Chaos Paragraph
In the beginning I would have assumed that I would not write ‘stream of consciousness’ blog posts. It is also true, that after trying 4 or 5 different blogs and 2+ years of this blog something weird happened. What happened was that I was just starting to devise a more highly structured and more professionally appearing blog. Then ‘whammo’: my blogging ran aground. In truth, I found it quite bizarre for something like that to occur just as I was finally starting to function at a higher level.
Now, this is the lower level of operations here at the blog.
This first paragraph is labelled ‘chaos’ because I didn’t even select a topic before I started.
A Different Country
Today is another day when I am noticing how some of my attitudes have genuinely changed from spending time in Europe. The last time I was in Europe, I was able to spend a few days in England. Less than an hour prior to posting this, I watched and listened to an English woman describing how she landed a literary agent.
In 1994, while studying as an overseas student I read a little of Ayn Rand’s essays on a referral from Neil Peart of the Canadian band Rush. She nearly ranted about Socialism in Great Britain. In 2016, at a hostel in Greenwich I had a friendly chat with an Englishman who, even though he works in banking, told me he is a Socialist.
Conclusion: It is true that in Western Europe ‘Socialism’ is not even a dirty word.
Attitude / Cultural Identity Confusion: I am in favor of everyone having medical care and insurance regardless of their employment status, gender or income level. I believe that in rich countries, poverty should not exist and no one should go hungry regardless of their employment status. I like being American but evidently this emphasizes to me that the feeling that I am politically “a pinko” is actually the truth. In Europe this is even more commonplace. It makes me feel awkward being back in my own country in that, I love being American but am busy worrying because my dental work was taken care of thanks to a German who doesn’t even speak English and despite my unemployment. The moment I returned I learned of a loved one suffering here in our beloved America from going without proper dental care. I cringed and worried that I never should have left Europe or should do everything I can to get back there asafp.
Culture Issue: In truth, when I talked to myself about returning to the USA from Europe I had the intention of never leaving to reside in Europe long term again. I also never intended to make myself just poor without protection in my native country.
Trade offs?!
In truth, my experience being back in my own nation is now only a few weeks old. I believe this is week 6, after a 3 year absence during a 6 year long stint of living in Germany. I am finding it already both better and worse to be back in the USA.
Saying the Unspeakable
In reality, I am writing it, but in the manner of the spoken word. Due to my time in Germany I did have some re-education but not ‘at a brainwashing camp’. I can tell you that my view about the evil of anti-Semitism has not changed. I can also tell you, that I have learned something incredibly difficult to understand in the German or Russian languages. Despite how much I agree that the NaZi’s anti-Semitism, and lies were the gravest of evils, I actually think there is nothing evil nor crazy about 2 of their political goals: 1) making German Socialism, German rather than Germany being a puppet of Russia’s. (England made the same kind of decision about national sovereignty and forming a kind of socialism) 2) Making sure no one starves to death or goes without medical care – at least amongst the citizens of the nation (although I would have strongly disagreed if they excluded 50% of the Germans – the women of Germany from their definition of citizens).
I don’t know any better way of communicating this with you blog readers.
