But I do have mixed feelings about it at times.
One thing Americans can at times be a little weak on is understanding other cultures and acknowledging that perhaps everything American (e.g., health care) is not the best in the world.
I recall my family being in the US for the 2006 football world cup and watching with great amusement as US commentators claimed that their goalkeeper Casey Keller really was the best in the world. [The fact that he had never played for any of the best clubs in the world was because... when you have the best defence in your league you do not need the best goalkeeper....]
Anyway, I thought this New York Times op-ed piece Feeling Bleu was a bit much. It seems to claim that the US has done better than France in the World Cup because the US has been so much better than France at integrating immigrants into their nation....
Just in case you have forgotten the fearsome opposition faced by the USA at the world cup, watch this video showing the goal which was crucial to them topping their group...
The link doesn't work.
ReplyDeleteIt's looking like the US will lose to Ghana as I type. Overtime and Ghana just scored!
Anyway, reading your post I thought the op-ed would be more detestable than I found. He made some good points. France fell apart under a terrible coach, the players are all superstars who, for whatever reason, seemed to struggle to pull together as a team.
Meanwhile, if you want to find a likeable, amiable sort of fussball team, the US are it. I appreciated his self-conscious comments that were basically, at least there's a sport in the states that isn't ridiculously overpaid and the players seem to play well as a team. And they do seem to. The whole is indeed more than the sum of the parts in this case.
Linking this to inter-racial harmony on a larger scale is tenous at best, but what else is the job of an op-ed? And, perhaps there's some truth to it?... I don't know
"One thing Americans can at times be a little weak on is understanding other cultures and acknowledging that perhaps everything American (e.g., health care) is not the best in the world."
ReplyDeleteThere is kindness in this kind of understatement. Thank you.
Tony,
ReplyDeletethanks for the feeback. i fixed the link. my wife, Robin felt i was being a bit harsh too.
i should also point out that I am completely unbiased by national feelings. for example, i think those red cards against cahill and kewell were unfair!