Are You Dumber than an American?
Published in Expressen
(Sweden) on 7 November 2012
by Ann-Charlotte Marteus (link to original)
Sometimes one is a little afraid of the United States. Not because it possesses nuclear weapons or anything along those lines, but because many Americans, beside the brilliant elite, seem so… well… foolish.
How can 46 percent of the population reject the theory of evolution? How can half the people want a rogue like Mitt Romney as president? How can Sarah Palin even exist? How could doubt about Obama's citizenship and religion become a perpetual point of mobilization, despite the total lack of common sense and evidence?
The deep distrust of reason, science and facts that many Americans wallow in today, is purely detrimental to society. You cannot raise a democratic discussion when preposterous lies are given the same credence as truths.
And never have politicians gotten away with so many lies as during the 2012 election campaign. The exaggerated distrust seems paradoxically to have made people so misguided that they have become gullible.
There are of course many unique reasons why the United States is what it is: historically grounded skepticism of political power holders, religion’s deep roots and a sprawling media landscape where requirements of objectivity have been cast overboard.
But how do marketing reasoning and advertising aesthetics play a role in Americans' galloping suspicion? It is an interesting question, because these are features which Sweden has increasingly embraced.
Americans are real veterans in terms of market thinking. And they have learned what counts: "Caveat emptor", i.e. "Let the buyer beware." In short, capitalism has given us wealth and diversity, but we should not be stupid enough to let ourselves be duped.
The question is: how are people affected in the long run by living chronically in "Watch out, do not be fooled" mode?
Is there increased distrust between people in general? Does one finally reflexively become suspicious of the researcher – and believe that she also tries to deceive us – just like the sales assistant who wants to sell banana wrinkle rejuvenation cream?
Sweden has lagged behind the U.S. in terms of commercialization, but in recent decades, we have in some respects surpassed the U.S. Our lives have been invaded not only by advertising posters, movies and banners, but even school-welfare has been subjected to market logic. In an increasing number of areas, we have become customers rather than citizens. The reasoning behind this systematic change is attractive: We have the power and may choose, instead of elected representatives choosing for us.
However, all systems have advantages and disadvantages, that’s just the way it is.
If the benefit of the customer role is choice and empowerment, then the disadvantages are that in very many situations in life, we must be on guard against people who want to use us to make money. And it’s all the same if the sellers have goods and services that may be of great benefit and enjoyment for me, as, "Caveat emptor!" I would be a fool if I believed in every promotional brochure or flashy mission statement that crossed my path. I need to wear my critical glasses.
Sweden has traditionally had much more social capital than the U.S. That is, people have had much more confidence in each other. And we have, to a relatively high degree, trusted our politicians, officials and scientists. On the whole, this trust has served us well. It is a capital that must not be squandered.
How can 46 percent of the population reject the theory of evolution? How can half the people want a rogue like Mitt Romney as president? How can Sarah Palin even exist? How could doubt about Obama's citizenship and religion become a perpetual point of mobilization, despite the total lack of common sense and evidence?
The deep distrust of reason, science and facts that many Americans wallow in today, is purely detrimental to society. You cannot raise a democratic discussion when preposterous lies are given the same credence as truths.
And never have politicians gotten away with so many lies as during the 2012 election campaign. The exaggerated distrust seems paradoxically to have made people so misguided that they have become gullible.
There are of course many unique reasons why the United States is what it is: historically grounded skepticism of political power holders, religion’s deep roots and a sprawling media landscape where requirements of objectivity have been cast overboard.
But how do marketing reasoning and advertising aesthetics play a role in Americans' galloping suspicion? It is an interesting question, because these are features which Sweden has increasingly embraced.
Americans are real veterans in terms of market thinking. And they have learned what counts: "Caveat emptor", i.e. "Let the buyer beware." In short, capitalism has given us wealth and diversity, but we should not be stupid enough to let ourselves be duped.
The question is: how are people affected in the long run by living chronically in "Watch out, do not be fooled" mode?
Is there increased distrust between people in general? Does one finally reflexively become suspicious of the researcher – and believe that she also tries to deceive us – just like the sales assistant who wants to sell banana wrinkle rejuvenation cream?
Sweden has lagged behind the U.S. in terms of commercialization, but in recent decades, we have in some respects surpassed the U.S. Our lives have been invaded not only by advertising posters, movies and banners, but even school-welfare has been subjected to market logic. In an increasing number of areas, we have become customers rather than citizens. The reasoning behind this systematic change is attractive: We have the power and may choose, instead of elected representatives choosing for us.
