I used to find the American self-image of being this uniquely freedom-loving, freedom-having people delusional. Sure, I'd think, you're not North Korea or Venezuela, but is that really a standard worth celebration? Shouldn't America compare itself to higher alternatives, like Europe or even the rest of the Anglosphere? Turns out I just needed to wait a little longer for the patriotic hymns to begin ringing true.
Witness what's going on in both the UK and the EU at the moment. There's a shockingly draconian crackdown on "misinformation" and "hate speech", the two stalwart euphemisms for "speech we don't like", going on in Britain in particular at the moment. Fast-track tribunals have been setup to hand out unbelievably harsh sentences for such terrible offenses as "anti-establishment rhetoric", criticisms of mass migration, and "obscene gesticulations at the police".
Yes, all this is happening in the context of violent riots. But weren't The Enlightened Ones supposed to recognize the dangers of using a crisis to push through police-state measures? Wasn't this what so many on the left were rightfully up in arms about regarding The Patriot Act in the US?
Meanwhile, the EU is threatening the owner of X, Elon Musk, with severe consequences if he does not abide by its arbitrary definition of what defending us all against "misinformation" and "hate speech" looks like. And the new Digital Markets Act, which I've in the past applauded for its attempt to counter tech monopolies, is being wielded as the cudgel for this authoritarian crackdown.
This is all very much in line with the authoritarian preview we got during the pandemic from Canada, which also pushed beyond the democratic Rubicon, and moved to shut down the bank accounts of people who donated to protesters, among other draconian injunctions.
Which brings me back to America, and the specifically the song "God Bless the USA". My wife grew up singing this song in school. And I always thought that wasn't only rather camp, but damn near indoctrination. But that sure does look different now.
I'm going to quote the main bit in full, just so we're all on the same campy page about this song:
If tomorrow all the things were gone
I worked for all my life
And I had to start again
With just my children and my wife
I thank my lucky stars
To be living here today
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom
And they can't take that away
And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I'd gladly stand up next to you
And defend Her still today
'Cause there ain't no doubt
I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
I mean, I still smirk. Especially when watching the music video and its kitsch depiction of American life. And yet - AND YET - it somehow now does ring poetically true.
America's first amendment, the constitutional right to free speech, including the right to "misinformation" and even "hate speech", has proven a surprisingly effective and resilient bulwark against the new rise of censorship and blasphemy laws gaining steam across the Atlantic.
That's what the song is on about with "but at least I know I'm free"!
Now, I'm not an American. But I sure am becoming a lot more appreciative of the core principles my adopted country was founded on. (While keeping my eyes wide open to all its trade-offs and contradictions.)
Americans should be proud of these principles. Whatever the age, there'll always be blasphemous talk, offensive jokes, mean insults, and wild conspiracy theories (that occasionally turn out to be true!). I'd much rather live in a country that embraces everyone's right to BE FULL OF SHIT than one that pretends it can declare a priori what's true and what's false or one that makes false equivalences between violence and speech.