The Sheila Variations

"Jews are being persecuted every day in France. Some are insulted, pelted with stones, spat upon; some are beaten or threatened with knives or guns. Synagogues are torched, schools burned to the ground." Of course, there's been anti-Semitism in Europe--and specifically in France--for a long time. But here's what is particularly scary to me: In the past--at least for the last 150 years or so--the mainstream voice of the European intellectual community spoke out *against* anti-Semitism. Today, many intellectuals are *fomenting* this kind of thing.

What are the causational factors here? It seems to me to be an enormously important question...

Yes David, what makes the recent rise in anti-Semitism so outrageous and shocking is that it is largely fomented by the European Left/intelligentsia. Much has been written on this and for those interested in this, there are any number of sources JPost, e.g. that deal with this on a regular basis.

And Sheila, here's a story of a different sort re: an ex-patriate in Paris.

I've read a great deal on this subject and developed some thoughts of my own, but I'm not sure that anyone has yet developed a totally convincing theory as to what is going on.

One important factor is probably that the vast increase in the numbers of people employed as "intellectuals" (professors, writers, critics, etc) has inevitably led to a decline in quality. At the same time, many of these people are filled with resentment because the career opportunities they expected (tenured professorships, etc) never materialized. And this kind of resentment has always been closely associated with the development of anti-Semitic beliefs.

I think the root of it is the intelligentsia blindly supporting perceived "have-nots" versus the perceived "haves", but there is also the undeniable historical dislike Europeans in general have had for Jews. Sixty years down the road, European memories for the horrific lessons of WWII seem to be failing very badly. Resentment of the power of the United States and Israel has warped their sense of right and wrong to the point that suicide bombers are seen as brave heroes.

Can't help wondering how the French sympathy and admiration for suicide bombers might change if a 747 were to plow into the Louvre...

Sheila, Thanks for linking to this article. Awesome. It reminds me of something else I read once that sums up my impression of Europe when I lived there. "It's so old!" That is, it's like a museum built to remember a long-dead culture. So sad. So pathetic and a warning to Americans.

I've got to hand it to Poller for admitting that she was wrong, it takes a strong personality to admit that so publicly. It’s a well written piece of introspection, but I wonder if she’ll be truly happy anywhere, now that her rose colored glasses have been shattered. She slams America’s lack of culture (the Thanksgiving mall comment and her ruminations about where to live), while not being able to reconcile herself to the culture of modern France. I’m not sure I want her back here carping about our culture, or lack of it. Sites like this one and CW’s show the depth of our culture here. Sure, there is much of the banal in American culture, but it’s there in other countries, too, just with a different flavor. There are as many opportunities to see opera, ballet, and symphonies in a mid-tier city such as Pittsburgh, as there are in a similar sized city in Europe. The difference is that in Europe, Schubert might actually have set foot in the concert hall. That, to a history buff like me is extremely alluring. But it says nothing about depth of culture.

There is an interesting thread through the comments over at Roger Simon's blog, where the whole thing started. It concerns her comments about “credentials” and only using the Japanese word for chopsticks. An obvious Japanese speaker and a Chinese commenter berate her for the pretentiousness. I have to agree. We say “quai ji” at my house, O-hashi when we are in Japan (my wife is Chinese, we both also speak Japanese), and chopsticks when speaking to English speakers. The kind of cultural superiority complex that refuses to say anything but O-hashi to English speakers is what drove Poller out of the US in the first place. There is a phrase in Russian, the literal meaning is “ how can I obtain?”. But to a Russian of my generation, behind that word lies the feeling of “shit, I need it, the stores don’t have it, and I’m down to my last bottle of state-issued vodka to trade with the black marketers for it, where can I get it?” It can not be translated, but I do not insist on using the words ‘kak dostat’ when describing my adventures in the Soviet Union to Americans.

When I lived in the Soviet Union (in my very early 20s), I used to tell the European joke that a person who speaks three languages is trilingual, a person speaking two is bilingual, and a person who speaks one is … American. I’ve grown up, and I don’t tell that joke anymore. A language is a tool, and unfortunately it’s not a very useful one in America. Why should someone invest huge amounts of cash and skull sweat on a skill with minimal economic or social value? Do I measure the worth or culture of my farm-bred relatives who have not traveled more than 50 miles from their home by their inability to understand the word ‘dostat’? Hell no. Poller made a significant break with her past perceptions, but she still has some growing up to do.

John -

Well, I would hope that we all have growing up to do, and that none of us ever think we are "done" with growing and learning.

Strangely, I got the opposite message from her writing about the Thanksgiving mall shopping.

"How I would have slathered them with leftist contempt decades ago. Today I see them as expressions of the common man’s patriotism."

Her context is different than mine. I am American through and through, although I love learning about other cultures, and seeing how other people live.

Your comments on Russia are extremely interesting - I am going to go check out Roger Simon's conversation on his blog.

Thank you for linking to this article. It was illuminating, poignant, and sad. Unlike John, I would welcome Nidra back with open arms. I lived in South America for six months back in the late 70s, and I have a deep affection for the people and their culture. However, I was surprised at the depth of my feelings when I returned to the United States. That short time away was the seed that ended my own insouciance, and began a growing appreciation and love of my dear HOME. Nidra's distaste for the usual pitfalls of American culture--Costco, McDonalds, sports-obsession, insipid pop music, etc. was an obstacle that, for her, obscured the fundamental value and rightness of a free society. That there is more to like than to dislike seems to be apparent to her now. It would seem impossible that a continent that was nearly destroyed a short forty years ago would, once again, feel and respond to the lure of Anti-Semitism, but it is there--and a growing hatred. What cultural superiority can be claimed by a society that embraces such evil bigotry? The answer is none, and that Nidra finally grasps this is to her credit. That millions of others do not is to their shame. That those who call President Bush another Hitler are the very ones reviving Hitler's deadly, sick prejudice is absurd and profoundly depressing.