However, all systems have advantages and disadvantages, that’s just the way it is.
If the benefit of the customer role is choice and empowerment, then the disadvantages are that in very many situations in life, we must be on guard against people who want to use us to make money. And it’s all the same if the sellers have goods and services that may be of great benefit and enjoyment for me, as, "Caveat emptor!" I would be a fool if I believed in every promotional brochure or flashy mission statement that crossed my path. I need to wear my critical glasses.
Sweden has traditionally had much more social capital than the U.S. That is, people have had much more confidence in each other. And we have, to a relatively high degree, trusted our politicians, officials and scientists. On the whole, this trust has served us well. It is a capital that must not be squandered.
I have lived in Scandinavia for nearly 3 years now. I think Scandinavian society has a lot of unanswered questions it should be asking itself, especially in light of Anders Behring Breivik’s massacre.
I consider myself a feminist, and my political beliefs are generally left-leaning. One would naturally assume that people like myself would be the kind of people who are receptive to criticisms of American society. But I can see that there are a lot of deep-rooted problems here, and if they’re not addressed, then it’s going to destroy this society from the inside-out.
These are some random observations that I have noticed in my short time here:
1) Scandinavian feminism is deeply flawed. It’s a very sad commentary when I am actually finding myself agreeing with a mass-murderer on this issue. I think Scandinavia does a terrific job at elevating girls at the expense of boys, and that would naturally lead to a deep-rooted resentment and anti-feminism. I have an 18-year-old stepson. His biological mother is a borderline psychotic, but the State did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to save him from her – My husband already had lost his 2 daughters, and he came close to losing his son. Now I spending a lot of my time trying to convince him that not all women are like his mother, but then there are everyday instances when the society undermines my own argument.
2) Scandinavia has its own issues with commercialism. It ties into the first point: I don’t think that the amount of nudity and promiscuity you see on television is in itself a sign of a healthy society. Girls are supposed to be confident and dominant in their societies, and yet the media perpetuates the stereotypical (dumb blonde). Does Scandinavia want girls women to have a high value of themselves, or don’t they?
3) I never liked it when Scandinavians call themselves a “tolerant” society. To “tolerate” literally means “to put up with.” Every single country in this part of the world tolerates different cultures, but none of them are accepting people’s differences. And I have learned from my time here that if you’re not a part of a group’s particular lifestyle, then you’ll NEVER be accept as part of that group. The collective mentality here is what’s driving a lot of (smart) people away, but a lot of people are too self-absorbed to see it.
4) Scandinavia should come to terms that it really isn’t a leading place of innovation or new ideas. If a society is not accepting of different people, then why would it see itself as a leader in a new way of thinking?
So instead of criticizing America for it’s faults, I would try to look deeply into your own house first. Instead of telling lies to the world about how ideal a place this is to live, maybe that same amount of energy should be used to actually solve the problems that this society has.
The very title “Are You Dumber than an American?” gives your hypocrisy away. The Swiss are judgemental even though a great many Americans are Swiss. “Crossing an ocean does not change one’s origin. It only changes your destination.” – Wade Meyer
I have a 100% Christian worldview and I suspect that a missionary has not reached you yet with the good news of Jesus Christ. I think we tried once; otherwise your flag would not have a cross in it. My suspicions are that there are enough Christians in Switzerland to make your country an enemy to Satan. There is just no other reason to explain the smattering of articles in EuropeNews showing that your country is a target of Islam and all of its pleasures–http://europenews.dk/en/taxonomy/term/554
I am one of the 46% of Americans that reject the theory of evolution as the origin of all life on our planet and I am just sorry as I can be that it is not a majority. But if by chance you should ever accidentally pick up a Bible by mistake and by chance it should open up to the book of Daniel chapter 12 and by pure accident your eyes fall to verse 4 you will read something very special. Michael the archangel could not say something like “Hey Danny-boy one day the Internet is going to be invented and people will be able to know all kinds of things all over the world about one another. Oh and one other thing Danny-boy these white dudes in America are going to invent the airplane and it will lead to travel all around the world, rapidly and often.” No, Michael had to couch the words in terms that the Jewish governor in Babylon could understand.
Having said the above now go and find a Bible and open it. If the pages open to that exact book, chapter and verse then I hereby give you permission to keep believing in evolution. If it does not then if I were you I would direct my browser to http://evangelismexplosion.org/resources/steps-to-life/
and discover how to really open your mind.
Ah Switzerland – Sweden what’s the diff. Its all the same.