New topic
Printable| Author | Message |
"AMERICA IS SO VAIN" Norman Mailer doesn't mince words in his latest commentary on the USA.
http://www.drudgereport.com/nm.htm NORMAN MAILER DECLARES: 'AMERICA IS SO VAIN' **Exclusive** In an 8,000-wordish polemic to be published in this weekend's London SUNDAY TIMES [9/8/02], Norman Mailer sounds what he hopes to be a "wake up call for America," the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. The legendary Mailer rips the United States in a shock Q & A, calling it "so big, so powerful, and so vain..." and warns "every American has to ask himself, 'Am I ready to die for my ideas?'" DRUDGE can reveal more of the coming rant, which is sure to ignite controversy on both shores. Mailer claims: "This century is going to be the most awesome of all centuries to contemplate - there is a real question whether human kind will get to the end of it... America's so big, so powerful, and so vain, ... I get angry when I see it being less than it can be. "The British have a love of their country that is profound. They can revile it, tell dirty stories about it. But deep down their patriotism is deep. In America we're playing musical chairs - don't get caught without a flag or you're out of the game. Why do we need all this reaffirmation? It's as if we're a three hundred pound man who's seven feet tall, superbly shaped, absolutely powerful, and every three minutes he's got to reaffirm the fact that his arm pits have a wonderful odor. We don't need compulsive, self-serving patriotism. It's odious... "When you have a great country it's your duty to be critical of it so it can become even greater... "Culturally, emotionally America is growing more loutish, arrogant, and vain. "I detest this totally promiscuous patriotism. Wave a little flag and become a good person? Ugly. "If we have a depression or fall into desperate economic times, I don't know what's going to hold the country together... "There's just too much anger here, too much ruptured vanity, too much shock, too much identity crisis. And worst of all, too much patriotism. Patriotism in a country that's failing has a logical tendency to turn fascistic... "Let's suppose ten people are killed by a small bomb on a street corner in some city in America. The first thing to understand is that there are 280 million Americans. So, there's one chance in 28 million you're going to be one of those people. By such heartless means of calculation, the 3000 deaths in the Twin Towers came approximately to one mortality for every 90,000 Americans. Your chances of dying if you drive a car are one in 7,000 each year. We seem perfectly ready to put up with automobile statistics. I fear I am ready to say there is a tolerable level to terror... "One of the things I've always found least attractive about Tony Blair was his toadyish attitude toward Clinton... "Clinton made a point of surrounding himself with people who might be 90% as intelligent as himself, but never his equal. Bush is smart enough to know that he couldn't possibly do the same, or the country would be run by morons." | |
- E-mail - orgNote -  Report post to moderator |
 [This message was edited Sun Sep 8 11:00:39 PDT 2002 by TheMax] "When they tell me 2 walk a straight line, I put on crooked shoes" | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
TheMax said: 'Am I ready to die for my ideas?'
He should take a short trip across the channel and visit the graves at Normandy. ___ I think he's speaking of today's America. When the war on terror was launched, I read a poll saying that although everyone overwhelmingly supports the idea, few were ready to fight for it -- like, there was no massive movement of joung people joining the army. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Aerogram said: TheMax said: 'Am I ready to die for my ideas?'
He should take a short trip across the channel and visit the graves at Normandy. ___ I think he's speaking of today's America. When the war on terror was launched, I read a poll saying that although everyone overwhelmingly supports the idea, few were ready to fight for it -- like, there was no massive movement of joung people joining the army. True, I don't recall hearing about a crush at the army recruiting stations. But I must say, the events of September 11 have shown an immense reserve of patriotism that could easily be tilted toward joining a fight against terrorism and supporting countries. "When they tell me 2 walk a straight line, I put on crooked shoes" | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
no one is more vein and full of shit than Americans AMEN! | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
JMG1 said: no one is more vein and full of shit than Americans AMEN!
she said "vein" - hehe, hehe, hehe "When they tell me 2 walk a straight line, I put on crooked shoes" | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
|
JMG1 said: no one is more vein and full of shit than Americans AMEN!
I feel sorry for you... (about your feelings of Americans). has no one ever told you generalizing and prejudice is source of much evil? I do not AMEN your silly statement. Proud to be Dutch  |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I don't suppose anyone has the full article? Sounds like a good read. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I both agree and disagree with Mailer, as always. Love him. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
ian said: I don't suppose anyone has the full article? Sounds like a good read.
