don't see the US and China fighting as they are too closely intertwined economically, as you mentioned. China needs us as a market, we need them to make things well, cheaply and as a growing market for our goods. By opening up the economy, it is likely that political openness will follow at its own pace.