Salaam Mona,

Interesting piece, though you neglected to mention Obama’s own denunciation of this cartoon. Certainly you don’t include him amongst the brainless masses who might read this cover image the wrong way. I think you take the whisper campaign against Obama too lightly – there are large numbers of left-leaning voters who genuinely believe that Obama is Muslim, or is somehow less American for his biography and/or some secret sinister component of it. The prominent placement of this illustration with its reliance on deep racial and ethnic stereotypes seems to me both a lazy and irresponsible example of satire. Good satire (or perhaps any satire) requires much more than a simple demonstration of stereotype, which is sadly all that this piece offers.

Peace,
Sam.

As soon as I heard the “secret Muslim” story, I started investigating it, just for grins. Back in the days when I published a webzine, I quickly learned how to recognize a rumor… they are always simplistic, and they never seem to have a reputable source… if in fact, that source can be tracked down at all. My old pastor, Merton Janusch, told us all that the word “gossip” literally has “the hiss of the snake in it”. Pastor Janusch was right about gossip as well as many other things… not all of which were popular at the time.

My difficulties with Obama have little to do with his religion and much more to do with his politics and lack of experience. Though I have a certain concern over his relationship with a clergyman who clearly hates the White race, and then his seemingly having no problem dumping the man after it became politically expedient to do so.

I am reminded of a joke (short version): A US Marine was having a conversation with Chelsea Clinton. Miss Clinton was impressed with the man’s bravery, and asked him if, in fact, there was anything that scared him. His answer: “Just three things, Miss Clinton; Osama, Obama, and yo’ mama!”

To me, it made little difference who got the Democratic ticket. One had a dark complexion, one had breasts, both were liberal Democrats with a wildly divergent world view than I have. The current problem I am having is that the only difference between the two front-running candidates is that one has a dark complexion and the other a light complexion. Both are liberals with a wildly divergent world view than I have.

As so silly questions… well, I could tell you a few stories about people who asked me things during my tenure in the Middle East, but I won’t. Such questions really do not display stupidity so much as ignorance. There is a difference. Most people in America are not in the privileged class who can travel abroad, and in America, you can drive all day long… maybe several days, depending upon your direction… and still be in the same country where the language and culture is still at least similar to what one is used to.

What really fascinated the locals In Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, were pictures of America. None of them had ever been there, so to them, the image of America was what was portrayed by Hollywood. They seemed amazed that car chases were not common and neither were gunfights in the street. A picture of a wood-framed house with green lawns on a street lined with trees was quite remarkable to Saudi citizens.

Also, no, you do not have to kill a member of your family in order to become an officer in the American military. One of our officers was quite surprised by that question.

Americans inherently stupid? Perhaps, but no more so than the citizens of any other country. It is easy for a charismatic leader like, for example, Barrack Obama, to take power, especially in difficult times.

Hard times is a commin’!

It doesn’t much matter to me one way or another about Obama, Mona… I don’t like McCain much either. But I found this piece to be almost shockingly anti-American. As somebody who has visited ~30 countries (and actually lived in some of those) I’m here to tell you there are stupid people everywhere. There are MORE stupid and ignornat people in India than there are in the United States. Same goes for Egypt. Per capita? Americans don’t even play in the same league of ignorance as Egyptians. In the Philippines, I met people who thought Americans all lived in mansions, and rode around in limousines.

And by the way, according to this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt

Egypt was only a colony of Great Britain for ~60 years. Much longer than any other country in the middle east. But nowhere near as long as the the ~200 years that Britain had us here in America under it’s thumb.

I’m really having trouble understanding why you wrote this hatchet job, Mona.

Ms. Tahawy,

You don’t have to wrap yourself and suffocate in the american flag, but at least be grateful for what this land has given you. A platform and a bully pulpit beyond your wildest dreams!!!!!! It seems en vogue to tread on ‘old glory’ lightly using hi fulutant left wing rhetoric, be it in europe or asia.

and craig spare us the my counrty is smarter than your country bit!!!!!

