U.S. Election Postscript: the Despairing Expat View

[CardSharp]

I follow a couple of English China blogs, and this is a particular interesting perspective on the American elections by a American law professor living in Beijing.

I wasn’t planning on writing anything else about the U.S. midterm elections further than that post yesterday, but I changed my mind. Yesterday’s post was about the China angle to the election, which will be minimal. However, an excerpt from a reader email posted by Jim Fallows hit a nerve. Although the reader is not an expat, I think the comment touches on concerns held by a lot of us living overseas:

I for one am despairing. America will not come to grip with its problems and wants to double down on previous bad choices. It’s similar to when religious fundamentalists keep a society shackled and later come to the conclusion that the reason they’re failing is that they weren’t sufficiently orthodox.

I’m quickly losing faith in America. I am currently in Korea on a business trip and was discussing politics with some Korean and Japanese colleagues. The consensus position is that America is a dying empire and they need to start planning for the day (very shortly) when it all falls apart for us and we find ourselves in a position similar to Britain in the 60s/70s or Russia in the 90s (we’ve already got oligarchs and a deeply corrupt government fully dedicating to aiding them).

I moved to Washington, DC 10 years ago a young graduate student who deeply believed in this country and looked forward to a career serving her in government (at one point, I had even been offered a position as a foreign service officer with State, but after waiting 18 months for a security clearance, I took another job). Flash forward today and I’m so despondent and cynical, I’ve lost complete faith in the country and am preparing to disengage from politics and public service entirely because I know see serving the American people as Sisyphean task of epic proportions.

I am reminded of 2004. After the obvious, and outrageous, debacle of the Bush Administration, I remember being absolutely gob smacked that the guy was re-elected. When that happened, I felt more disconnected from other Americans than at any time since I began living overseas. I just couldn’t understand an electorate that thought another Bush term was good for the country. To this day, I’m amazed that so many people came to that conclusion, or allowed themselves to be led there by sophisticated spin doctoring.

Unfortunately, this election cycle has me thinking the same thoughts. I am neither surprised nor outraged that a whole lot of Republicans were elected to the House of Representatives. This happens with midterm elections. Is it surprising that this is happening just two years after Americans soundly rejected Republican policies in a general election? Sure it is, and it goes to show you how fickle the American electorate is.

More than that, though, I have a problem with the continued rise of unqualified, ignorant populists, the new “Know Nothing” crowd championed by the “Tea Party” groups. These are the morons who are cheerleading for budget cuts during a downturn in the business cycle, ignoramuses crying out for “constitutionalism” without understanding anything about that document or its history, and the retards (yes, I still use that term) moaning about the spending policies of the current administration, which either began during the Bush presidency or were necessitated by its handling of the economy. I won’t even bother mentioning the bigots, the Jesus Squad, the global warming deniers or the birthers.

So yeah, I understand the despair of that reader. It’s not so much a partisan thing as it is a disconnect with the average voter back home. These folks are led by anti-intellectuals, politicians who are not even qualified to hold office in a small town, much less a federal post in D.C. America is no longer being led by its best and brightest but by a group of glib opportunists that revel in mediocrity and disdain education and excellence. Why can’t America compete with the rest of the world? Some navel gazing is surely in order.

I keep getting this feeling that the rest of the world is either gleefully watching the U.S. collapse under its own weight or are sitting back with shocked expressions, wondering how all this happened in the span of a few short decades.

The emperor Caligula, whom some historians claim was stark raving mad, appointed his horse Incitatus to the Roman Senate. The American public is toying with the idea of putting Sarah Palin in the White House in 2012. Of the two, the horse had more political experience.

As I suggested yesterday, the next two years should, if nothing else, prove to be interesting.

http://www.chinahearsay.com/u-s-election-postscript-the-despairing-expat-view/

 

[Jigs]

The funny thing is. If it wasn't for the Tea Party the republicans might have taken a majority in the Senate too. I am still with Obama here. I don't believe it is fair to move off a guy you supported for 2 years into his first term while previous we had a clown in their for 8 years. Now we will have gridlock for another 2 years and move on.

