The divide in America is vastly complicated that this doco doesn’t start to address.
But your question about workplace stupidity is on point.
As primarily from what I see, being someone born in the USA, and lived overseas having viewed it from a distance, too is that only business is personal in the US. That’s how identity is derived. That’s how people are known.
What do you do?
It’s always one of the first questions asked.
I say, trying to live. That always gets odd looks.
As if a human’s worth is solely his or her job.
It’s part of it but not even half of it.
So people to attain some sort of respect socially work at places that, politically and in terms of their values do not gel. So there is this schism. That emotionally gets people, wears them down.
This constant conflict. As people say be yourself, but in reality, they are relating to the job, the function. This hidden hypocrisy no matter if it’s liberal on conservative or conservative on liberal. Even those terms are irrelevant, but television has so narrowed the debate to an either or, it’s impossible to have a sensible debate on the matter or even be informed as to what exactly is being dicussed.
Another thing that I saw watching the election from overseas was the mocking of Palin’s speech.
She speaks like an American.
What is sadly funny about this: is she was mocked by people from the media in NY, who are from small towns in middle America, just like her; and totally took on these affected personas.
She’s just like they were or who they are trying to avoid; that is: themselves.
And there is this inverse to this, going populist, you have people like Dr. Phil or Bush who take on this folky charm as if they talk like that.
David Mamet said the novel An American Tragedy is the great American novel ( I believe) and it’s still true.
reply
share