"The American people’s reply to Putin" by Dana Milbank

[applegrove]

The American people’s reply to Putin

by Dana Milbank at the Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-what-americans-have-to-say-to-putin/2013/09/12/e6952c36-1be9-11e3-a628-7e6dde8f889d_story.html?Post+generic=%3Ftid%3Dsm_twitter_washingtonpost

"SNIP..................................



Although some of us think it’s a good idea to have the U.S. military strike Syria, most of the American people agree with you that it would be a bad idea. (President Obama, you may have heard, is on both sides of the issue.) Your arguments against attack were creative, which is why it’s such a shame that, at the very end, you kind of stepped in it. When you told us that Americans are not “exceptional” — well, that hurts all of us American people.

I was surprised by this lapse because I think you really “get” Americans. When we saw photos of you shirtless in Siberia, you brought to mind one of our most celebrated American lawmakers, Anthony Weiner. When we watched you navigate around Russian laws to stay in power, you brought to mind another quintessentially American figure, Rod Blagojevich. The Harley-Davidson, the black clothing, the mistress half your age — you are practically American yourself.

This makes your crack about “American exceptionalism” all the more perplexing. “It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional,” you wrote. “We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.” (Thank you for the considerate mention of God, by the way; American people respond well to that.) But I’m guessing what went wrong here is your translators let you down when they defined exceptional for you as luchshyy (better) rather than razlichnyy (different).

Americans do not believe they are better than other peoples. If you doubt this, you need only look at Congress. If we really thought we were superior, is there any chance we would choose them to represent us? There are exceptions — we think we are better than Canadians, for example, but please don’t tell them, because they’re awfully nice — but generally we accept that all countries have their strengths. We know, for example, that Russians are better than us at producing delicacies such as caviar and dioxin. (Kidding!)



..................................SNIP"

[leveymg]

1. So Putin was right about most it, but his biggest mistake is to step on our illusions?

You can mock us, taunt us, threaten us, but G-d help you if you mess with our illusions of being different from every other empire the world has seen.

[applegrove]

4. LOL! I was looking for someone to slap down Putin and this is the only thing I saw.

[leveymg]

6. He has to stop making sense. Heads are exploding across DC. It's the new Commie secret weapon. . .

RESPONSE TO POST: "The American people’s reply to Putin" by Dana Milbank

[applegrove]

7. And Putin is a narcissist. So when he says: "It is extremely dangerous to encourage

people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation," he was projecting.

[leveymg]

9. We all project, scapegoat others for our failings, and suffer a bit from mimetic envy.

That's the tendency to try to replace and absorb those whom you most admire.

This explains the concept: http://180rule.com/rene-girards-mimetic-theory-the-scapegoat/

[applegrove]

11. Looks like an interesting site. I'll have to read it in tiny bits. I've been a scapegoat of one type

of person or another my whole life. Thankfully for new drugs/medications I am happy and healing. And thanks for such clear information, which was not available when I first starting looking for it.

[leveymg]

12. Girard is a post-structural anthropologist and sociologist who's been around since the '70s.

It's a frame of reference about repeating patterns of persecutorial human behavior and institution building that has informed my view of international relations, economics, religion, and politics in general. It's also a very useful guide to social psychology and individual reactions to inequities of power. Fascinating stuff.

Glad you turn you onto Prof. Girard.

[msongs]

2. only a teeny tiny number of "american people" care what putin says nt

[99Forever]

3. Who the fuck appointed her to speak for the "American People?"

I and most other "American People" are quite capable of speaking for ourselves.

We damn sure don't need some hack at some rag to do it for us.

[Tx4obama]

5. Dana Milbank is male - a MAN. n/t

[99Forever]

8. A distinction without a difference.

Same question:

Who the fuck appointed HIM to speak for the "American People?'

Happy now smart ass?

[Barack_America]

10. Useless, as usual. Nt

[applegrove]

13. Que?

[Barack_America]

16. Milbank's opinion.

[jakeXT]

14. Milbank, like Kerry and Bush a fellow Skull and Bones member /nt

[GeorgeGist]

15. Nothing exceptional