Puritans or pornographers?

Lexington
The Economist/Feb. 23, 2006
The schizophrenia at the heart of anti-Americanism
DURING George !sh"s #irst term, $!b%ic &i$%om'c( might h')e been s!mme& !$ in
the $hr'se *Ne)er '$o%ogise, ne)er ex$%'in+. This time ro!n& ,r !sh is going #or '
more emo%%ient '$$ro'ch. -on&o%ee..' Rice is $!tting m!ch more e##ort into
&i$%om'c( o# '%% )'rieties, $!b%ic 'n& $ri)'te, th'n -o%in /o0e%% &i& 1#or one thing,
she"s %ess '%%ergic to 'ero$%'nes23 the '&ministr'tion"s t0o %e'&ing bo))er4bo(s, Dic5
-hene( 'n& Don'%& R!ms#e%&, h')e shot themse%)es in the #eet3 'n& ,r !sh h's
sign'%%e& his commitment to im$ro)ing 6meric'"s im'ge 'bro'& b( $!tting his
tr!ste& con#i&'nte, 7'ren 8!ghes, in ch'rge o# 6meric'"s $!b%ic &i$%om'c(.
!t 0i%% this rene0e& em$h'sis on so#t $o0er m'5e 'n( &i##erence9 There 're %ots o#
re'sons #or sce$ticism. :ne is th't h!ge $o0er ine)it'b%( $ro)o5es h!ge s!s$icion. 6
secon& is th't 6meric'"s $o%ic( in Ir'; h's so%i&i#ie& th't o$$osition into ' g%ob'%
$henomenon. !t consi&er ' thir&, '&)'nce& b( /eter erger, one o# 6meric'"s best4
5no0n socio%ogists, 't ' <'shington, D-, semin'r 1org'nise& 0ith ='mes 8!nter, the
'c'&emic 0ho in)ente& the term *c!%t!re 0'rs+2. Foreigners, 'rg!es ,r erger, h')e
o&&%( con#!se& )ie0s o# 6meric' 's ' %'n& o# */!rit'ns 'n& $ornogr'$hers+>'n& th't
con#!sion m'5es #ighting 'nti46meric'nism extreme%( &i##ic!%t.
*/!rit'ns 'n& $ornogr'$hers+ is ' c'ric't!re, o# co!rse. !t $ro)i&e& (o! '&o$t '
bro'& &e#inition o# both /!rit'nism 'n& $ornogr'$h(>0ith /!rit'nism st'n&ing #or
re%igion 'n& $ornogr'$h( st'n&ing #or $o$!%'r c!%t!re>it is not 'n 'bs!r& one.
6meric' is ' stri5ing%( e##ecti)e $ro&!cer o# $o$!%'r c!%t!re. It not on%( m'5es more
o# it th'n 'n( other co!ntr(3 it '%so $ro&!ces more in4(o!r4#'ce c!%t!re>%o!&
mo!the&, %ibi&ino!s 'n& im$ossib%e to ignore. ?et it '%so st'n&s o!t #rom other
&e)e%o$e& co!ntries 0hen it comes to resisting sec!%'ris'tion. 6meric' is the on%(
mo&ern co!ntr( 0here most $eo$%e be%ong to ' re%igio!s org'nis'tion 'n& 0here
some @0A be%ie)e in Go&.
6rg!'b%(, 6meric'"s re%igiosit( 'n& its $o$!%'r c!%t!re s$ring #rom the s'me
commitment to #ree m'r5ets. Its ch!rches, no %ess th'n its #i%m st!&ios, h')e thri)e&
$recise%( bec'!se the( h')e ne)er been sh'c5%e& to the st'te 'n& th!s h')e to
com$ete #or c!stomers. !t 0h'te)er their common roots, $ornogr'$h( 'n&
/!rit'nism $ro&!ce )er( &i##erent sorts o# 'nti46meric'nism.
For m'n( E!ro4sec!%'rists, 6meric'"s re%igiosit( is its %e'st 'ttr'cti)e ch'r'cteristic.
The( c'n"t be%ie)e th't 'n( mo&ern $erson c'n be re%igio!s !n%ess the( 're either
st!$i& 1rit'in"s Private Eye &!bs George !sh the %e'&er o# the *L'tter D'(
,orons+2 or ins'ne 1' #ormer Germ'n ch'nce%%or 0's 5no0n to 'cc!se ,r !sh o#
*he'ring )oices+2. The /e0 Rese'rch -entre"s s!r)e( o# g%ob'% 'ttit!&es %'st (e'r
&isco)ere& th't most French 'n& D!tch, 's 0e%% 's $%!r'%ities o# ritons 'n&
Germ'ns, thin5 6meric' is too re%igio!s.
