(no subject)

[smokingboot]

Yesterday I bimbled, trying on pretty perfumes for the summer, flirting with gorgeous guys and making eyes at a beautiful genius. Butterfly woman, silly laughing girl, dancing in the sumshine.

Meanwhile, somewhere on the same planet:

http://www.counterpunch.org/kroth04182007.html

I thank illuminating_dragon with all my heart for this link.

Comments

[hybridartifacts.livejournal.com]

Its always hard to get the both of both worlds-but I agree, striving for balance is something that seems very important to me as well, even though it can be hard to find or maintain.

I think the core principle should always be that of respecting others-seeking enough empathy to allow them space or intimacy as needed. Its rather hard for many people to do- true empathy as a commodity seems in short supply.

US culture has a role to play perhaps-as does western culture in general. US culture is just a particular expression of a cultural shift that began with the enlightenment and industrialisation. The American angle has both its strengths and weaknesses-I think that too much emphasis is placed on the pursuit of happiness (perhaps a hang over of the Puritan work ethic)-when happiness cannot be sought in wealth or material goods-its something that finds you instead-and often at the times when material things are most distant. And of course the American media is very influential in how we all see ourselves.

At its heart America also has a genuine love of its dreams-and many of those are noble ones that a more cynical Europeans take on things tends to loose sight of.

A lot of violence and lack of social empathy probably comes from urbanisation as much as anything else. The rise of that, and industrialisation, is actually a British invention and export-its just that many other nations now do it better than we do, and so have more intense issues over it right now, but of course I agree we have problems as well. Its never a good idea to lay blame for things at other peoples doorsteps when we can do better looking at own because any solution to a problem is nearly always a localised one, unique to the culture experiencing it.

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

It's true that each culture has its own strenghts and weaknesses. But you raise some very interesting points and I can't quite get them out of my head. Does this phenomenon turn up in other countries? Other countries allow gun possession, ie Canada, Switzerland. Is this a peculiarly American tragedy?

Seems to be. And if so, I think you are right, we must look deeper than gun ownership and violent imagery though both may facilitate a problem that's latent. Does it begin in that whole 'Death of a Salesman' dream?

[hybridartifacts.livejournal.com]

Well, we did have Hungerford and Dunblane-and other countries have had theirs as well-I seem to recall a few in Japan, and recently came across one in Holland, plus of course until now Australia held the record for the worst spree killing. America just seems to have more. I have been looking through the stats a lot while chatting with others about the subject-and it seems to be the case that the two countries to look at are America (high gun ownership/lax gun laws and high gun death levels) and Finland (high gun ownership/fairly sensible gun laws but comparatively low gun deaths). To me, just looking at what is different about the culture and mindset/beliefs of the two countries should probably give you the answer. I think it starts with cultural senses of identity and social roles.

One very significant point to keep in mind as well-generally if a culture has a big problem with something its not solving it because they have a blind spot in their culture about it. Find the blind spot and you may find the solution. So-what are the Americans NOT talking about in regards the problem that might make sense to everyone else? What are their 'sacred cows-the things that are so deeply embedded culturally they just don't realise its an issue?

The same can also be applied to our own problems btw-but it would probably take some help from people from other countries to see it. One guy from the States I have been discussing the gun thing with just can't get over how much we let our government snoop on us-how readily we give up things for our elected officials and just let them walk all over us. I think he may have a point.

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Totally agree with the points you make above.

[hybridartifacts.livejournal.com]

Right now Im actually feeling for the killers family. This must be really really hard for them. And I am remembering when I was 11 and lived in America (Princeton NJ) and how none of the students at the school who came from other countries-even if they had lived for years there-were accepted by the wider body of pupils at the school. We formed a mini 'league of nations' sitting isolated much of the time and gathering together at breaks because most of the Americans wouldn't even talk to us (I did have a couple of very good American friends, one of whom I still see, but overall we were treated like pariahs). Its actually rather horrifying to realise that I can actually identify a little with the killer. Because I suspect he was treated the same way.
He got lost in himself though-never good. Sanity is never well served by by dwelling on self-we need to get out of our own heads a little from time to time and see other peoples perspectives and pain.