When the twentieth century began, Americans felt totally
inferior to Europeans. Especially European nobility.
A few years back a friend of mine married a real Austrian
Countess and it was kind of a joke between them.
But if we felt inferior to Europe in 1900, the rest of
the world BELONGED to Europe. Back then the whole world
was part of one empire or another. By 1900 Europeans were
dividing up China, though it was officially independent.
By 1945, Europe was a blasted-out ruin. Its empires were
on the way out and the homelands were destroyed. They
had been saved from fascism by the United States and,
if they had been left to themselves, they would have become
colonies under Stalin.
But American east coasters STILL felt inferior to Europe.
Even looking at the total catastrophe European thinking
had made of itself, they still worshipped European thinking.
In 1945, East Coast "intellectuals" could not understand
why a bunch of "cotton-chopping Southerners" and "corn-fed
Midwesterners" were not desperate to copy everything from
Europe.
Nothing liberals do ever WORKS. The East Coast and Ivy
League worship of Europe was a formula for the same disaster
Europe had just created for itself. So naturally post-War
liberals thought it was the only way to go.
Professors and the media will never grow up. But some
people HAVE to. One of the former Eastern European Communist
satellites that has done well economically was trying
to find an economic plan to make the transition from Communism
to capitalism. Their leader said, "And we don't want something
cooked up by East Coast academics."
This leader had observed how East Coast "intellectuals"
had dealt with the Communists he knew so well, and he
wanted no part of their idiocy.
By 1945, after total destruction and tens of millions
of deaths in Europe, Europeans were not so charmed by
their "intellectuals," most of whom were Communist by
then.
You see, to an East Coast "intellectual" (or a William
Buckley), "European" means "foreign," it means "exotic,"
it is means "classy."
But the few European "intellectuals" who didn't fall
for socialism did not see themselves as "exotic." To them,
Middle Americans were exotic. Today, American tee shirts
in Moscow are considered very avant-garde. East Coast
intellectuals sort of know this, but they don't have the
imagination to UNDERSTAND it.
If there is wisdom in this world, it won't come from
the thinking of blasted-out Europe. It will be somewhere
in the thoughts of the Reagans and even the Bushes. It
is only when they listen to the Voices of Shrewd that
they screw up.
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