Not a country at all, but atomised, segmented individuals

[brokensymmetry]

I came across a fascinating article in the Guardian at http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,5673,1566036,00.html under the title: The chasm between us.

My purpose here is to discuss the implications of a single sentence of that interesting article:

What the great Louisiana catastrophe has revealed is a country that is not a country at all, but atomised, segmented individuals living parallel lives as far apart as possible, with nothing to unite them beyond the idea of a flag.

It strikes me that this is, to a great extent true - though I would contend that what unites us is a shared marketplace, rather than a flag. If that's true, it seems to suggest that America may have become desperately fragile and utterly lacking in the societal cohesion that survival requires.

What say you all?

[Fovea]

1. For the past 6 years I have been waiting for the

cold culture/civil war to go hot.

New Orleans showed how right my concerns are. We are a confederation of people united by a common currency.

[Lindsay]

2. And Bush's "uniter not divider" BS has pried the

gaps wider and wider. They've been as divisive as possible.

We're going to need a lot of healing. If it's even possible for us to heal at this point.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. My brother in law and I said a while ago

that this is no longer a nation... adn we are just waiting for the brak up to occurr... I don't expect to die in the US, but rather one of the at very least three successor states

[brokensymmetry]

13. It seems more and more possible.

Is Yugoslavia an example of where we're headed? I wonder.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. It is

my gut... California and soem in the west one nation.. the deep south antoher... and the Northeast antoher... with the dakotas and teh center yet another

[hatrack]

4. What is the fundamental message of American mass consumption culture?

It's a simple message - You Are The Most Important Person In The Universe.

Everything you want you must have, immediately, and everything you don't want must be made to go away, also immediately.

Patience is for fools, education is for dweebs and geeks, the commonweal is a joke, politicians are ALL corrupt and charity and community are concepts discussed only in those spheres of human activity reserved for the losers - those who couldn't cut it in the marketplace, which is now the only "legitimate" expression of any human desire or aspiration.

Tell people that enough times, sugarcoat the message with enough illusions and marketer's dreams and appeal to their venal worst impulses, and many will eventually believe and act accordingly.

[billyskank]

5. There's an extra dimension to it

The mega corporate interests explicitly want us atomised with no solidarity. That's why the ethos of individualism has been pushed so hard. As individuals we are weak and easily manipulated. All of the things that the corporate interests hate - trade unions, liberal government - represent the union of the common people in solidarity with one another. Thus united we are strong and can accomplish many things, and we are able to stand up against the corporate interests.

[CrispyQ]

7. Nice commentary --

You are so right about the push of individualism & how it ruins our sense of community.

ps -- Love your avatar!!

[Raksha]

20. Very good observations, both of you (posts 4 and 5).

You nailed it.

[CrispyQ]

6. Marketplace, indeed! You are spot on!

Great line on CSI: New York the other night: "America is not a nation; it's a corporation."

Bumper sticker: We don't have a democracy, we have an auction.

[The River]

8. A Country of One

to co-opt the armys most recent slogan.

[MetaTrope]

9. It's nothing new...the lone cowboy is the American icon

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

10. I think we've clearly...

...demonstrated the truth in this statement for all the world to see. We are a divided nation where the reigns of power have been seized by despots who, while dismantling what was once a functioning government, help themselves to the commonwealth through cronyism privatization. We'll never turn this without a revolution.

[JAbuchan08]

11. I've been saying for quite some time that the GOP's philosophy of

extreme individualism was only steps away from anarchy.

[brokensymmetry]

14. It looks as if you're right...

scary.

[understandinglife]

12. Someone, soon, is going to step forward and call it what it is, ...

... call for all those who reject Bush and corporatistas to join together to demand and make happen major changes to America.

The script for the call to revolution has been stated many times already. In fact, much of the script is well represented in several of the first 11 comments to your OP.

I hope for as peaceful a revolution as is possible, but I have no illusion that this Nation will avoid major upheaval in the near-term.


Peace.

[kineneb]

15. and this time, the revolution will be televised n/t

[understandinglife]

19. and blogged and podcast .... nt

Peace.

[JuJu Lazarus]

16. We Are United Corporate Amerika

does there anything need to be more stated!

[KittyWampus]

17. It'sCalled Materialism & It's The Philosophy Shared With The Scientific

Establishment as well as with the economic elite.