judgeboyajian's blogHelp I Am Turning Into A European!
According to T.R. Reid in his book the United States of Europe the English writer Zoe Heller wrote Help I Am Turning into An American which inspired me to write something along a similar line only from a perspective of this side of the Atlantic. For simplicity’s sake I wrote this in list format. So here are the reasons I believe I am turning into a European:
I am against war.
The EU and Implications For the UN
Currently the United Nations is an organization devoted to bringing together nation states from around the world. However, the establishment of the European Union may signal a change to that formula.
China's Dynastic Progression
One must marvel at the emergence of China as an economic and political power after an eternity in the doldrums. Pundits speak with amazement at their new found power as if it has never been the case in their long history.
What Kind of Prosperity Are They Looking For
The question is with the Arab Rising and the emergence of China is what kind of prosperity are they seeking, the form found in America or that of Europe. Well with the Arabs they are seeking freedom and with that freedom concurrent prosperity. As for the Chinese they may dream of freedom but on the surface at least are satisfied with prosperity. Property Rights and the Fishkill Supply Depot
In a small community 60 miles north of New York City history and patriotism have squared off against the age old American belief in the supremacy of property rights. Let me explain, the Fishkill Supply Depot was a military camp that supplied all the American forces operating in the Hudson River Valley during the duration of the American Revolution. Without the Depot there would have been no victory at Saratoga and no turning point in the war.
Pockets of Eurocentric Thought
There is talk of the Europeanization of America bringing the nation into a more modern era. Some parts of the country are already Eurocentric. This is very apparent in New York where many people only travel between there and Europe and nowhere else.
The Europeanization of America
The trajectory of Europe puts it on a path to surpass both the United States and China as an economic superpower contrary to chest beaters in both those countries. What can be done to put America back on its own upward course through history into the future?
Women and the Arab Rising
Something interesting happened with the news coverage of the Arab Rising. More and more women were appearing in scenes that were once dominated solely by men.
The North Atlantic Economic Union
Jeremy Rifkin in his book the European Dream points out the differences between the European and American Dreams. Unknown to many Americans is the fact that Europe has more population and an equal GNP when compared to the U.S. Meanwhile on the other side of the globe China is coming into its own as an economic superpower threatening both European and American supremacy.
The Birth of the Future
Jeremy Rifkin in the European Dream takes off with the premise that Europe is leaving behind American supremacy and Western Ideology embracing instead universal human rights and nature thus creating a new history.
The Arab Rising
Many worry that the Arab Rising may be a short lived phenomena susceptible to violent put downs by autocratic government forces throughout the region. This is simply not true. A reading of Anwar Sadat’s autobiography reveals that in the past Arab freedom fighters were quite willing to face adversity, imprisonment and death for their cause and in the end seek out political solutions to their situations. Sadat did all of this during British colonial rule and went onto be Welcome Back Dodgers
Major League Baseball has taken over the daily operations of the Los Angeles Dodgers because of economic difficulties created by the team owners' marital dispute. It is time for MLB to take another step and sell the team to the new Nets owner so the team can be moved back to Brooklyn where residents have been waiting over half a century with open arms for the team's return. New York supports two major league and two minor league teams and can easily support a third big league team as it once did up until the late 1950s. High Speed Rail Redux
The New York Times reports on the utter stupidity of Republican governors who have turned down federal funding for high speed rail travel. The report talks about the northeast corridor, Florida and California but overlooks an equally important line in New York State that will revitalize an economically distressed region stretching from Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany with access to New York City. This line would pump billions into the region creating jobs and a real estate boom. The line would deliver commerce in the form of business travelers and tourists. The White Queen
Chess is a war game that does in contradistinction offer insights into world unity. You see chess can be traced to India. From there it spread to Persia then to the Arab world and finally Europe. So it was an Eastern game that became beloved by both the East and West. It is an ageless game that shows how the world can all enjoy the same pastime. Better to play at war than to actually engage in it with all its misery. Like sports chess is an alternative to war having the challenges of battle without the bloodshed. And again all can safely enjoy chess the world over. The Ideal Citizen
Whenever I travel overseas I try to be an ideal citizen, a good American. More often than not I fail at this not because I am xenophobic but because I'm a pushy New Yorker no matter how hard I try to suppress that nature. On my first trip to the UK everything went great and I even defended a tour guide against an ugly American. But then at the airport chaos broke out at the boarding gate and I made a comment and everyone looked at me. |