[lit-ideas] America is a moral country

  • From: Eric Yost <NYCEric@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Tue, 09 Nov 2004 00:06:12 -0500

Speaking of the enormen Zunge of britischen empiricism, I would note, as 
I believe others have already, that every mass media pundit in America 
has of this writing taken time to lecture their audiences on the lessons 
of the US election.

Using a bullet-driven split screen (see the essay "The Cognitive Style 
of Powerpoint" at http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/books_pp), the news 
soothsayers tend to begin their lectures with:

* America is a moral country.

Because I live in a Blue state I was, until recently, still trying to 
understand what that bullet-point meant.

It obviously does NOT mean:

* America was founded on a strict moral basis, which is carried through 
in each and every one of its wonderful laws and ordinances, permeating 
the polis as thoroughly as that four-note theme in Beethoven's Eroica.

* The people of America are more moral in their thoughts and actions 
than any or even most other peoples.

* Americans desire and further moral ends to a singular degree.

My only clue was that word "moral."  At first it seemed to refer to 
principles of right and wrong. That led nowhere.

"Help me, Lord Heidegger! Help me see the meaning hidden in the lost 
words!" I called to the dark night I assumed lay over my apartment 
ceiling (somewhere above my upstairs neighbor's upstairs neighbor's 
upstairs neighbor's upstairs neighbor's upstairs neighbor's upstairs 
neighbor's upstairs neighbor's upstairs neighbor's upstairs neighbor's 
upstairs neighbor's upstairs neighbor's upstairs neighbor's upstairs 
neighbor's upstairs neighbor's upstairs neighbor's upstairs neighbor's 
head). But then, like a massive lightning bolt of Zeus' disapproval, it 
hit me.

* Moral, as in moral of a story. Americans are people who like all 
stories to have morals, preferably delivered to them in bullet points. 
They also needed a moral for the election story. Something we've learned 
today. A value nugget that would shield us all from chaos and impending 
dark. A lesson that made the triumph of evil men and women less stinging.

* Now I understand!

* America IS a moral country.

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