What if--And I'm just riffing here--what if America doesn't have nearly the cult of individualism that everybody seems to think it has?
What if America has a strong authoritarian inclination, as seen by its extreme focus on patriotism and patriarchal style of Christianity?
What if the "Uniquely American cult of individualism" is (a) Something Americans tell themselves in a "She doth protest too much" attempt to avoid facing an uncomfortable truth, and also...
What if the "Uniquely American cult of individualism" is (b) Propaganda that has been thundered by American Media, Advertising, Political Parties, and especially corporations who use it as a lever for avoiding regulation and oversight.
Such as with health care, where untold sums of money are spent every year explaining that Americans have more choice and want more choice and "control."
Or with guns, where again, untold sums of money are spent every year explaining that Americans want to enforce their own protection from crime.
What if the "Uniquely American cult of individualism" is no more real than the Marlborough Man?
I too am not saying these are the only explanations, but they seem like argument that are worth thinking about rather than taking a knee-jerk position in favour or against.
Interesting thoughts. I think the part that comes closest to my own beliefs is this:
> (b) Propaganda that has been thundered ... as a lever for avoiding regulation and oversight.
I think the belief in individualism is real and sincere. It is also exploited ruthlessly, sometimes - but not always - by those who are moving in the exact opposite direction. Where's the authoritarian message in an ad telling you to be yourself, express yourself, stand out from the crowd, etc.? I don't think one needs to assume mass deception (including self-deception) to explain Americans' behavior. While I wouldn't reject your theory outright, in accord with Occam's Razor I tend to start with the simpler theory until the case for some other is properly made.
The ads deposing you to "be yourself, express yourself, etc" are doing so not out of any sense of benevolence, but rather to tap into the self image Americans hold in order to brand themselves as part of your ingroup, to sell more of their product.
What if America has a strong authoritarian inclination, as seen by its extreme focus on patriotism and patriarchal style of Christianity?
What if the "Uniquely American cult of individualism" is (a) Something Americans tell themselves in a "She doth protest too much" attempt to avoid facing an uncomfortable truth, and also...
What if the "Uniquely American cult of individualism" is (b) Propaganda that has been thundered by American Media, Advertising, Political Parties, and especially corporations who use it as a lever for avoiding regulation and oversight.
Such as with health care, where untold sums of money are spent every year explaining that Americans have more choice and want more choice and "control."
Or with guns, where again, untold sums of money are spent every year explaining that Americans want to enforce their own protection from crime.
What if the "Uniquely American cult of individualism" is no more real than the Marlborough Man?
I too am not saying these are the only explanations, but they seem like argument that are worth thinking about rather than taking a knee-jerk position in favour or against.