Obsidian Wings

Weekend Musings: The Ugly American and Reality

by wj

Way back when I was still in grammar school, a book came out called The Ugly American. It was about what was wrong with the American diplomatic corps –- specifically, but not exclusively, in Southeast Asia. Essentially, we had ambassadors who were typically out-of-office politicians or big donors. They were ignorant of the local language, and of the local culture. So they were arrogant and obnoxious (“diplomatic”? Never!) and all around counterproductive.

By the time I was in college, and at a point where I might have paid any attention to the subject, “Ugly American” was a standard expression for all that was wrong with our diplomatic corps. Plus the negative impression that Americans generally, especially as tourists, had on our image abroad.

Over time, partly due to that book, our diplomatic corps got more professional and more effective. Yes, big donors still got ambassadorships in London and Paris and Rome. But in less glittery locations, we actually had people who knew the local scene and did well. Plus we had the Peace Corps – which (although I didn’t realize it at the time) was based, pretty obviously, on the examples in the book of how to do it right.

Until, of course, this last 4 years. When our State Department got hollowed out and our diplomatic corps got trashed. Not least because we not only went back to the approach of the 1950s, we seem to have deliberately selected for Ambassadors who were as obnoxious as possible. (Our Ambassador to Germany being the most visible, but far from the only, case.) And now, we have to rebuild all over again. Well, at least we know how, having done it before. (In addition to the State Department, other departments are in equally bad shape, or course. Also thanks to appointments by the previous guy.)

What I find fascinating is this. I just only read the book this past week. The "Ugly American" of the title turns out to NOT be one of the horror stories. (It's his visage that's ugly, not his behavior.) Rather, he is one of the folks on the ground (with no official position) doing things right, and highly regarded by the locals as a result. One can only assume that the people who made so much use of the phrase in the 1960s and 1970s had never actually read the book either. How many other popular culture memes are, in fact, the direct opposite of what they originally meant?

The trial

by liberal japonicus

[note: still closed, but moved to the top]

Not sure about this, but via LGM, this link gives a detailed day by day description of the Chauvin trial

https://www.startribune.com/what-happened-today-in-the-derek-chauvin-trial/600031856/

Some other reporting suggests that a lot of people are following the trial, which is being televised live. Perhaps people want to discuss this so I will try something different. I'll open the comments after the trial finishes and try to lay down some ground rules. Right now, I'm thinking that discussion needs to be referenced so folks can see where someone is getting their information rather than 'oh, I read somewhere that...'. Not sure how long the trial will be going on, but when it finishes and the verdict is returned, maybe we can talk about this.

The urge to make a buck

by liberal japonicus

I played golf, but was never very good, but for a time, followed it. And I love reading about sports, especially as it intersects with society, so was pretty familiar with the story of Lee Elder. So this story was quite interesting to me. We have some golfers as well as some who are aware of the social contours of apartheid, so the fact that it is Gary Player's son may also be of interest. I know that Gary Player, similar to almost every white South African athlete, got his share of flak and his wikipedia page has a section on his views about apartheid. So it's one of those plot twists that it is Player's son flogging golf balls behind Lee Elder. Connecting it to my previous comment about functionalism and formalism, I could see some saying what is the big deal, the fact that Lee Elder's celebrity was recognized means that people would want to attach their products, so what is the problem. On the other hand, it seems to me that a lot of these sorts of social ills are supported by that urge to make money so functionally, it is racism.

The good ole days

by liberal japonicus

I share a page from MIT peofessor's website that I ended up at because 1) all of the academics in the crowd might enjoy it and 2)Hartmut can probably find something to add.

After Reisig’s death, Ritschl was without a doctor father. But Meier took the high road and took him under his wings. He even said that if Ritschl could get his doctorate and his habilitation before the fall of 1829, he would get him a job as a lecturer (Privatdozent). But this meant that Ritschl had to get two pieces of written work done by the fall. So, he did what every good student would do: procrastinate. In the end, a heroic effort got everything done just in time:

he spent three days, with a total of nine hours sleep, shaping the emendations into a coherent dissertation. He then paid for three typesetters to work through two nights to get the dissertation printed on time – the printer probably had other obligations for the normal day hours. “This was the thing composed, set, printed, and bound at night – a true work of the the night.” But it was done. He did the theses the night before the disputation. After two hours sleep, he appeared at the public disputation at 10:00 a.m. I do not know if any of Meier’s seminar students tried to annihilate Ritschl. But, by 3:00 p.m., 11 July, after five days labor with little sleep, a new doctor of philosophy existed.

Your procrastination stories here.

Sometimes the shit comes down so heavy I feel like I should wear a hat.

by liberal japonicus

Well, the pushback against the restrictive voting laws in Georgia and Texas is happening. A couple of links, please add your own.
Georgia

https://www.npr.org/2021/04/01/983450176/based-on-a-lie-georgia-voting-law-faces-wave-of-corporate-backlash
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/georgia-voting-law-coca-cola-ups-home-depot-voter-rights-ups-delta-for-the-people-act/
https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-state-legislature/election-laws-how-georgia-stacks-up/KYO7CBZFVFAC5HFUT4XHZURKWI/

Texas
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/texas-voting-rights
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/03/georgia-texas-gop-election-laws-us-companies-face-pressure-to-oppose.html

I enjoyed Josh Marshall's take on it (normally behind a paywall, but the share is supposed to allow you to view it. In case you can't a few grafs)

This disjuncture between consumer America and future America on the one hand and the American political system – both everyone getting a vote and architecture of the system itself – is perhaps the defining tension or dynamic in American life today.

Of course, corporate America’s deepest needs remain access to the levers of state power and finding ideological allies interested in killing regulations and keeping taxes as low as possible. Indeed, beyond this, as we saw in the early years of the Trump administration even the most trendsetting corporations rooted in the country’s most liberal enclaves still want to get close to power. Remember those awkward but smiley moments of Trump convening the CEOs of all the country’s tech giants around one table in 2017.

So we shouldn’t expect corporate America to become Democrats’ best friends. Because they’re clearly not. And in any case, as I noted above, it’s not really right vs left in any case. But this disjuncture remains a central if not the central tension point across the entirety of American politics today.

Bonus points for identifying the source for the quote!

Some suggested thoughts

by liberal japonicus

Perhaps time to take a break from fevered dreams of libertarian heavens, one commenter suggested I put this article forward.

https://www.americanpurpose.com/articles/the-tolling-bell/

While I agree with the notion of the exhausted center, I have to admit, the article doesn't really grab me so much, though at this point, 'centrism' seems to be outmoded. I know everyone wants to go back to the way things were not only before COVID, but really the way things were before Trump. Unfortunately, that gets you a presidential press conference where none of the questions were about COVID, but there was a 15 minute section on whether Biden was going to run for a second term. Or Politico turning to Stephen Miller. I've gotten into fights with friends (perhaps former now) who insist that Jorden Peterson, Bari Weiss, or Andrew Sullivan 'have a point' and the world looks like, to me at least, one power of one constituency is slowly ebbing but they are not going down without a fight. However, the constituencies whose power is waxing have problems because replicating the way power has been taken in the past merely replaces the group on the top with another group, leaving the problematic social relations intact.

I would try to write more, but the school year is starting here and I'm still trying to get my head around what I will do. So I toss this up and let all of you go at it. Play nice, please.