I've often described America as a "Disposable Society." Everything is meant to be ripped down and replaced by something bigger, and occasionally better, every few decades. There's a lot more abundance than Europe, but also a lot more waste. This is partly a jibe at the US, but it has its upsides for sure.
Europe is a land of house that are older than nations and a history that you can see in the cathedrals and the roads. But good luck getting an AC into some of those buildings or driving along the streets of Rome. Things also tend to be show off and gaudy, which doesn't agree with European sensibilities, but there's technically nothing wrong with that; it's subjective.
That the US Leftist Intelligentsia is ashamed of this is to their detriment. Just because it isn't as pretty as an old European town, doesn't mean it's bad.
OK. Thanks to the Europe, Africa and Asia game, Flyover country is having a moment. Sometimes we catch the program, "A House in the Country". It is House Hunters for British people, usually retired civil servants, trying to get out of the city. Their dream is a 1000 SF stone-walled cottage with a tumbledown shack in the garden within walking distance of a small town pub, a steal at only a million pounds. They want what we have and keeping what they have and we want to keep what we have and obtain what they have; hence the rise of the DSA here and Reform UK and AfD there.
Important to note that our decision to invest in cars instead of trains makes perfect sense, very few places in America are dense enough to rely on mass transit, so the only people who could rely on mass transit alone are those who live exclusively in our biggest cities and never leave.
I think you’re so caught up in the authenticity vs elitism drama playing out in your own mind that you traffic in stereotypes as much as the elites you’re criticizing. Like what does this even mean:
“Though they reside physically in the United States, they are aesthetically and aspirationally elsewhere. They organize their lives around farmers’ markets, independent shops, wine bars, and walkable neighborhoods.”
I live in exactly this kind of bougie neighborhood in SF and guess what, I live here bc I uncomplicatedly love that stuff. I’m not doing it out of performative disdain for America or bc I lost touch with how awesome Waffle House is or even to “fight for an urban policy agenda”. I’d wager many Americans w/ the financial means to do so make a similar choice rather than clamoring for more Buc-ees.
And sorry but at first glance, the breathless foreign tourists you’re quoting sound more like social media influencers who know how to play to their audience!
Ranch girl Elsa is a full time Instagram influencer. Freddy seems less consistently produced, but he was already familiar with the US from previous trips and certainly hamming it up for the audience as well.
At the end of the day, whether or not their reactions to America were genuine isn't really relevant. Matt likely feels they express deep truths, regardless of shallow facts.
Great post. The Wendy Dummond clip was weird. Ironic to make a political ad touting a candidate's pro-Trump bona fides and center the message on "don't believe the lies". 🤔
Last summer we went on Viking River cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. We spent time in walkable German riverside towns and watched the electric trains speeding along the riverbank. We were as impressed with the European lifestyle, particularly Germany's, as these visitors to America seem to be. BTW, we are from North Dakota so we are very familiar with the 'wide-open' lifestyle that seems so impressive to these visitors.
Great post! As a lifelong resident of the Central time zone from Minnesota to Texas and many stops in between, it has been something to watch how the area has chosen to thrive when faced with adversity while going pretty much ignored by the authors of our culture. Midwesterners and Southerners continue to be portrayed as uneducated hicks from backwater dystopian wastelands when the opposite is the truth. No wonder the European visitors are so surprised. Rather than insisting that they are so much better than the rest of us, they should take a look at what’s going on here with open mindedness. Need to solve the affordable grocery problem in New York? Maybe figure out why you don’t have Walmarts there and fix that. A guy in a pickup truck solved that problem here fifty years ago.
Confusing article. Buc-ee’s is emblematic of American greatness… but also, you say we do a crap job at transit. If we did a better job with transit, presumably Buc-ee’s wouldn’t exist.
Look, we all know that our built environment is very comfortable, and that our junk food is extremely tempting. The problem is that those things have nightmarish downsides.
I too am annoyed by the type of person who looks down on America. It’s a great country. That doesn’t mean everything about it is perfect, and it certainly doesn’t mean we need to Make Buc-ee’s Cool Again.
I've often described America as a "Disposable Society." Everything is meant to be ripped down and replaced by something bigger, and occasionally better, every few decades. There's a lot more abundance than Europe, but also a lot more waste. This is partly a jibe at the US, but it has its upsides for sure.
