Patterico's Pontifications

11/8/2010

Our National Scold is Upset at U.S. Over Last Tuesday

Filed under: General — Aaron Worthing @ 9:49 am



[Guest post by Aaron Worthing; send your tips here.]

Mayor Bloomberg, our national scold, has told us we were bad, bad people for voting for whom we did last Tuesday:

“If you look at the US, you look at who we’re electing to Congress, to the Senate — they can’t read,” he said.

“I’ll bet you a bunch of these people don’t have passports. We’re about to start a trade war with China if we’re not careful here, only because nobody knows where China is.”

The accusation of illiteracy rebuts itself.  But let me take a moment to tear apart this snobbish cliche about passports.  The reality is that for most Americans the value of a passport is greatly diminished.  Seriously, what do you get in a foreign country?  Different terrain types?  You can find mountains, plains, cold arctic regions and lovely deserts, tropical islands and so on, all without leaving our country once.  Different cultures?  Well, Mr. Bloomberg, first and foremost maybe instead of jaunting around the world, you should actually travel around this great country, take in some of our domestic cultures and maybe you would be less likely to look down your nose at us.  Second, you can equally get other countries’ cultures here.  People from every other place on earth come here.

I’m not saying that the rest of the world had nothing to offer.  Patterico’s recent post gives us an example of an experience you can’t get easily in America.  But the rest of the world has far less to offer an American than it would, say, a Frenchman, because our vast and varied country already offers us so much.

And in any case, the snobbery only harms your own reputation, Mikey.

[Posted and authored by Aaron Worthing.]

61 Responses to “Our National Scold is Upset at U.S. Over Last Tuesday”

  1. Let me know when 100% of the New York City high school graduates can read.

    Noah (026d7f)

  2. He dumped millions of dollars into astroturf gun control organizations whose campaigns had their asses handed to them.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  3. If you look at some of the resumes of the incoming Senators, it makes nanny statist Bloomie look, well, ignorant.

    JD (d5e4d1)

  4. JD’s right. Bloomberg is unable to actually attack the credentials of these folks directly.

    And he’s right we could start some kind of serious problems with China, but that’s because of the money printing. Palin et al are strongly opposed to it.

    Bloomberg should stop worrying so much about what people do with their freedom to eat or own a gun or speak or vote.

    It is not his place to tell us we voted wrong. But it’s no surprise he thinks voters are stupid. A democrat running as a Republican to pretend he’s like Giuliani. Spit.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  5. Mikey would like to have approval authority of my daily menu. Mikey has way too much time on his hands.

    Old Coot (f73cf0)

  6. [F-word] you, Bloomberg.

    [Edited for language and released from the filter. I’m not offended, but apparently if you curse you get caught in the filters. –Aaron]

    JD (d5e4d1)

  7. Way back when, in a galaxy far, far away, I used to admire Bloomberg, for the way he built an innovative and effective business news – gathering medium. How quickly they forget where they came from.

    Dmac (ad2c6a)

  8. BTW, I think he’s just p-ssed off because he knows now that he’ll never be seriously considered as a national candidate again, not after this election rout. So what do Lefties do when their POV’s been demolished at the ballot box? Call everyone ignorant and take their toys and run home to Mommy.

    Dmac (ad2c6a)

  9. Having experienced Michael Bloomberg for the past nine years, one thing that has been remarkably constant: When he opens his mouth, something stupid usually comes out.

    Count de Money (516fdc)

  10. i found this a few years back on a LJ that sadly no longer exists.
    i saved it, both for the great insight i felt it had, and to use in situations like this:

    I don’t know what “the west” wants, but Americans are simple: we want the rest of the world to go away and stop bothering us.

    Understand I’m not speaking for myself,I’d be on a plane somewhere 365 days a year if I could manage it. But Americans generally don’t like being forced to confront the outside world. We have quite a large country of our own and if we find it cramped there’s always Canada (America Lite).

    Americans want to spend their days working. We like working. We like coming up with crazy plans and turning them into billion dollar businesses. If we’re not working we want to hang out with family. We don’t like thinking about politics, we’re not the French. We don’t like having to learn the differences between Shia and Sunni because, quite frankly, we don’t give a damn. We just want to work and hang out.

    From time to time Americans are forced to recognize the existence of some other piece of the world: Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq. We resent being forced to do so. We didn’t really know these places existed, didn’t care, and don’t wish to be irritated by them because we have work to do.

    So we fall back on simple, direct solutions to ease the irritation: nuke ’em all. Nuke ’em all, and then get back to work. It’s not that we harbor particular malice toward one country or another, one religion or another. What we harbor is indifference. If you threaten our indifference by forcing us to pay attention to you and your intractable foreign problems we may have to blow something up just so you’ll go away. There is, after all, money to be made, and work to be done, and family to be hung out with.