Very revealing piece of writing Mona. You point out the bigotry of others, while you unwittingly expose your own bigotry.

and craig spare us the my counrty is smarter than your country bit!!!!!

Dan, no I won’t. You ever been to a country where a solid majority of the population live in shacks with no electricity and no running water, and sleep in the dirt? That’s the living situation of about half the world’s population. Anybody who tells a few anecdotes about ignorant Americans and expects to sell it as proof that Americans are inherently “stupid” needs a wake-up call.

That seems to include Mona, unfortunately. Unless she was just brainwashed with massive levels of anti-Americanism while she was in India, in which case it might wear off over time

I met someone overseas once who thought America didn’t have any thieves. Was she stupid? No. Just uninformed and uneducated. I agree that a large number of Americans are very ignorant about any place outside their own borders, but like someone else mentioned, it can take days to even get to our border from our houses, and we only border two countries, one of which is so similar to ours it’s not even considered foreign! Most people can’t afford to make multiple trips to countries other than Canada or Mexico, if that. It’s not like Europe or Asia with dozens of countries and cultures within a thousand miles from your home. In America, traveling to India, London, or Cairo is a once-in-a-lifetime dream for most people, not a normal part of life like it apparently is for you.

As always, Mona, insightful (and well written – a rarity in much modern journalism, I’m afraid!). But there are two points in your piece about which I worry a little.

First, I do not personally believe that Americans as a whole are inherently ‘stupid’ – not your words (and I don’t for one moment believe what you think either), of course, but still a sentiment left trailing.

Speaking as a Brit who lived in NYC for three years during Bush 43 and who travels regularly to the US, what strikes me as most relevant to your article is the way in which American politics, significantly for structural reasons, has been captured by the extremes in both parties – and the often apparently mindless vitriol (and flagrant misrepresentations) which that encourages and promulgates. There are in my personal experience many moderate, sensible, bright and well-informed (if not always about matters outside the US) Americans; but their voices are all too often drowned out by the rhetorical excesses of minorities left and right – and by the sensationalist propensities of US (and other, including in the UK) mainstream media (and, of course, blogs – to which your own is an honourable exception).

Many of the people to whom I refer are among the near 50% of Americans who have chosen increasingly not to vote in general elections in recent years. And perhaps Obama’s most notable success to date has been in inspiring many of these individuals to re-engage in electoral politics and, in the primaries at least, to go out and vote.

For all that, I fear that his own campaign is not above indulging in misleading rhetoric. The extent to which he personally sanctioned some of the stuff about Hillary is unclear (and he may well be innocent on that count); but, for example, branding a President McCain as Bush ‘third term’ is patently a nonsense (albeit not as offensive, I guess, as some of the stuff coming from what I usually refer to since 2004 as the ‘swift boat faction’).

Which takes me to my second point. We should not be blinded by the personal presence of Obama and his messages of hope to the fact that he remains a very ambitious and singularly ruthless individual determined to get to the top – qualities which are, of course, necessary if he is to do so. And that he is not averse to tailoring his campaign message to promote his ambition. That combined with the way he has inspired hope through his campaign to date and the constraints under which any US president acts mean that there is a real risk that a President Obama will turn out to be a real letdown – for Americans and perhaps more especially to the rest of the world.

Sure, the tone may be different. Certainly, we may see some movement on some of the issues which concern all of us globally (eg climate change). But, in the end: (1) the next president’s first preoccupation will be domestic policy as the US economy continues to drag and more Americans slide into unemployment, no health insurance etc; and (2) underlying US foreign policy will not shift overly despite the tectonic shifts taking place around us all in this latest phase of globalisation.

For all that though (and whomever is the next president), America will remain a great country – at least through my lifetime – which many of us will continue to admire and despair of in equal quantities.

