Once I asked a friend a German journalist in Washington, what surprises her the most in americans.
She thought and answered: the, how much they are mistaken, thinking, like living the best. I thought and said: “Yes, but you think the same in Europe”. She thought and said: “Yes, but we are right”. We both laughed.
I started work in the USA as a Soviet correspondent. Later in public speaking overseas often joked, that then we knew all the answers in advance - all that was left was to pick the right questions for them. But when the audience started to giggle pretty, resembled, that after the end of the cold war, America already believed in its infallibility, the ability to always and everywhere accurately determine “the right side of the story”. And since then it continues to break its forehead over and over again, stepping on this ideological rake.
I remember it now, thinking of myths, which are firmly rooted in the public mind in the USA.
Myth number 1. The navel of the earth
There was a reason in the words of my German colleague. Americans are really sure, that they built earthly paradise. That their society is not only the most rational, but also the most fair and humane. That everyone in the world should be equal to them.
Their propaganda is stronger than Russian and even Soviet, people really believe her.
“Yes, for us, the USA is the number one country in every way, that's for sure”, - Well-known New York analyst Tom Graham confirmed to me., with whom I spoke on this subject, rechecking yourself. In the past, Graham was an adviser to US President George W. Bush, Jr. in Russia, He is currently Managing Director of Henry Kissinger Advisory.
“I think, you are absolutely right about our reigning and sometimes even unconscious belief, that the USA is that standard, by which everyone should be judged and towards which every thinking person on the planet naturally aspires, - agreed in a note by e-mail and another old friend, Washington philosopher and political scientist Paul Grenier. - Even intelligent and thoughtful people sometimes automatically come from this”.
In my opinion, it’s own consciousness “exclusivity” - at the same time the reason, and the consequence of American messianism, which with the light hand of the 40th US President Ronald Reagan put on an image “shining hail on a hill”.
As is known, this is a paraphrase of the dictum of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus Christ: “You are the light of the world. The city cannot hide, standing high on a mountain”. AND, of course, similar image of america, as a promised country, mythologized in itself.
Myth number 2. American dream
With regard to the life of an individual, the same myth takes the form “American dream”.
About this: believe in yourself, work tirelessly and you will succeed. Everything will be worse for you, than others, - a family, Job, house full bowl.
And if not with you, then your children. They will go further than you to this dream. And generally speaking, each new generation will live better than the previous.
Now the myth is dispelling, a dream fades. About it is written, rewritten. And about that, that the current young growth in the US as a whole will live worse than its parents. And about fast-growing financial inequality. AND, eg, about it, what “so many Americans will not be able to retire at all” due to lack of savings and changing demographic situation in the country. The last topic was raised recently by a former professor of finance, and now Bloomberg columnist Noah Smith; the plot attracted me, that it is relevant for Russians now.
I can’t but recall in this context the sensational publication 2016 year in the magazine Atlantic pro “middle class shame” USA - seemingly quite prosperous people, suffering from chronic lack of money. The author is a journalist, writer and film critic, American and international prize winner Neil Gabler - named him “financial impotence”. He wrote, that he himself is subject to this ailment, and decided on a public confession after, as understood, what amazed them “great multitude” other same people.
by the way, Graham prompted: “There is still a myth, that the USA is a country without classes”. Among Americans, it is customary to think, as if “have rich, but for the most part we are all middle class”, - he explained. And he added,: “When a person is asked, what layer is it from, he answers - from the middle. What is poor - a small fraction recognizes”.
Myth number 3. “Guaranteed” happiness
I interviewed Susan Massey at one time, best-selling co-author “Nikolai and Alexandra”, about her transition from Anglicanism to Orthodoxy. Her son was seriously ill, and the Orthodox community, according to her, taught her the right way to accept and endure suffering.
It then prompted me to think about, that Americans do not know how to be unhappy. They do not have our saving saying: “And who is easy now?” They live in captivity of illusion, like happiness almost “guaranteed” them by birth. In the end, the United States Declaration of Independence proclaimed “pursuit of happiness” one of “inalienable rights” each person. In the mass consciousness “right” and “aspiration” merged together.
May be, partly and therefore personal misfortune is perceived by Americans, like a drama, a kind of secret vice. He is ashamed, hide him.
The cult of life success reigns in the country, understood, as an achievement all the same “American dream”. People believe, as if such success could make them happy.
Although actually a myth. When I studied the topic, stumbled in social networks on the stinging remark of a certain Matt from Connecticut: “If Americans really knew, what is happiness, you probably would have already found a way to pack and sell it”. To my mind, not an eyebrow, and in the eye ...
Myth number 4. Universal truth
Belief in the existence of some universal truth, known to US authorities, in essence it goes without saying as a component of the aforementioned American “exclusivity”. But for the present “fake” and “information wars” it’s not a sin to say about it separately.
I believe, that complete and absolute truth is known only to God. And on earth it is everyone’s own, as well as a set of facts confirming it. But journalist and diplomat Rick Stengel, who led the US propaganda administration in the administration of Barack Obama, me at it in 2014 publicly and unequivocally declared: “Our facts are facts., and yours is fiction”. And later he generally wrote, as if Russia had reached that point, that denies the truth per se.
I admit, that he really believes in all this, like almost all of Washington's political elite. But for my part, I consider this opinion a myth - at best, a bona fide delusion, and at worst, conscious and cynical lies.
