The American Way

by Madeleine Kando

Europeans like to make fun of Americans, calling them naïve, crude, unsophisticated. They don't have the finesse, the cultural history or the sense of style that Europeans pride themselves on. I know, I was (and maybe still am a little bit) one of those snobs.

True, there are times when the taste for vulgarity of a Jerry Springer show or the glitz and glamour of the current political conventions with the confetti, the blaring music, the thousands of cheering, flag waving fans turns me off. A little less Americana would be fine by me.

But here I am, looking at a picture of President Obama being hugged and then lifted up in the air like an oversized baby by a Florida pizza shop owner the size of a tank. Obama! The President of the United States, the most powerful man in the world, allows himself to be manhandled like the guy next door. Can you imagine the French President allowing this kind of physical embarrassment? Can you see the Prime-Minister of Holland suffer this kind of familiarity and lack of dignity?

That is the American way, and I love it. It more than makes up for all the vulgarity, the so-called crudeness of this country. It is a symbol of what Americans are all about, you, me, the President, we are all equal. We all deserve the same chances, the same treatment, the same respect or lack thereof.

In an article in the Dutch newspaper 'De Volkskrant' entitled: 'If only Europe had politicians that dared to dream like Obama', the author describes the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, calling it a well-rehearsed 'fashion show' (which it is). But behind the glitz and the staged performances, there is the shameless pride of being American, the idea that you can improve your future by hard work and ambition. That is what Obama's speech was all about. That too, Europeans find 'cliché', not genuine. It is not sophisticated enough, to be proud of your country, to feel that you can influence the future by your actions, by your vote, by what you dream...

She is right, Europeans could use a bit more of the American 'naivete', the American sense of hope, even in a time of adversity. European cynicism might be a safer way of looking at the world: the less you expect of the future, the less disappointment you will feel. Americans haven't reached that stage yet, thank God. They still hope, they still trust in their future and their leaders. They still have big hearts, and are not afraid of showing affection.

The pizza shop owner said that he was "just overcome with excitement" — which led to the hug. Who knows, if Europeans would hug each other more, maybe their politics would improve as well. leave comment here