    We’re busy: don’t make us kill you.

    I grant that in some cases it’s our own government’s actions that force us into the position of having to learn where Fallujah is (answer: who cares?) but that doesn’t alter our underlying sense that the whole world should just stop bothering us and let us get back to work.

    Said by M. Takhallus in http://tinyurl.com/y48yao

    redc1c4 (fb8750)

  11. “I’ll bet you a bunch of these people don’t have passports.”

    I have not the slightest desire to visit the PRC or any other communist slave labor camp masquerading as a nation.

    Bloomberg was a Democrat, so hanging around with the scum of the earth means nothing to him.

    It means something to me though.

    Dave Surls (5b4b9b)

  12. The passport line is intended to show that “you’re not a globe-hopping sophisticate like ME!”

    mojo (8096f2)

  13. According to the state department, 28% of U.S. adults have passports. (page 11)

    http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08891.pdf

    Was Bloomberg saying a bunch of the new congressmen don’t have passports, or was he denigrating the 72% of Americans who don’t have passports?

    TomHynes (2e563b)

  14. Rumor has it that far, far way from midtown Manhattan, there are those who not only don’t have passports, but drink Slurpees as well.

    PC14 (4a4ed3)

  15. “Dear Mayor Butthead. Not only do I know where China is, I’ve been there several times.

    In fact my wife is Chinese and unlike you, you refugee from Munchkinland. I’ve been in places tourists generally don’t go.

    So why don’t you do us all a favor and stay there for a few decades, ‘Kay?

    Thank you”

    angrywebmaster (0d095b)

  16. I know several vets who say they have no desire to leave the USA again (after returning from Vietnam or Iraq).

    The USA is a beautiful place and you could spend your whole life exploring it. Or you could settle in your corner and have a very full life by having a family.

    I like to travel a lot, but I never understood the derision towards people who prefer to stay in the USA. I suppose some people travel simply to prove to themselves they are worthier? Seems like a waste of money to do that.

    Most Americans will never get a passport. If Bloomberg has a problem with that I’m not surprised.

    /sprinkles salt on my lunch and cracks open a Coke.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  17. Bloomberg is a dolt.

    The most ignorant, offensive, provincial, parochial hillbilly yokel Americans we get visiting up here in Canada are the wealthy, the “educated”, the hip, the chattering classes.

    The average Joe comes up here to vacation, ski, fish, hunt, marry off his son to one of my nieces, and he knows not much about Canada. Why? Why not? Why should he stuff his head full of knowledge he’ll likely never need when the knowledge is so easily obtained when he needs it. Joe is perfectly charming, friendly and willing to learn. He likes the place, he likes us, we like him, it’s all good. I’m going to visit Joe in Arkansas soon because we both ride bikes. Joe’s coming up to sail and bike around the BC interior.

    However, when that jerk “Bloomberg” visits, he’s too often an obnoxious ass, full of attitude and false information. Oh well, maybe he’ll get sick up here and we can kill him off with our “Medicare”.

    Better to be uninformed and reasonable than misinformed and arrogant.

    Fred Z (c1782b)

  18. The most ignorant, offensive, provincial, parochial hillbilly yokel Americans we get visiting up here in Canada are the wealthy, the “educated”, the hip, the chattering classes.

    That’s clear. Bloomberg is explaining his bigotry. He doesn’t care about other points of view. He insists we eat what he wants, go where he wants, vote how he wants. He is the exact opposite of the sort of person who understands other people.

    He dismisses those without passports because he’s projecting his own insular nature.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  19. Second, you can equally get other countries’ cultures here. People from every other place on earth come here.

    Dumbest. Two sentences. Ever.

    Kman (d25c82)

  20. Kmaert knows a thing or two about dumb.

    JD (6e25b4)

  21. Dumbest. Two sentences. Ever.

    Comment by Kman

    Why is that so dumb?

    Is the geography the part of the culture that matters? You can learn plenty about other peoples by reading books, using the internet, or meeting people from other places. America is especially good for the latter.

    Traveling is very enjoyable for me… I’m not knocking it. But it’s peculiar you reject the idea of learning about other people in such a diverse country… the greatest country in world history, btw. A country were people fled communism and can tell you all about it. My dad was an immigrant who didn’t speak English until his 20s… I know more about his home country’s culture than most people in that country do, sadly.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  22. Kman, it can’t qualify as the dumbest sentence ever until it comes out of Joe Biden’s mouth.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  23. “Second, you can equally get other countries’ cultures here.”

    – Aaron Worthing

    I’m not going to say that’s dumb, because I know what you’re getting at, but I don’t think that’s true. Not at all.

    Which is neither here nor there – I’m not particularly interested in international travel at this point in my life, simply because this country is utterly fascinating and rich in its own right. And I find it difficult to concern myself with foreign countries when my own country has so many of its own problems.