It,s supposed to be in the Sunday Times, but I could find nothing on-line. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Aerogram said: Norman Mailer doesn't mince words in his latest commentary on the USA.
http://www.drudgereport.com/nm.htm NORMAN MAILER DECLARES: 'AMERICA IS SO VAIN' **Exclusive** In an 8,000-wordish polemic to be published in this weekend's London SUNDAY TIMES [9/8/02], Norman Mailer sounds what he hopes to be a "wake up call for America," the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. The legendary Mailer rips the United States in a shock Q & A, calling it "so big, so powerful, and so vain..." and warns "every American has to ask himself, 'Am I ready to die for my ideas?'" DRUDGE can reveal more of the coming rant, which is sure to ignite controversy on both shores. Mailer claims: "This century is going to be the most awesome of all centuries to contemplate - there is a real question whether human kind will get to the end of it... America's so big, so powerful, and so vain, ... I get angry when I see it being less than it can be. "The British have a love of their country that is profound. They can revile it, tell dirty stories about it. But deep down their patriotism is deep. In America we're playing musical chairs - don't get caught without a flag or you're out of the game. Why do we need all this reaffirmation? It's as if we're a three hundred pound man who's seven feet tall, superbly shaped, absolutely powerful, and every three minutes he's got to reaffirm the fact that his arm pits have a wonderful odor. We don't need compulsive, self-serving patriotism. It's odious... "When you have a great country it's your duty to be critical of it so it can become even greater... "Culturally, emotionally America is growing more loutish, arrogant, and vain. "I detest this totally promiscuous patriotism. Wave a little flag and become a good person? Ugly. "If we have a depression or fall into desperate economic times, I don't know what's going to hold the country together... "There's just too much anger here, too much ruptured vanity, too much shock, too much identity crisis. And worst of all, too much patriotism. Patriotism in a country that's failing has a logical tendency to turn fascistic... "Let's suppose ten people are killed by a small bomb on a street corner in some city in America. The first thing to understand is that there are 280 million Americans. So, there's one chance in 28 million you're going to be one of those people. By such heartless means of calculation, the 3000 deaths in the Twin Towers came approximately to one mortality for every 90,000 Americans. Your chances of dying if you drive a car are one in 7,000 each year. We seem perfectly ready to put up with automobile statistics. I fear I am ready to say there is a tolerable level to terror... "One of the things I've always found least attractive about Tony Blair was his toadyish attitude toward Clinton... "Clinton made a point of surrounding himself with people who might be 90% as intelligent as himself, but never his equal. Bush is smart enough to know that he couldn't possibly do the same, or the country would be run by morons." I don't have the patience 2 lower my brain cell count enough 2 accomodate this drivel. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Aerogram said: TheMax said: 'Am I ready to die for my ideas?'
He should take a short trip across the channel and visit the graves at Normandy. ___ I think he's speaking of today's America. When the war on terror was launched, I read a poll saying that although everyone overwhelmingly supports the idea, few were ready to fight for it -- like, there was no massive movement of joung people joining the army. I heard there was an increase in the amount of people who joined. I even heard guys saying they'd join "If they needed me" (Yeah,sure.  ) | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
"Clinton made a point of surrounding himself with people who might be 90% as intelligent as himself, but never his equal. Bush is smart enough to know that he couldn't possibly do the same, or the country would be run by morons."
LMAO!!! When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I hate this trend of patriotism too, simply becuase it seems to be coming without recognition of our faults. The American flag has become something of a cliche, I'm afriad. "United we stand." Bull-crap. I don't support Bush. And we are still treating our Arab Americans like second class citizens- I have witnessed it here on campus 11 months after the fact. I'm not proud of our response to the whole thing, particularly with our "valiant" leader. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Nep2nes said: Aerogram said: TheMax said: 'Am I ready to die for my ideas?'
