Provincial idiocy

[fpb]

MEMO: To all American conservatives.

If you want to get anywhere with anyone, you have to get the hell out of your own ignorance comfort zone. To wit, you have to stop talking as though everything that can be called socialism must, by that alone, be the same thing as the perversions of Lenin and Mao. Every European democracy has experienced decades of Socialist (Social Democrat or Labour, if you prefer) rule, and while I have nothing but contempt for such people as Zapatero of Spain or the Norwegian Labour Party, only the most moronic of ignorami could possibly equate them with the murderous rabble that tore Russia apart long ago and feasted upon Cambodia's blood. That sort of talk, which is universal in American conservative circles, makes it simpy impossible for Americans to understand Europe; even those among us who voted for Berlusconi, Merkel, Sarkozy or Aznar would laugh in the face of any American who insisted - as you people happily insist to each other, taking irresponsible pleasure in reinforcing each other's ignorance and prejudice - that even Zapatero is anything comparable to a tyrant. Worse still if, God help you, you take the suggestions I have seriously seen them waved about the blogosphere, that tyrants such as Salazar or Pinochet are better than democratically elected socialists - even if incompetent. If you insist on this sort of talk, I can promise you that you will remain nothing but bogeymen and hate figures to all Europeans, including conservatives, and most if not all citizens of democratic countries from India to Japan and from Argentina to Canada. America is the only democracy in the world in which it is assumed that a socialist cannot be a democrat. This is an instance, not of democracy, but of provinciality and groupthink. And I do not have to have any sympathy for socialists to say so: all I need is a little common sense.

Comments

[eliskimo.livejournal.com]

Having moved in a few American conservative circles at different times, I might amend that to read "To all American conservative media" or "To all American evangelical conservatives."

Not all American conservatives share the views or rhetoric you are lambasting, but they do tend to be louder than the others and give the entire group a bad name.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Yes, but the trouble is that those who are are those who, through the National Review, Townhall.com, and talk radio, determine the image of the conservative movement abroad and lay a heavy claim on its future direction. Imagine an European Catholic or conservative who were to speak with an American counterpart. How would the American explain the repeated statements in American columns to the effect that European economies are a "mess" because of "socialism" consisting in unemployment insurance and national health coverage, that the European Union (a Catholic project founded by three devoutly Catholic politicians) is the "Eurosoviet Union" and a Communist Trojan Horse, and that, in general, the foundations of our societies, which we have built and fought for as free men, are totalitarian and villainous? In Europe, every shade of opinion, from the Italian Northern League to the hard left, is in agreement about these things; Americans treating them as poisonous, alien and inimical would not be doing anything except cutting themselves out - reducing themselves to a provincial grouping in one country. And at a time when there are serious issues to do with the family, abortion, traditional or otherwise morality, and the predominance of non-elected institutions, that the defenders of these things should be alienated from each other is worse than a misfortune, it is a downright tragedy. As ever, the power of Lord Voldemort lies in his ability to sow distrust, mutual contempt and conflict.

[eliskimo.livejournal.com]

"the image of the conservative movement abroad"

That's exactly my point - and appearances (images) can be deceiving. However, I am aware that the image exists and at one time spent considerable energy fighting it. However, that kind of thing can wear you out pretty quickly, especially when the person you are discussing it with already "knows" how "all Americans" think. I'll admit to giving up. These days about the only person I still discuss such things with is quicktongue and he's Canadian.