I think Poller has grown, but I don't think that she has sufficiently grown to fit back into American society. I've got to give her credit for what she has done. It took guts and intellectual honesty. I get the feeling from her tone that she's in love with an ideal of America, but she still looks down her nose at Americans. I didn't like the 'common man' comment so much.

My real point is that I'm certain she will be dissatisfied back in the States because the root cause of her original disaffection is still there - as betrayed by her sense of superiority in using a foreign word unknown to most English speakers. Americans who have spent large chunks of time overseas always get a little peeved upon their return by American provincialism, it's inevitable. (I know I had a hard time for a few months coming back from Japan.) However, that smaller portion of us that went native overseas never readjust, and are never happy.

I barely feel like I fit into American society half the time. And yet - I still identify myself as an American. We need to be able to criticize aspects of our culture and society without being afraid that we are being disloyal, or something.

I guess I don't even know what "American society" really means. How could it be defined? Or is it just the stereotype? The stereotype of malls and Costcos and SUVs and soccer moms?

There's a lot about typical "American society" that I despise. Or - maybe that's too strong a word. It is not my life at all. By choice. But there's a lot in the "society" she describes (Costco, suburbs) that I find mind-numbing and depressing. That's why I live in New York City. I'm not saying that that existence doesn't completely work for some people, but for me - it would be soul-death. Whereas for other people, who live in Montana by choice - would think that my life surrounded by pavement would be the ultimate in soul-death.

In terms of the other part of American "society" - the materialistic stereotype - I don't relate to that either, because I've never had much money.

I don't know.

I hear what you're saying, and I respect your point of view - but...

I guess I think "fitting in" is over-rated. Big-time.

I'm not saying I think we should be a nation of anti-social misfits - and I do think there are certain things to be upheld - and respected ... but society? The "norms" of society?

I don't give it all much credence.

Oh, but let me clarify one thing:

I do not begrudge people who want to make money. Just re-read my comment and thought it might sound that way. I want to make money myself!!

But not having money, and not participating in the whole having-money thing - I rent, I don't have a car, etc. - adds to the feeling of being an outsider.

Which - I'm not complaining. It's just the facts.

I’m coming at this from the perspective of someone who has lived abroad and works with many ex-pats and ex-ex-pats. The beauty of America is that you can create your own life and circle and fit in where and how you like. I don’t like living in CT so far from the influences of other cultures I love (no decent Chinese restaurants, no good Russian bakeries, sushi I wouldn't feed to a stray cat...), but I go to Flushing and Brighton Beach every once in a while and get my fix. That’s how I “fit in”. Not in terms of accepting others’ values. I find suburbia repugnant, too.

Some of the ex-pats in Japan completely rejected Western society, went native. The ones studying Buddhist philosophy and berating other ex-pats’ Japanese skills. Upon return to the States, their contempt for average Americans was evident, their conversation constantly turned to the East, they could not climb out of their adopted cultural milieu. They were, in a word, tiresome. And usually complaining about something. They make lousy employees, too. That is the flavor I got from Poller.

John,
Yeah, I have had friends who have lived abroad for years and have nothing but contempt for America and Americans - having no idea that they are being just as intolerant as the people they say they hate.

I suppose and I will just have to disagree on our interpretation of Poller's words.

The people I know who think Americans are stupid and hate living in America after living abroad are not at all at the point where they could say, "Wow, I once had 'leftist contempt' for these people - and now I do not." That means you actually have to be self-reflective, you actually have to be able to look inward, and question your assumptions.

Perhaps Poller is in transition - from one viewpoint to another - So her tone is more ambivalent. A lot of people, with their black and white views, or their fear of saying the simple words "I was wrong" or "I used to feel this way, now I feel THIS way" - could never have written such an essay.

But anyway. That's my interpretation.

Thank goodness we can create our own lives. There are so many different environments in this country, so many things to choose from. Desert, mountains, urban, seaside. It's really quite extraordinary when you think about it.

Extraordinary nd beautiful. The melting pot is underrated in these days of sub-group victim identity. I agree, Poller is reflective right now. I might be over-reacting based on comments she made that set off my radar.

I'm reminded of a great caricature of the (extremely) dissaffected Solzhenytsin in Voinovich's "Moscow 2042". And it has my favorite line in all of Russian literature: when the protagonist is offered a vodka miniature on a Lufthansa flight he responds "This is for children of what age?"

One does not have to leave one's country to be an ex-pat, for some just leaving the neighborhood, city, or state have similar effects.

And yes, for some that leave the US, even after they return it is if they are still abroad.

And what exactly is American Culture? It is not Costco, or SUV's or soccer moms. South Beach is not recognizable to Shaker Heights, nor to San Luis Obispo. Yes, there are malls with similar stores in St. Louis, El Paso, and Albany, but each of those places is distinct and defies categorization as being representative of "American Society".

The culture in America is decidedly fluid and paradoxically at times seems to be non-existent, but it is nonetheless real and distinct.

Beautiful ain't it?