He should take a short trip across the channel and visit the graves at Normandy. ___ I think he's speaking of today's America. When the war on terror was launched, I read a poll saying that although everyone overwhelmingly supports the idea, few were ready to fight for it -- like, there was no massive movement of joung people joining the army. I heard there was an increase in the amount of people who joined. You heard wrong then. There was no noticeable increase in sign-ups. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Aerogram said: Norman Mailer doesn't mince words in his latest commentary on the USA.
http://www.drudgereport.com/nm.htm NORMAN MAILER DECLARES: 'AMERICA IS SO VAIN' **Exclusive** In an 8,000-wordish polemic to be published in this weekend's London SUNDAY TIMES [9/8/02], Norman Mailer sounds what he hopes to be a "wake up call for America," the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. The legendary Mailer rips the United States in a shock Q & A, calling it "so big, so powerful, and so vain..." and warns "every American has to ask himself, 'Am I ready to die for my ideas?'" DRUDGE can reveal more of the coming rant, which is sure to ignite controversy on both shores. Mailer claims: "This century is going to be the most awesome of all centuries to contemplate - there is a real question whether human kind will get to the end of it... America's so big, so powerful, and so vain, ... I get angry when I see it being less than it can be. "The British have a love of their country that is profound. They can revile it, tell dirty stories about it. But deep down their patriotism is deep. In America we're playing musical chairs - don't get caught without a flag or you're out of the game. Why do we need all this reaffirmation? It's as if we're a three hundred pound man who's seven feet tall, superbly shaped, absolutely powerful, and every three minutes he's got to reaffirm the fact that his arm pits have a wonderful odor. We don't need compulsive, self-serving patriotism. It's odious... "When you have a great country it's your duty to be critical of it so it can become even greater... "Culturally, emotionally America is growing more loutish, arrogant, and vain. "I detest this totally promiscuous patriotism. Wave a little flag and become a good person? Ugly. "If we have a depression or fall into desperate economic times, I don't know what's going to hold the country together... "There's just too much anger here, too much ruptured vanity, too much shock, too much identity crisis. And worst of all, too much patriotism. Patriotism in a country that's failing has a logical tendency to turn fascistic... "Let's suppose ten people are killed by a small bomb on a street corner in some city in America. The first thing to understand is that there are 280 million Americans. So, there's one chance in 28 million you're going to be one of those people. By such heartless means of calculation, the 3000 deaths in the Twin Towers came approximately to one mortality for every 90,000 Americans. Your chances of dying if you drive a car are one in 7,000 each year. We seem perfectly ready to put up with automobile statistics. I fear I am ready to say there is a tolerable level to terror... "One of the things I've always found least attractive about Tony Blair was his toadyish attitude toward Clinton... "Clinton made a point of surrounding himself with people who might be 90% as intelligent as himself, but never his equal. Bush is smart enough to know that he couldn't possibly do the same, or the country would be run by morons." okay but where is your proof?  [This message was edited Sun Sep 8 19:05:16 PDT 2002 by adorable2] | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Nep2nes said: I don't have the patience 2 lower my brain cell count enough 2 accomodate this drivel. No, save those braincells for more important threads like these: Org Marriage: funkbible and nep2nes Yoko Ono: Yes or Oh-no!? Man who stabbed George Harrison discharged from clinic How many of u r inflammatory? Raise ur hands. What starts wars: religion or people? THINK. How much does a drink cost in this lousy joint? College Confessional Part 1: It's 10 o clock at nite... Direct from college: I saw Alicia Keys! Popcornfetus--ur sig aint appropriate Strange emale I got "from Prince"..is it a prank?---UPDATED!!! LOOO vocals Response from the anti-Prince site... TRC 4 track CD sampler just went 4 $62 on EBay Because that's the kind of drivel we expect from you. We don't want you lowering your standards to talk about important things. Because you rarely have an informed opinion. So, thank you for not responding. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
adorable2 said: Aerogram said: Norman Mailer doesn't mince words in his latest commentary on the USA.