By the way, it was because of this myth that it was always easier for Moscow to deal with Republicans in Washington, not with democrats. Liberals just believe in their most “universal values” and try “favor” they, including forcibly, the whole world. And conservatives still recognize, what and values, and national interests of the USA and other countries may be different. This was repeatedly explained to me by American friends from among political realists..
In fact, moral relativism is imposed by the Americans themselves (and above all just liberals) across “political correctness”, against which he rebelled and which is constantly defiantly violated by US President Donald Trump. And his ideological opponents are pursuing this and are already reaching that point., that they publicly urge - from the pages of leading newspapers - to refuse to fight against him even from observing the traditional norms of quality journalism. I, eg, I think, that by doing so they just undermine the foundations of their American democracy. And I know US analysts, who agree with this.
Myth number 5. Individualism, pluralism
The daughter of a friend of mine in Moscow studied at the prestigious New York University. In a conversation about student life, she once said a word, what's bored with american classmates. allegedly, ask us about anything ten people - you will hear ten opinions. And there everyone says about the same thing, like a carbon copy.
How so? After all, they are in theory individualists and idolize freedom in everything. But Grenier, whom I didn’t specifically ask about it, but simply asked to speculate about myths, considers, that this kind of conformism - “very old american habit”, because of which the first chronicler of overseas democracy Alexis de Tocqueville “He claimed, that America has less intellectual discussion, than in any other country he knows”.
According to my friend in Washington, to the Americans, of course, peculiar “extreme relativism” in judgment, and they can even say about religious dogma, that she is only true “in their opinion”. But after that, how public opinion has developed and settled down, generally accepted point of view begins to be perceived, as “absolute truth”, - wrote a philosopher. And he added,, that then everything is beyond the scope of this absolute “worse, what is wrong, - it is dangerous and frightening”.
By nature, in his view, his compatriots “give preference to honesty and admire those, who have the courage to show it”. “But the trouble is, what Americans believe in myth, as if they are free, - complained Grenier. - They are not aware, that they are mortally afraid to stand out from the crowd ... Society holds them with an iron grip, although invisible”.
properly, hypnotic dictatorship “general opinion” Is an axiom, enshrined not only in classical political science (let us say, in “father of liberalism” John Locke), but also in fiction. “We are great! We are free! We are admirable ... We all say that - that means, it's true!” - yelled banderlog at Rudyard Kipling.
true, I would still clarify in defense of the Americans, what are they, in my opinion, perfectly able to defend their individuality and their freedom in everything, as for them personally. And dependence on other people's opinions and even herdness can be manifested in questions, which they seem distracted and practically unimportant.
Of course, as many warn, this makes them vulnerable to political propaganda - and their, and a stranger. Can, therefore, their ideological leaders were alarmed because of the ascribed to Russia “interventions” into their politics.
by the way, the approach to Russia as a whole is also mythologized, and inconsistently. One side, Americans are frightened, as if “hand of Moscow” almost reaches the White House; with another, convince, as if Russia is a backward country, which the USA does not fit into soles. But even in our public minds, no less conflicting ideas about America coexist.
Myth number 6. Belief in US military superiority
The talk of myths goes on, probably, to infinity.
for example, Americans are convinced, what their armed forces “all stronger” - first of all, technologically and financially. This is the basis of the myth of the almost complete physical invulnerability of the United States, seriously undermined by terrorist attacks 11 September 2001 of the year.
Wherein “myth of invincibility” US military, in my opinion, as such is absent. Which is also clear: the country is fighting almost continuously, but failures, including vietnam, everyone remembers and painful, and success immediately and do not remember. Not Iraq, nor Afghanistan, Libya is not one of them. Now here is Washington trying to ascribe to itself “the defeat of ISIS” (American name of a group banned in Russia “Islamic State”) in Syria, but there too until, until Russia got down to business, no victory smelled ...
I just went to jubilee celebrations on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the complete lifting of the siege of Leningrad, and there I was again imbued with the awareness of, that the most powerful weapon is unbending fortitude. But is the Americans have it - that’s another grandmother said in two.
Myth number 7. Faith in progress
Systemically, I think, one cannot but mention the indestructible faith in progress. Of course, this is a complex and controversial topic. But isn't doubt logical: “Is the new justified by one topic, what is it new?” Grenier thinks, what is it “ubiquitous myth”, as well as performance, as if “technology is a completely neutral thing, “development” which is inevitable and unstoppable”.
Yes, in America came up “iPhones”. But America remains the only country in the world, using nuclear weapons and destroying hundreds of thousands of people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Вот создание все более смертоносных вооружений — это прогресс? А ведь это повсюду считается одним из ключевых достижений…
And indeed, many, including, eg, патриарха американской геополитики Генри Киссинджера, уже публично задаются вопросом о том, не грозит ли человечеству закат истории, какой мы ее знаем, из-за появления и быстрого развития искусственного интеллекта. And on that, “что станется с человеческим сознанием”, if “recommendations, вырабатываемые машинами для “оптимизации” нашей жизни, станут недоступными для нашего собственного понимания”.
И дело не только в технологиях. В политике на веру в прогресс опираются в конечном счете и те мифы об американской “exclusivity” и знании “правильной стороны истории”, о которых уже говорилось. А в сфере морали “progress”, понимаемый, как непрестанное расширение свобод и снятие всех и всяческих ограничений в общественнной и культурной жизни, не только размывает границу между традиционными представлениями о добре и зле, but, in fact, и снимает с людей ответственность за личное духовное самосовершенствование.
И при этом закрепляет миф о том, будто это делает их счастливее.
Published: legioner Source
