Extremely reactionary. And extremely progressive. No doubt, we are a burgeoning empire, dealing with the growing pains that spain, for example, must have had to deal with some five hundred years ago. Hopefully, King George the Second won't be quite as foolish as Ferdinand and his goons who flooded the European market with lifted peruvian gold and caused a minor economic collapse. We freak out over terrorism, and seem willing to give up or first-amendment rights in favor of increased security. On the other hand, we were the first modern nation to formally grant those rights in the first place. And we came up with socialist solutions to the 1929 worldwide stock market crash that have basically been copied by, and in some cases, improved upon, by countries all over the globe. And our pseudo-culture is co-opted by folks all over. I have seen Wal-Marts in at least four countries, and MacDonald's in more countries than I can count. And in every country I have ever visited, I see more advertisements for American movies than I see for movies made in the country which I am visiting. And we have consistently been a country on the move, full of immigrants. From opressive, economically ravaged societies ranging from 18th-century England to 19th-century Germany to 20th century China to 21st-century Latinoamerica, we still welcome your great unwashed masses. Then again, there's always Generalissimo Tancredo and his ilk. Like I said, we're an extremely progressive and extremely reactionary people. And we got this way because we lack a long-term historical and cultural base. Progressivism run amok and reactionism run amok are not necessarily endearing. Still, it's who we are. So we might as well embrace the fact that we're a mighty progressive and a mighty reactionary people with a serious lack of historical and cultural insight. I suppose, after some period of imperial growing pains, we might be able to take our place among mature countries of the world. It seems that all decaying empires (with the striking exception of la Republique Française) have been able to do just that. On the other hand, we may end up like France, and still be both extremely reactionary and extremely progressive far into our culture's old age. Nothing less attractive than an old man in speedos. Well, who knows what the future will bring for our fledgling reactionary/progressive empire? Time will tell. But for now, we're definitely a very progressive and very reactionary people.
Ja wohl!