http://www.drudgereport.com/nm.htm NORMAN MAILER DECLARES: 'AMERICA IS SO VAIN' **Exclusive** In an 8,000-wordish polemic to be published in this weekend's London SUNDAY TIMES [9/8/02], Norman Mailer sounds what he hopes to be a "wake up call for America," the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. The legendary Mailer rips the United States in a shock Q & A, calling it "so big, so powerful, and so vain..." and warns "every American has to ask himself, 'Am I ready to die for my ideas?'" DRUDGE can reveal more of the coming rant, which is sure to ignite controversy on both shores. Mailer claims: "This century is going to be the most awesome of all centuries to contemplate - there is a real question whether human kind will get to the end of it... America's so big, so powerful, and so vain, ... I get angry when I see it being less than it can be. "The British have a love of their country that is profound. They can revile it, tell dirty stories about it. But deep down their patriotism is deep. In America we're playing musical chairs - don't get caught without a flag or you're out of the game. Why do we need all this reaffirmation? It's as if we're a three hundred pound man who's seven feet tall, superbly shaped, absolutely powerful, and every three minutes he's got to reaffirm the fact that his arm pits have a wonderful odor. We don't need compulsive, self-serving patriotism. It's odious... "When you have a great country it's your duty to be critical of it so it can become even greater... "Culturally, emotionally America is growing more loutish, arrogant, and vain. "I detest this totally promiscuous patriotism. Wave a little flag and become a good person? Ugly. "If we have a depression or fall into desperate economic times, I don't know what's going to hold the country together... "There's just too much anger here, too much ruptured vanity, too much shock, too much identity crisis. And worst of all, too much patriotism. Patriotism in a country that's failing has a logical tendency to turn fascistic... "Let's suppose ten people are killed by a small bomb on a street corner in some city in America. The first thing to understand is that there are 280 million Americans. So, there's one chance in 28 million you're going to be one of those people. By such heartless means of calculation, the 3000 deaths in the Twin Towers came approximately to one mortality for every 90,000 Americans. Your chances of dying if you drive a car are one in 7,000 each year. We seem perfectly ready to put up with automobile statistics. I fear I am ready to say there is a tolerable level to terror... "One of the things I've always found least attractive about Tony Blair was his toadyish attitude toward Clinton... "Clinton made a point of surrounding himself with people who might be 90% as intelligent as himself, but never his equal. Bush is smart enough to know that he couldn't possibly do the same, or the country would be run by morons." okay but where is your proof?
[This message was edited Sun Sep 8 19:05:16 PDT 2002 by adorable2] Hey.. it's not my argument, but Norman Mailer's. Besides I doubt there are "proofs" that would convince anyone in this matter. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
i love aerogram! | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Christopher said: i love aerogram!
You're supposed to love me. -------
A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti... "I've just had an apostrophe!" "I think you mean an epiphany..." | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Bush or not, the leaders of this nation are leading us to destruction. American Pride? What is "pride"? Kind of a mixed-message full of both bad and good connotations isn't it? How can we stand united under a mixed message? Are we vain people only motivated by self-interests, or are we truly concerned about being there for one another? There's seems to be a lot of talk about America's impending doom. Speaking for Americans, I think we're all going to learn a lot about ourselves real soon. Part of me is not looking forward to it, but part of me knows it's for our own good. Or is it? Are there alternatives to a thrashing when nothing else seems to work? As long as we get our paychecks, have something to eat, someone to... well do whatever, and be entertained by our televisions, nothing else matters? I think we're all deeper than that, or at least capable of being someone better. Are we fooling ourselves into thinking that we're satisfied with the way things are going? Are we apathetic because we feel we have no way to fight the powers that be? The media which is controlled by the "powers that be" is also in control of the way we think. We become what we eat. We adapt to where we live. We become our environment. They create it for us, and we adapt to it, and in short time we are what they want us to be. And as long as they keep us happy with all their/our pleasurable distractions, we won't really care whether we've been deceived or not. (Reminds me of a movie). But, you know, someone is going to pay for this. Where are the watchmen? The blood may very well be on many of our hands, and it won't wash off. It will continue to cry out for justice. "As a thief in the night..." but we were all found sleeping. I wish we'd all been ready. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Nep2nes said: I don't have the patience 2 lower my brain cell count enough 2 accomodate this drivel. Well Nep2nes, if you think it is "drivel" that is of course your perogative - but you could consider at least saying WHY. There is no point in posting on this thread to say the article is drivel if you lack the ability or interest to back up your statement. It's all about creating discussion. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
bkw said: "Clinton made a point of surrounding himself with people who might be 90% as intelligent as himself, but never his equal. Bush is smart enough to know that he couldn't possibly do the same, or the country would be run by morons."
LMAO!!! Well said!!! I love this quote!! | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
BattierBeMyDaddy said: Christopher said: i love aerogram!
You're supposed to love me. mmhmm i seen that other thread where your all in love with that nsynk guy!  | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
The only valid point this article makes is concerning the recent move of self-serving patriotism in this country. While I agree that it's almost just a popularity thing to wave an American flag, it should be expected after 9/11. Americans DO NOT, for the most part, recognize our own faults and it is quite annoying to see a flag totin' American who probably could not carry on a decent conversation about world affairs.