    It’s a stupid sentiment on Bloomberg’s part – not least because one could easily reply that in the age of the declining dollar and 10% unemployment (arguably as a result of policies Bloomberg himself advocates), international travel is a luxury reserved for whiny, self-styled philosopher kings with enough disposable income to buy themselves the Mayor’s office of a major American city.

    Leviticus (35fbde)

  24. Frankly, it’s damn delusional to think you’ve learned about Italian Culture because you went to a Museum in Florence and took a gondola tour of Venice during your 2 weeks of pizza and pasta.

    You learn a lot more stateside, with a book. Or building a REAL relationship, rather than a tourist’s relationship, with a neighbor who knows that country.

    This is why military veterans are more worldly than rich tourists. I had to live in a forward area for a year, navigate the city, learn about the local economy, and watch things change over time. If you aren’t spending several months in a place, don’t pretend your little trips gave you other cultures… they gave you nothing but a pleasant diversion and fond memories.

    This is just snobbery, and it’s rooted in ignorance. Only wealthy people can collect a passport full of different stamps, and they like to think this made them especially good citizens somehow. Let’s not even mention the carbon footprint. My wife’s book club pal is going on a cruise to Cancun. The kid I mentored last year is the child of illegal immigrants. Who got the culture, now?

    When liberals stop worrying about how other people live, they can start improving themselves. Bloomberg’s inability to respect or understand most Americans has a lot to do with wasting his time on lesser pursuits.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  25. But the rest of the world has far less to offer an American than it would, say, a Frenchman, because our vast and varied country already offers us so much.

    The places where 6.7 billion other places are just not as interesting to Aaron as ‘Murika! Did you have Lee Greenwood playing when you typed it, Aaron? At least now we see why you would traffic in religious slanders, i.e. you’re an ethnocentric loon whose knowledge of the world is….lacking.

    Never has a group of people been so proud of its own lack of experiences and ignorance as the modern wingnut. To paraphrase the wonderful sentiment of of Fred Williad in Roxanne: I’d rather be with the people of Patterico than with the finest people on Earth!”

    timb (449046)

  26. Considering the subject of the post, Obama and the Democrats have been on the verge of a trade war because of his flawed policies, an ill considered
    thing, that someone in their backyard pointed out
    about a year and a half ago.

    justin cord (82637e)

  27. Is this the same Bloomberg that said Teh One is the most arrogant person he has ever met, the most spectacularly racist comment ever?

    JD (0d2ffc)

  28. Comment by redc1c4 — 11/8/2010 @ 10:29 am

    Welcome to a Jacksonian Reality!

    AD-RtR/OS! (266a7b)

  29. I think part of the issue is simply the size of the United States. The distance between Portland and Boston is the same as the distance between Brussels and Tehran. If all the area between those two latter cities were one country, how many of the people living within would ever need a passport?

    Jim S. (b6c11b)

  30. “BEIJING — October 25, 2010”

    “Bloomberg L.P. today announced the expansion of its Chinese-language Bloomberg Professional® service and its real-time Chinese-language financial news service, providing its accurate and trusted business information to China’s
    growing financial sector.”

    “Bloomberg has established itself as a trusted financial news, data and analytics provider for China’s financial markets. The Bloomberg Professional service delivers fast and reliable access to the latest financial news, market
    data, and economic information critical to the investment decision process, in simplified and traditional Chinese.”

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-25/bloomberg-expands-services-in-china.html

    He’s expanding his business into China, and he’s having a little hissy fit because the United States government and citizenry isn’t dropping everything else and concentrating on helping him expand his business into China.

    The guy is a dirtbag.

    Dave Surls (5b4b9b)

  31. Thanks for another hate filled spittle flecked angry rant, creepy stalker person. Your anger hate and impotence are noted.

    JD (6e25b4)

  32. The places where 6.7 billion other places are just not as interesting to Aaron as ‘Murika!

    Aaron didn’t say this. Timb, you show a lack of understanding not unlike Bloomberg’s. Try harder. Read his post more slowly.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  33. The best way Bloomie could re-educate himself on the wonders of his native land, would be to join up with John Madden in his motor-home (if John still does that, and could stand him).
    Hiz Honor so typically reflects the attitude of that archtypical New Yorker cover art that he should be framed and mounted on a wall of the MuMA.