?et m'n( c!%t!r'% conser)'ti)es &is%i5e 6meric' #or ex'ct%( the o$$osite re'son>
bec'!se it is ' b'ttering r'm #or $o$!%'r c!%t!re. 6 #e0 ,!s%ims 0orr( th't 6meric'
is ' *-r!s'&er st'te+, eng'ge& in ' re%igio!s 0'r 0ith Is%'m 1' 0orr( not he%$e& b(
the s!ggestion '#ter Be$tember CCth #rom one conser)'ti)e $!n&it, 6nn -o!%terD *<e
sho!%& in)'&e their co!ntries, 5i%% their %e'&ers, 'n& con)ert them to -hristi'nit(+2.
!t most ,!s%ims, 'n& ;!ite ' n!mber o# tr'&ition'% E!ro$e'ns, 0orr( #'r more
'bo!t 6meric'"s )ersion o# ,'mmon th'n 'bo!t its )ersion o# Go&.
In some $'rts o# the ,!s%im 0or%&, m'Eorities '&mit to enEo(ing 6meric'n #i%ms 'n&
m!sic 1tho!gh in /'5ist'n on%( FA '&mit to s!ch cr')ings2. !t m'Eorities '%so te%%
/e0"s rese'rchers th't the( 're 0orrie& 'bo!t 6meric'n )'%!es 'n& %i#est(%es. This
$%'(s on t0o &ee$4se'te& 0orries 'bo!t 6meric'n $o$!%'r c!%t!reD th't it is h'r& to
#i%ter so th't (o! E!st get the goo& bits 1&o0n%o'& ob D(%'n on to (o!r son"s i/o&,
'n& Bnoo$ Dogg soon $o$s !$ 's 0e%%2 'n& th't $o$!%'r c!%t!re s$'0ns soci'%
ch'nge. -hi%&ren en& !$ h'nging 'ro!n& 't the m'%% or 't ,cDon'%&"s r'ther th'n
coming home #or &inner.
<h't m'5es the *$ornogr'$h(+ 'n& the /!rit'nism so h'r& to t'5e #or #oreigners is
th't 6meric' is so 'ggressi)e 't ex$orting both o# them. <ith $o$ c!%t!re, this is 0e%%
&oc!mente&. The $erenni'% te&i!m o# the :sc'rs ceremon( 0on"t $re)ent mi%%ions o#
$eo$%e #rom 0'tching it. !t 6meric' is '%so ' 0or%&4be'ter 0hen it comes to
ex$orting re%igion. /entecost'%ism, 0hich st'rte& o## 't ' ib%e co%%ege in To$e5',
7'ns's, in C@0C, is no0 the 0or%&"s #'stest4gro0ing re%igion, 0ith G00m #o%%o0ers.
There 're more th'n CF0,000 6meric'n mission'ries 'ro!n& the 0or%& 'n&
6meric'n4st(%e meg'4ch!rches 're beginning to '$$e'r in E!ro$e. ,e'n0hi%e, in
-ongress, e)'nge%ic'%s 're t'5ing the %e'& in sh'$ing 6meric'n $o%ic( on 'i& 'n&
h!m'n rights.
:ne 0'( o# %oo5ing 't this is th't ,r 8!nter"s c!%t!re 0'rs 're no0 going g%ob'%. Th't
is $'rt%( bec'!se the b'tt%es bet0een $ornogr'$hers 'n& /!rit'ns in 6meric' ri)et
o!tsi&ersD 0ho co!%& not #'i% to be intereste& in the 7'ns's 'ttorne(4gener'% 0ho
0'nts to be in#orme& 0hene)er there is *com$e%%ing e)i&ence+ o# sex!'% inter'ction
in)o%)ing teen'gers in his st'te9 !t there is '%so ' &ee$er re'sonD m'n( other
co!ntries 're h')ing to gr'$$%e 0ith the $rob%ems 6meric' h's.
This m'( be most ob)io!s in the &e)e%o$ing 0or%&, 0here tr'&ition'% societies 0i%%
ine)it'b%( h')e to en&!re their o0n )ersion o# 6meric'"s c!%t!re 0'rs 's the( get
richer. !t sec!%'r E!ro$e h's '%so recent%( &isco)ere& th't it h's not *o!tgro0n+
re%igio!s con#%ict>0hether it be -hristi'ns com$%'ining 'bo!t the b%'s$hemo!s -
or the continent"s e)er %'rger 'n& more 'sserti)e ,!s%im $o$!%'tion com$%'ining
'bo!t c'rtoons. 6s in so m'n( other 's$ects o# 'nti46meric'nism, the schi.o$hrenic
#!r( 'g'inst $ornogr'$hers 'n& /!rit'ns is ' t0iste& com$%iment3 6meric' is once
'g'in %e'&ing the 0'(.