I must say, I cringed a bit at the “Americans are stupid” thread running through this piece. But, my feelings aside, is it true?

While I wouldn’t use the word, stupid–there are stupid people everywhere–too many Americans are maddeningly ignorant of the world in which their economy and foreign policy dictates or influences the wills of so many. It’s almost as if our country’s 20th century leaders hadn’t foreseen, and therefore did not prep us for ‘globalization.’

The cartoon fuss is a cover for the real problem, I think… fear of the bigotry of the roughly 20% who believe the NYer’s satire of the Obamas’ isn’t satire at all. But attacking the NYer won’t fix that problem. Seems we’re genuinely stuck on how to do that.

You know, looking at this fray directly related to the American Presidential election, I am much reminded of what went on in the thirties. Adolph Hitler was every bit as seemingly messianic as Barrack Obama. He promised his people everything they wanted… and delivered, at least in the beginning he did. It didn’t work out so well for Adolph or for the people who supported him, or for all the rest of the German citizenry, for that matter.

Perhaps I am paranoid… though my concern these days is whether or not I am paranoid ENOUGH. The way I see the next few years can be summed up as: “be afraid, be very afraid”.

“Adolph Hitler was every bit as seemingly messianic as Barrack Obama. He promised his people everything they wanted… and delivered, at least in the beginning he did. It didn’t work out so well for Adolph or for the people who supported him, or for all the rest of the German citizenry, for that matter.”

You’re confused if anybody resembles Hitler its bush and McCain. The first hasn’t been able to say a single word of truth or keep a single promise; while the second doesn’t even know what he is promising.

“You’re confused if anybody resembles Hitler its bush and McCain. The first hasn’t been able to say a single word of truth or keep a single promise; while the second doesn’t even know what he is promising.”

Mona, your friend just might be right, especially if jhr2g3j4h24 is an American.

In point of fact, I was not especially happy with Bush… either one of them. Not conservative enough for me. I want Ronald Reagan back!

Those of you who know Mona should have no trouble being sure that she does not believe that Americans are stupid.

There is a reason why she decided to live in the United States.

Having said that, I must say that when the current administration was elected again in 2004, I was very upset … I really wanted to somehow be able to vote (I’m Canadian).

As long as the United States plans to play THE superpower role around the globe, then I’m afraid that Americans need to understand everything about every conflict, challenge, or opportunity on any continent.

Otherwise, we will surely all be in trouble again (trillion dollar, millions of victims kind of trouble)

Here are some samples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJuNgBkloFE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZljVAI5X5o

It does not matter if in India, many people do not know where Iran is situated on the map … India will not attack Iran.

There is a serious responsibility that goes with the title of “the world’s only superpower”

With great power comes great responsibility. I personally would just as soon let somebody else play world’s policeman. Then again, nobody else will step up to the plate. Nobody else is even able to.

now are we supposed to say ha ha ha touche, absolutely spot on alex????? Do you think a dinky youtube video is refutable evidence? try running similar antics in down town cairo and i’m sure the answers would be 10 times as worse…..

You’re confused if anybody resembles Hitler its bush and McCain. The first hasn’t been able to say a single word of truth or keep a single promise; while the second doesn’t even know what he is promising.

And that resembles Adolf Hitler in what way, precisely?

Generalities are by default untrue or at least unfair to individuals to which the generality or stereotype does not apply, American, Republican, Democrat, Muslim et al. I am quite sure your friend’s stories about Americans are true (I am after all if not an American, a Texan).
Government educated people tend to be stupid (a generality I admit) by design; college/university education is no guarantee of Humanity. One has to personally care about people to know about their problems and cultures. Caring is not taught in public schools or much practiced by governments. So it is up to us.
I do not want Obama or McCain; I did not want Carey or Gore so I voted for Bush twice. Now I am just sorry (all the definitions of the word apply in this case). We have all lost and I am afraid we have only begun to loose.

DJP

ahmed,

I already answered that point … I’ll copy (with a small modification) from my previous comment above:

“It does not matter if in Egypt many people do not know where Iran is situated on the map … Egypt will not attack Iran.

There is a serious responsibility that goes with the title of “the world’s only superpower”

Alex,

I would not become too used to us being “the worlds only superpower” nor being too proud of the moniker. Most of the world likes our culture and gizmos and rightfully hates our government even more than some of us do. I do not hate our soldiers and sailors, I don’t even hate politicians except selectively. I do hate what we have let our government do in our name to the rest of the world that has stuff we need and cheap labor to make our stuff and by action or inaction, overtly or covertly what they have brought our economy to the brink of.

DJP

Jeez. Maybe we’re all stupid, regardless of country of origin! We aren’t even reading each-others comments!

c16467,

I would not become too used to us being “the worlds only superpower” nor being too proud of the moniker. Most of the world likes our culture and gizmos and…

Alex stated he was Canadian about 3 comments back. Since I am American, I’ll answer this “our” comment, because I’m special that way.

rightfully hates our government even more than some of us do.

Rightfully? It’s “rightful” that people who live under soem of the most repressive governments on the planet hate the US gov’t more than they hate their own? Maybe it’s a matter of perspective, yes? If so, I’m glad I don’t have that perspective! Sometimes it’s good to be a stupid American. Makes it real easy to appreciate what we’ve got here. No accidental twisting of the mind into those inconvenient logic spasms that smart people in other countries seem to suffer from so often!

I do not hate our soldiers and sailors, I don’t even hate politicians except selectively.

Glad to hear it! I spent 6 years in the marines when the US wasn’t the only superpower. I personally hope you get your wish. The world needs another superpower. People need to be able to pick sides. The current situation leaves us and… everyone else. That isn’t good. And no, I’m not being sarcastic. I’m pulling for China. I wouldn’t mind much if India is the next super-power, but I just think China is more likely.

I do hate what we have let our government do in our name to the rest of the world that has stuff we need and cheap labor to make our stuff and by action or inaction, overtly or covertly what they have brought our economy to the brink of.

I’m not a fan of globalization, either. How did we get on this topic, though? You really think the rest of the world hates us because we are committing economic suicide? Seems like they’d kinda get a kick out of that, to me.

I’m someone who has lived his entire life in the US and who anxiously awaits something like an Obama Planet to begin the process by which the US can emerge from its wilderness. Yet I deeply regret the New Yorker cover.

My country is struggling this year with important shifts in our cultural foundations. The outcome of our November election will be the most decisive in nearly a century. If the artist and the New Yorker editors were sophisticated enough to appreciate the nuances of political satire, they show also appreciate the potential political damage this cover can do in the superheated months ahead.

In an ideal case, the people of the United States would all be that sophisticated as well but we are not. We are not so much stupid, as you call us, but ignorant, maybe even provincial. Someone once contrasted ignorance and stupidity in a way that has been vindicated in my six decades of life. Ignorance can be overcome with patience, effective communications, and mutual trust; stupidity is invincible. Please call me ignorant.

The world need some balance … a second superpower would be a good thing in that sense.

But China usually does not get too motivated to play in conflicts beyond its South East Asian environment.

Europe … could have been the second superpower except that the past few years Europe (Blair and Chirac) joined the neocons in many of their most serious initiatives … if one opes for a second superpower that can see the occasional mistakes of the first superpower, Europe did not fit the criteria.

And … I’m sure no one here want Iran to be that second superpower : )

Iran will never become a superpower. If they do not reign in their “leader’s” ambitions, they may become the new Israeli missile range, and shortly thereafter, a radioactive wasteland.

It don’t matter whether it’s Arabs, Indian, Africans or Orientals. If you’re in the Royal Yacht Club, you’ve got to think about who you represent. Certainly not the vast majority of Arabs, Indians, Africans or Orientals.

Elites are elites, no matter what the colour. And Obama is elite.