Europe is a land of house that are older than nations and a history that you can see in the cathedrals and the roads. But good luck getting an AC into some of those buildings or driving along the streets of Rome. Things also tend to be show off and gaudy, which doesn't agree with European sensibilities, but there's technically nothing wrong with that; it's subjective.
That the US Leftist Intelligentsia is ashamed of this is to their detriment. Just because it isn't as pretty as an old European town, doesn't mean it's bad.
OK. Thanks to the Europe, Africa and Asia game, Flyover country is having a moment. Sometimes we catch the program, "A House in the Country". It is House Hunters for British people, usually retired civil servants, trying to get out of the city. Their dream is a 1000 SF stone-walled cottage with a tumbledown shack in the garden within walking distance of a small town pub, a steal at only a million pounds. They want what we have and keeping what they have and we want to keep what we have and obtain what they have; hence the rise of the DSA here and Reform UK and AfD there.
Important to note that our decision to invest in cars instead of trains makes perfect sense, very few places in America are dense enough to rely on mass transit, so the only people who could rely on mass transit alone are those who live exclusively in our biggest cities and never leave.
The Outsiders house museum in Tulsa
I think you’re so caught up in the authenticity vs elitism drama playing out in your own mind that you traffic in stereotypes as much as the elites you’re criticizing. Like what does this even mean:
“Though they reside physically in the United States, they are aesthetically and aspirationally elsewhere. They organize their lives around farmers’ markets, independent shops, wine bars, and walkable neighborhoods.”
I live in exactly this kind of bougie neighborhood in SF and guess what, I live here bc I uncomplicatedly love that stuff. I’m not doing it out of performative disdain for America or bc I lost touch with how awesome Waffle House is or even to “fight for an urban policy agenda”. I’d wager many Americans w/ the financial means to do so make a similar choice rather than clamoring for more Buc-ees.
And sorry but at first glance, the breathless foreign tourists you’re quoting sound more like social media influencers who know how to play to their audience!
Re the Waffle House Index, it does concern me that *no* Waffle Houses are ever open in the western U.S.
Do we know that Freddy and Elsa are not Influencers?
Ranch girl Elsa is a full time Instagram influencer. Freddy seems less consistently produced, but he was already familiar with the US from previous trips and certainly hamming it up for the audience as well.
At the end of the day, whether or not their reactions to America were genuine isn't really relevant. Matt likely feels they express deep truths, regardless of shallow facts.
Great post. The Wendy Dummond clip was weird. Ironic to make a political ad touting a candidate's pro-Trump bona fides and center the message on "don't believe the lies". 🤔
Last summer we went on Viking River cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. We spent time in walkable German riverside towns and watched the electric trains speeding along the riverbank. We were as impressed with the European lifestyle, particularly Germany's, as these visitors to America seem to be. BTW, we are from North Dakota so we are very familiar with the 'wide-open' lifestyle that seems so impressive to these visitors.
Good post but real Americans eat with two hands and drive with their knees.
Great post! As a lifelong resident of the Central time zone from Minnesota to Texas and many stops in between, it has been something to watch how the area has chosen to thrive when faced with adversity while going pretty much ignored by the authors of our culture. Midwesterners and Southerners continue to be portrayed as uneducated hicks from backwater dystopian wastelands when the opposite is the truth. No wonder the European visitors are so surprised. Rather than insisting that they are so much better than the rest of us, they should take a look at what’s going on here with open mindedness. Need to solve the affordable grocery problem in New York? Maybe figure out why you don’t have Walmarts there and fix that. A guy in a pickup truck solved that problem here fifty years ago.
And just think we’re only 250 years young 😎
great post
Love this post
Confusing article. Buc-ee’s is emblematic of American greatness… but also, you say we do a crap job at transit. If we did a better job with transit, presumably Buc-ee’s wouldn’t exist.
Look, we all know that our built environment is very comfortable, and that our junk food is extremely tempting. The problem is that those things have nightmarish downsides.
I too am annoyed by the type of person who looks down on America. It’s a great country. That doesn’t mean everything about it is perfect, and it certainly doesn’t mean we need to Make Buc-ee’s Cool Again.
Elon Musk becoming the world’s first trillionaire is really bitter.