I was asked why we commemorate the anniversary of the American Confederacy leaders and why we don’t celebrate Czech heroes instead. We do! But that doesn’t mean that we can’t look elsewhere and that sometimes there is something to be inspired by. Direct democracy in Switzerland. Israel’s determination to defend its country and its people. Or Hungary’s adherence to the basic values of its own civilisation.
There is much to admire in America, too. Its courage, its speed of development and its breakneck innovation.
There is much to admire in America, too. Its courage, its speed of development and its breakneck innovation. But also their freethinking, the independent status of the lower classes, their irrepressibility and their determination to treat the most powerful as equals. Their ideal of a local community resisting the rail corporation’s arbitrary rule. The desire to live the redneck life, to ignore good manners and still be proud of it. Two wars where people spontaneously stood up to an oppressive central power, once defeating it and the second time not much left to do (the War of Independence and the North vs. South War). Thus two de facto revolutions.
That’s what all freedom-minded people around the world can admire about America. Even though their countries and their peoples are dealing with very different problems.
Just as they can admire in the Russians the determination to defend their nation, the loyalty, tenacity and depth of thought.
Just as they can admire in the Russians the determination to defend their nation, the loyalty, tenacity and depth of thought.
That is not to say that neither of those nations have weaknesses. Of course they do. And of course, there are nasty villains in each of them.
And this is certainly not to deny that the United States of America is today an aggressive empire that is dangerous to its own people and to the world. But who has not had a shady period in its history.
But no matter how America turns out, their legacy of untamed rednecks must be endearing to everyone.
