5 Responses to Spying On American Culture

1. Jim says:

   6/14/2010 at 9:05 pm

   cheetos.
   cheetos.

   Reply
2. Tom says:

   6/14/2010 at 9:27 pm

   That’s good, Jim.

   Greatest cultural assets (all tied for first): Lady Gaga American Idol, any and all sports, heck TV in general.

   Greatest cultural deficits (all tied for first): foreign policy, environmental policy, bank bailouts and printing money to paper over the fact that our banks are insolvent (which will make us into Zimbabwe eventually), and the corrupt government.

   Reply
3. Luke says:

   6/15/2010 at 6:35 pm

   One thing that can be used as a great asset is our friendliness and relative openness to others. Even people who are bigoted against other groups often are more receptive to individuals they meet. There also seems to be a relatively shallow “politeness” or “friendliness” that Americans exhibit to others who they actively dislike, but are forced to accept in the short term to “be polite”. Still a lot better than active xenophobia.

   The greatest single deficit that I see is the embrace of anti-intellectualism in much of our cultural mores.

   Reply
4. Luke says:

   6/15/2010 at 6:36 pm

   Oh, and tied for leading deficit is our worship of the “Lone hero” stereotype in movies, stories etc.

   Reply
5. Fruktata says:

   6/15/2010 at 6:42 pm

   Greatest cultural asset: The Constitution
   Greatest cultural deficit: Dependence upon fossil fuels

   Reply