 

[below_freezing]

as technology accelerates, so will the development of society and social changes.

it took the roman empire 200 years to totally collapse.
it took the british empire 50.
it took the soviets 20.

not even counting the empires that were militarily destroyed like Japan and Germany, just the ones that peacefully died out.

how long will it take the US? I'll just say, due to lack of a CIA counterpart in other countries manipulating the outcome, it'll take the same time as the soviets. some smart americans have already decided to escape the coming collapse, by moving to europe or asia.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

I am reminded of 2004. After the obvious, and outrageous, debacle of the Bush Administration, I remember being absolutely gob smacked that the guy was re-elected.

That feeling doesn't just apply to overseas Chinese, I felt exactly the same way.

I was SO sure that they would kick him out, but they didn't.

The problem (as you said) is a serious case of "anti-intellectualism" that is rising in the West.

Remember that statistic I posted, showing that around 45% of people in America believe in Creationism and that the Earth is only 10 thousand years old?

There are of course a great number of very intelligent Americans, but I feel that they are slowly being drowned out.

 

[ThatDamnGood]

I keep getting this feeling that the rest of the world is either gleefully watching the U.S. collapse under its own weight or are sitting back with shocked expressions, wondering how all this happened in the span of a few short decades.

U.S. Election Postscript: the Despairing Expat View | China Hearsay

I have to say I am gleeful.

When my boss told me about the US tax system, among which, that the IRS can come after you after you cease to be a US citizen, I understood that America is not that beautiful. The devil is in the details. If you weren't paying attention...

I guess I wasn't much of a believer in the western ideals in the first place.

***

"how long will it take the US? I'll just say, due to lack of a CIA counterpart in other countries manipulating the outcome"

The KGB won in the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlpODYhnPEo

Ding dong, the witch is...

 

[CardSharp]

I have to say I am gleeful.

When my boss told me about the US tax system, among which, that the IRS can come after you after you cease to be a US citizen, I understood that America is not that beautiful. The devil is in the details.

I guess I wasn't much of a believer in the western ideals in the first place.

Probably not lol.

 

[CardSharp]

Also just so there are no misunderstandings. The author is American not American born Chinese.

 

[ThatDamnGood]

One of the smart Americans, not China friendly though Chinese friendly, he's health oriented and admittedly, China need to up policing standard by a bit.

He packed up his bag and went to Ecuador.

Culture Shock: The USA vs. South America; Fiction vs. Reality

 

[Jigs]

That feeling doesn't just apply to overseas Chinese, I felt exactly the same way.

I was SO sure that they would kick him out, but they didn't.

The problem (as you said) is a serious case of "anti-intellectualism" that is rising in the West.

Remember that statistic I posted, showing that around 45% of people in America believe in Creationism and that the Earth is only 10 thousand years old?

There are of course a great number of very intelligent Americans, but I feel that they are slowly being drowned out.

It is manipulation(American people are easily manipulated). Obama if you look has actually done many of the things he has campaigned on. The democrats have done zero PR though. You need to do PR in this country constantly to keep many of these people updated or they will just fall for what the republicans are pushing. Like was the case (when bush was elected again) and now support them once again.

Same thing goes for 70% of Americans opposed to the Mosque close to the WTC site. What do you think that tells you about what Americans think about terrorism and Islam. This was actually much lower when bush was elected because he made it part of his policy to constantly make a distinction between Islam and the terrorists. (Obama has failed doing this)

The Tea party on the other hand is a good summary of the idiots/racists/hypocrites of the United States. If you look at the demographics for the party you will find most of the people are 45+ year old white Americans.

 

[ThatDamnGood]

"Why can’t America compete with the rest of the world? Some navel gazing is surely in order."

