...I'm okay with being REALITY-based.




Thursday, March 13, 2003
      ( 3:03 PM )
 
This Has Gone Too Far
I just read this after clicking through the CNN site a minute ago. The owners of French establishments are now taking down French flags for fear of the American backlash. The worst was when I got to: "This is not a political consideration," Charoy said. "The move is temporary and we just wanted to be safe." Safe from the raving hoards of crazed Americans who can't seem to develop any sort of nuanced thought about this administration's foreign policy, but who gladly shout about how they hate the French..probably just 'cause Bill O'Reilly does. Nice. Over the last few years I had tried very dilligently to develop the opinion that the American populace was not so much composed of ignoramuses and nincompoops, but were rather just people who were too busy with their own lives to pay much attention to what was going on in the world around them. But I've stopped trying. Since 9/11 I find that it's getting hard and harder for me to forgive the idiotic displays of petulance that continue to infect the population. I don't know who starts these things, but I do know the cable media in particular foments them. It is embarassing. Having lived in several other countries during my life, I perhaps have a different view that most Americans. But come on. Are we THAT ignorant of a nation - THAT insular that we cannot even form a general aptitude for thought and collective discussion? Must we always just lash out at the thing that is latest making our egos hurt? It's enough to make a Mama want to raise her Kid in Costa Rica (no extradition treaties with the US).

| -- permanent link