Hi, Jay and team. As an outsider (non-American) and someone who has dabbled a little in sociology, my feeling is that this is where the "rugged individualism" cultural ethos of the USA has rubbed up against the evolutionary need for collectivism - which is of course, one of the many reasons that humans rose to the top of the food chain.
American exceptionalism and individuality are taught from the cradle, from what I understand (could be wrong - again, I'm an outsider, but I have read some interesting experiments that have taken place in daycare centres around the world and that have been replicated with pretty high accuracy). Collectivism is rejected as socialist/communist; teams are reserved for sports. The tight-knit nuclear family rules. This is in direct contrast to, say, Chinese culture, where the extended family and then the village are the cultural ethos.
However, our innate need for community cannot be simply subsumed by a cultural philosophy. This might help explain the enduring power of the church in the US, especially the growth of the megachurches and televangelists, when religious adherence in other first world countries has been falling since the 1960s. They give people something to believe in - a group to belong to. However, the grip of the churches seems to be slowly eroding and so, to me, the time was ripe for a Trump-like character to emerge to give those who were perhaps disillusioned with the churches something to adhere to. After all, the various falls from grace exhibited and publicised from all kinds of different religious groups are widely known. Meanwhile, disenfranchised Americans have seen the churches do nothing to improve their lives or their prospects. The churches weren't bringing back their livelihoods.
In comes Trump, who promises to do exactly that. The fervour of the revivalist movements of the late 1800-early 1900s can be seen in his mega rallies. He made concrete, simple promises. People didn't have to wait for the promise of a better afterlife - here was a guy that promised it here and now. And as far as they are concerned, he delivered. There's a reason why Trumpists call him "the best president America's ever had". Trying to convince them otherwise is like trying to convince a devout Christian that God doesn't exist. Facts are irrelevant. And they have loads of "facts" - cherrypicked, sure - but they are big lists of Trumps accomplishments. I read one once and it was almost enough to change my mind somewhat about Trump - at least until I looked into each and every one of them more fully.
People call it a cult. It's so, so much more than that. It's a cultural phenomenon that will not cede until the next conman comes along who is able to tap into that desperation to belong and to feel part of something bigger than themselves.
Sorry for the essay - Jay, I look forward so much to your well-researched and -articulated pieces. Thank you.
I'm a non-American. When I read the title and the first paragraph, I was expecting that someone was finally going to point out the long-standing US tradition of narcissism that every other country in the world abhors about the US. Generation after generation of US children have been raised on - and perpetuated - the mantra of "We're the best! U! S! A! U! S! A!" I suspect that they've been educated in a fashion that over-emphasises the USA's achievements while essentially ignoring the rest of the world -- how else do you create people who think their country is the best in the world and every other country is just jealous? Watch a few WWII movies, compare US Olympic coverage to that of almost any other country, think long and hard about the sheer audacity of calling your baseball championships the WORLD Series, or the fact that "American" is a term you apply to people of ONE country when there are THREE American CONTINENTS.....if you have an open mind, you'll see it. The United States of America suffers from narcissism on a national scale, not just in one caste. That narcissism makes it extremely difficult for anyone, from the inside or the outside, to point out problems and weaknesses and question the status quo and make suggestions for improvement. Certainly, the narcissism runs deeper and is more thoroughly rooted in some castes, and national narcissism is strongly driven by the 'ruling' caste...the cause and effect is clear. A more worldly, humble, and open-minded United States of America has the potential to lead the world into a brighter, better future for all of us. Much of the pride is justified, but there are massive problems that need to be acknowledged, understood, and resolved. The good people of the rest of the world hope the good people of the USA can make progress on these challenges....we're rooting for you!
An example of this is an article from The American Conservative, which ends with the totally non-racist and non-superiority identity question:
"I can’t stop asking myself the question: Why are they teaching non-white people to fear and loathe whites? What are they preparing America for?"
Basically, once again teaching the masses that "they're out to get us!" Right at the time of the Derek Chauvin trial.
Hi, Jay and team. As an outsider (non-American) and someone who has dabbled a little in sociology, my feeling is that this is where the "rugged individualism" cultural ethos of the USA has rubbed up against the evolutionary need for collectivism - which is of course, one of the many reasons that humans rose to the top of the food chain.
American exceptionalism and individuality are taught from the cradle, from what I understand (could be wrong - again, I'm an outsider, but I have read some interesting experiments that have taken place in daycare centres around the world and that have been replicated with pretty high accuracy). Collectivism is rejected as socialist/communist; teams are reserved for sports. The tight-knit nuclear family rules. This is in direct contrast to, say, Chinese culture, where the extended family and then the village are the cultural ethos.
However, our innate need for community cannot be simply subsumed by a cultural philosophy. This might help explain the enduring power of the church in the US, especially the growth of the megachurches and televangelists, when religious adherence in other first world countries has been falling since the 1960s. They give people something to believe in - a group to belong to. However, the grip of the churches seems to be slowly eroding and so, to me, the time was ripe for a Trump-like character to emerge to give those who were perhaps disillusioned with the churches something to adhere to. After all, the various falls from grace exhibited and publicised from all kinds of different religious groups are widely known. Meanwhile, disenfranchised Americans have seen the churches do nothing to improve their lives or their prospects. The churches weren't bringing back their livelihoods.
In comes Trump, who promises to do exactly that. The fervour of the revivalist movements of the late 1800-early 1900s can be seen in his mega rallies. He made concrete, simple promises. People didn't have to wait for the promise of a better afterlife - here was a guy that promised it here and now. And as far as they are concerned, he delivered. There's a reason why Trumpists call him "the best president America's ever had". Trying to convince them otherwise is like trying to convince a devout Christian that God doesn't exist. Facts are irrelevant. And they have loads of "facts" - cherrypicked, sure - but they are big lists of Trumps accomplishments. I read one once and it was almost enough to change my mind somewhat about Trump - at least until I looked into each and every one of them more fully.
People call it a cult. It's so, so much more than that. It's a cultural phenomenon that will not cede until the next conman comes along who is able to tap into that desperation to belong and to feel part of something bigger than themselves.
Sorry for the essay - Jay, I look forward so much to your well-researched and -articulated pieces. Thank you.
Wow, just wow...
I'm a non-American. When I read the title and the first paragraph, I was expecting that someone was finally going to point out the long-standing US tradition of narcissism that every other country in the world abhors about the US. Generation after generation of US children have been raised on - and perpetuated - the mantra of "We're the best! U! S! A! U! S! A!" I suspect that they've been educated in a fashion that over-emphasises the USA's achievements while essentially ignoring the rest of the world -- how else do you create people who think their country is the best in the world and every other country is just jealous? Watch a few WWII movies, compare US Olympic coverage to that of almost any other country, think long and hard about the sheer audacity of calling your baseball championships the WORLD Series, or the fact that "American" is a term you apply to people of ONE country when there are THREE American CONTINENTS.....if you have an open mind, you'll see it. The United States of America suffers from narcissism on a national scale, not just in one caste. That narcissism makes it extremely difficult for anyone, from the inside or the outside, to point out problems and weaknesses and question the status quo and make suggestions for improvement. Certainly, the narcissism runs deeper and is more thoroughly rooted in some castes, and national narcissism is strongly driven by the 'ruling' caste...the cause and effect is clear. A more worldly, humble, and open-minded United States of America has the potential to lead the world into a brighter, better future for all of us. Much of the pride is justified, but there are massive problems that need to be acknowledged, understood, and resolved. The good people of the rest of the world hope the good people of the USA can make progress on these challenges....we're rooting for you!
Saw this book as #3 on bestseller list this morning.