Living without awareness because of the indoctrination into the doctrine of American Exceptionalism, (need some Buddhist or Taoist training. Before an Indian interjects, its understandable/acceptable that I push Chinese products first, so yes Yoga, Advaita like Nisagardatta can help too but try Chan (Zen is the copy) or Da Zuo or Zhan Zhuang from one of the internal martial arts)

Why Germany Has It So Good -- and Why America Is Going Down the Drain | Economy | AlterNet

McNally: Americans don't know how things actually work in European countries. For many people the fact that Germany is neck and neck with China as the number one exporting country -- give or take the rise and fall of currency - must be mind blowing. Even progressives in America don't look overseas for models that work. I find it almost pathological that our exceptionalism infects even those who assume they don't believe in it.

Geoghegan: I have a friend who's just come back from being a journalist for a long time in France and now works as a political reporter in Washington DC. She recently told me, "It's become impossible for me to stay in a carpool with other women journalists because all I do is say to them, 'Oh, it's so much better in France This is so much better If this happened we wouldn't' She said, "They're just so sick of me, they don't want to hear anything more about France."

In some ways it's understandable and in some ways it's tragic. Another journalist friend of mine told me, "The three most deadly words in American journalism are 'in Sweden they' People just won't keep going from there, and why is that? These are economies that have developed a level of sophistication and look like the US in so many ways. People say, "Europe's becoming just like America," but it's not.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Also just so there are no misunderstandings. The author is American not American born Chinese.

My mistake. I thought you wrote the unquoted parts of the OP.

 

[ThatDamnGood]

American Thinker: America Is Gone

Also with reference to the reference in the above article about Modern Art...

Modern art was CIA 'weapon' - World, News - The Independent

CIA efforts had unintended effects that boomeranged...
Nowadays, US composers rely so much on construction kits, God knows what happened to melody. Film scores are just the rhythm sections like in Inception.

 

[below_freezing]

I have to say I am gleeful.

When my boss told me about the US tax system, among which, that the IRS can come after you after you cease to be a US citizen, I understood that America is not that beautiful. The devil is in the details. If you weren't paying attention...

I guess I wasn't much of a believer in the western ideals in the first place.

***

"how long will it take the US? I'll just say, due to lack of a CIA counterpart in other countries manipulating the outcome"

The KGB won in the end.
YouTube - Bezmenov on demoralization in America

Ding dong, the witch is...

The video made me think. The US seems to be doing to us what the soviets did to the US. demoraliziation means a person is not capable of processing information correctly - they have been programmed into thinking in a certain way that is to the advantage of a rival state.

this seems very obvious for those born in the 70's and 80's. we are going to be in rough times in 2020-2030 when the 70's and 80's generation assumes power. if we can survive until the 90's generation comes to power we may be safe. My observation is 90后 are less interested in US culture than 80后 who are less interested than 70后.

even if we become the dominant state on earth, we may still suffer an internal collapse like britain, USSR, soon to be US.

 

[siegecrossbow]

I hope everyone realizes that no nation is safe from the cycle of prosperity and decline. Be it China, Russia, Britain, or the United States... no Empire lasts forever.

 

[no_name]

The video made me think. The US seems to be doing to us what the soviets did to the US. demoraliziation means a person is not capable of processing information correctly - they have been programmed into thinking in a certain way that is to the advantage of a rival state.

this seems very obvious for those born in the 70's and 80's. we are going to be in rough times in 2020-2030 when the 70's and 80's generation assumes power. if we can survive until the 90's generation comes to power we may be safe. My observation is 90后 are less interested in US culture than 80后 who are less interested than 70后.

even if we become the dominant state on earth, we may still suffer an internal collapse like britain, USSR, soon to be US.

Then we may need some political reform so by the time the 70s and 80s came to power, the 90s and beyond will have a bigger say.

Can China grow itself sufficiently strong so that by the time the 70's assume power, hopefully people can see that what US and Europe can achieve, China can too.

World situation may have changed in another 20 years. New generation are confident about themselves, just hope they don't get too confident. No fengQin. We need to stop teaching in history the idea of china being the centre of the world, even as a part of history. The world is like a big spring and autumn playground.