It's almost as if this author is predicting the demise of America based upon how vain we are and our "identity crisis". I wouldn't hold my breath. Give me some real, concrete reasons for why this is going to happen...not a bunch of negative adjectives you think describe our government and people. People are going to dislike America simply becuz of how powerful we are. Sure, we make bad decisions in our foreign policies...but this is not a Utopia. We also do alot of good in the world...but nobody wants to acknowledge that. The rest of the world wants the US to fall as a world power so that one of them can take our place. I'm sure whoever takes over will do much better. The Europeans did well when they had power...raping, colonizing people all over the world. Russia has a good track record...or maybe we can just hand over the reins to Saudi Arabia. People please. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Aerogram said: adorable2 said: Aerogram said: Norman Mailer doesn't mince words in his latest commentary on the USA.
http://www.drudgereport.com/nm.htm NORMAN MAILER DECLARES: 'AMERICA IS SO VAIN' **Exclusive** In an 8,000-wordish polemic to be published in this weekend's London SUNDAY TIMES [9/8/02], Norman Mailer sounds what he hopes to be a "wake up call for America," the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. The legendary Mailer rips the United States in a shock Q & A, calling it "so big, so powerful, and so vain..." and warns "every American has to ask himself, 'Am I ready to die for my ideas?'" DRUDGE can reveal more of the coming rant, which is sure to ignite controversy on both shores. Mailer claims: "This century is going to be the most awesome of all centuries to contemplate - there is a real question whether human kind will get to the end of it... America's so big, so powerful, and so vain, ... I get angry when I see it being less than it can be. "The British have a love of their country that is profound. They can revile it, tell dirty stories about it. But deep down their patriotism is deep. In America we're playing musical chairs - don't get caught without a flag or you're out of the game. Why do we need all this reaffirmation? It's as if we're a three hundred pound man who's seven feet tall, superbly shaped, absolutely powerful, and every three minutes he's got to reaffirm the fact that his arm pits have a wonderful odor. We don't need compulsive, self-serving patriotism. It's odious... "When you have a great country it's your duty to be critical of it so it can become even greater... "Culturally, emotionally America is growing more loutish, arrogant, and vain. "I detest this totally promiscuous patriotism. Wave a little flag and become a good person? Ugly. "If we have a depression or fall into desperate economic times, I don't know what's going to hold the country together... "There's just too much anger here, too much ruptured vanity, too much shock, too much identity crisis. And worst of all, too much patriotism. Patriotism in a country that's failing has a logical tendency to turn fascistic... "Let's suppose ten people are killed by a small bomb on a street corner in some city in America. The first thing to understand is that there are 280 million Americans. So, there's one chance in 28 million you're going to be one of those people. By such heartless means of calculation, the 3000 deaths in the Twin Towers came approximately to one mortality for every 90,000 Americans. Your chances of dying if you drive a car are one in 7,000 each year. We seem perfectly ready to put up with automobile statistics. I fear I am ready to say there is a tolerable level to terror... "One of the things I've always found least attractive about Tony Blair was his toadyish attitude toward Clinton... "Clinton made a point of surrounding himself with people who might be 90% as intelligent as himself, but never his equal. Bush is smart enough to know that he couldn't possibly do the same, or the country would be run by morons." okay but where is your proof?
[This message was edited Sun Sep 8 19:05:16 PDT 2002 by adorable2] Hey.. it's not my argument, but Norman Mailer's. Besides I doubt there are "proofs" that would convince anyone in this matter. wow that was supposed to be a joke. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
adorable2 said: wow that was supposed to be a joke.
Wow that was just a friendly explanation.  | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
BattierBeMyDaddy said: Christopher said: i love aerogram!
You're supposed to love me. Yeah, we're supposed 2 love U, but we Love Aerogram!! "...because no-one gets there alone." - "...I like the floor. It's the only thing that seems real." | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
SexLovely said: BattierBeMyDaddy said: Christopher said: i love aerogram!
You're supposed to love me. [color=blue:ba1a6802c4:b92bac50cd]Yeah, we're supposed 2 love U, but we Love Aerogram!!   u 2 | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Aerogram said: SexLovely said: BattierBeMyDaddy said: Christopher said: i love aerogram!
You're supposed to love me. [color=blue:ba1a6802c4:b92bac50cd:cc285beae9]Yeah, we're supposed 2 love U, but we Love Aerogram!! u 2D'awww. Big huggy wuggy 4 my wuvly Aerogwammy wammy. 
How are things anyway dude? "...because no-one gets there alone." - "...I like the floor. It's the only thing that seems real." | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |