American liberty

Ask an average American what values the US stands for in the world, and the word “liberty” will almost certainly feature in the answer. But what exactly is this American liberty? Defining it is tricky. Like George W Bush’s intellect: you know it must be there, but struggle a bit to pin it down.

Many countries around the world, my own included, follow a similar system of government – democracy, rule of law, and separation of powers being common ingredients. Also in these countries, we are free to disagree with and mercilessly mock our leaders as much and as publicly as we like.

And yet, of all these countries, the US has become the champion of liberty. Are its citizens really any more free than anyone else?

My tentative conclusion is that they are, because they believe they are. It is really striking how the language of liberty pervades all levels of American life – from the White House to the corner store. Repeating over and over again that the US is the land of the free reinforces it in people’s minds, informs how they live life here, and lifts their spirits – without really needing to think through the detail.

If everyone at a party tells each other that they are having a great time, then they probably will – even if the bar has run dry and the only music consists of medieval choral chants. This is not to say they are deceiving themselves, rather it is a testament to the power of mutual reassurance.

This might just be a case where, to a whiny child asking why Americans are free, a parent would be justified in responding…

“Because I said so”.

The Presidential Election

I wanted to comment on the recent presidential election before it recedes too far into history, because it dominated US life for most of the time I have been here.

A battle between a chastened president and an eager candidate, it promised to be so much more exciting than it was in the end. The national polls fooled naïve observers like me – while those in the know watched the battleground states, and could see that four more years of Obama was never seriously in doubt.

Romney came across as a likeable man, devoted to his wife and surrounded by an army of shiny offspring. But in trying to sell himself and the Republican party to the electorate, there just seemed to be too much to conceal: the Tea Party, the senators musing theologically on rape and abortion, the neo-cons itching for another Middle Eastern conflict, the candidate’s own record.

He hammered on about “jaahbs” as if it was the sole issue of the election, but it just started to sound like it was the sole issue that the Republicans could agree on.

So congratulations to Barack Obama. I watched from the UK 4 years ago, and felt some of the breathless excitement that greeted his first election victory. Expectations of Obama were so high then, that anything less than turning back the tides and ending world hunger would feel like underperformance. Now that he has survived the American people's disappointment, he may just get more done this time around.

Californian weather...

Being English, obviously the first thing I would like to talk about is the weather.

In the UK the weather regularly plays havoc with our lives. Events are cancelled, meetings are missed, outfits are ruined - all without ceremony or surprise. Weather forecasts are lingered over, and those who give them become notable TV personalities.

By contrast Californians, for most of the year, wake up wondering whether it will be blue sky and warm, or blue sky and very warm. The possibility of rain or cloud is so remote that it doesn't need to be factored into the social plans, dress sense or work schedule of any sensible person.

The result is that, on those rare days of bad weather, people go a bit bonkers. They huddle inside, muttering darkly to eachother about the harsh conditions. Mothers call in their children from outside, shopping carts are stocked with extra rations, wide eyes peer from windows, wondering what could have incurred the gods' wrath.

And the roads become a hazard during rain. A typical Californian driver in rain becomes like a child learning to ride a bike, who looks back too soon to discover that Dad is not actually holding onto the saddle. Self-belief is replaced with sheer panic, unfamiliar windscreen wipers flash before them, and insurance companies wait for the inevitable.

Fortunately there are nearly 300 days of sun a year in Southern California, or we might have to start sending people to the UK to build up their psychological defenses against rubbish weather.