    AD-RtR/OS! (266a7b)

  34. 10 million people in your country were able to walk right in without a passport, so why would figure they need one now, Mr. Bloomberg?

    ras (b7f440)

  35. The sad thing is both the Chinese and the Russians, through their hard lessons have a better appreciation for capitalism than our ruling class,
    Heyward was glad to leave BP North America, to deal with the Siloviki in partnership with TNK in Russia.

    justin cord (82637e)

  36. it was nice of timb to prove Kman so wrong so quickly….. 8)

    redc1c4 (fb8750)

  37. Dustin, timb sprained a lip, he can’t read fast.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  38. Kman

    Funny I thought this was the dumbest sentence ever, at least written on this blog:

    The same goes for equal protection in the 14th amendment.

    Given that we were talking about an Iowa Constitutional decision.

    Oh, but that is right, you automatically assume I am wrong without bothering to find out.

    Aaron Worthing (e7d72e)

  39. Dustin, timb sprained a lip, he can’t read fast.

    Comment by SPQR —

    HA!

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  40. So where did you serve, if I may ask

    justin cord (82637e)

  41. Near the DMZ in Korea, Justin. Though I tried to get to Seoul often, I had a curfew and transit was slow so I was more familiar with the immediate area.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  42. btw, Bill Clinton was president. My service there is not meant to compare to today’s men and women, and it doesn’t compare.

    but I have also traveled as a tourist. I laugh at the notion that this sort of experience is a legitimate path to expertise in other cultures. If Bloomberg wants to rely on the votes of Americans with real experience overseas, I suspect most of those people are veterans. He better be careful what he wishes for.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  43. “Never has a group of people been so proud of its own lack of experiences and ignorance as the modern wingnut.”

    Compare and contrast with the average liberal Democrat who reside on East 12th Street in Oakland, CA.

    “Dog, let’s smoke a rock and go hang out on East 13th Street!”

    Highly educated world travelers and sophisticates of the first water, the lot of them.

    Dave Surls (5b4b9b)

  44. you refugee from Munchkinland.

    Hilarious – now I’ll always think of that the next time the angry midget starts lecturing the poor and benighted souls of his kingdom.

    To paraphrase the wonderful sentiment of of Fred Williad in Roxanne

    timmah’s smart, but he likely has no idea what that movie was directly lifted off of – quick, timmah, what famous novel was it based on?

    Dmac (ad2c6a)

  45. I can’t remember the last time this stupid liberal meme came up, about us “wingnuts” being ignorant of the sophisticated nature of the international world. However, I heard this line from a colleague at the college I’m an adjunct at.

    Turns out comparing notes, that that one’s immense international experience was a week at a gated resort in Cancun. Meanwhile I was able to tally up an aggregate of approximately 8 months of international travel in comparison.

    Didn’t shut that one up, except when I was in the room. Ignorance can’t be restrained by common sense.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  46. there are 2 reasons to travel to Europe (my prefs are Ireland, Poland, Czech Rep, Scotland, Spain and Germany) …
    1)to visit historical places and
    2)realize why most EVERYONE wants to come here.

    France is not on my list intentionally. They only planted trees on the Champs Elyse so the NAZIs could march in the shade. {;~)

    kay2the2nd (111d16)

  47. And this arrogant pos thinks seriously about running for president? And who in the hell does he think is going to vote for him? Seeing as how he is really a democrat who became a republican so he could have a political advantage as the “heir of Giuliani”, does he pretend to be French when he goes to Paris? Probably. All he has to do really is insult Americans and he fits right in.

    ThePaganTemple (d1fab8)

  48. I believe there is a third reason to visit Europe, and it is that Gran Turismo 5 is on store shelves there.

    But mainly Kay’s reason #1. That’s a worthwhile activity, too. But it doesn’t make you better than Americans who are feeding their families and enjoying the states instead.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  49. a) since Mike is Jewish, the appropriate word for him is “yente.” [If anyone claims that that has anti-semitic connotations, send them to me]

    b)He relates to common [he would say “vulgar”] Americans like the wealthy of Manhattan treat the citizens of the other boros: as if they were serfs whose banal existence is only meaningful in that they serve the elite and follow their orders.

    c) but when “he changes his mind” and does dump a few billion into a presidential campaign, it should be interesting to see how his pr and sock-puppetry attempt to recast him as the lovable common man. Meanwhile, expect a lot more effort expended on his ban-the-gun approach.

    great unknown (261470)

  50. A gun grabber doesn’t stand a chance. He will suck plenty of votes from Obama, and virtually none from the GOP candidate. He’d put NY and NJ in play.

    I encourage him to run. This guy is not Ross Perot.

    I refuse to believe something that fortuitous is going to happen. Maybe he feigned interest to scare up a Sestak type deal for his private business.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  51. Mike, you don’t need a passport to travel in the US. Yet. How many states have you been to?

    Kevin M (73dcc9)

  52. Bloomberg/Newsom 2012

    SteveG (cc5dc9)

  53. Here’s what I think of Bloomberg, just substitute “Bloomberg” for “Cocteau”.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  54. Bloomberg adores haute couture – now, government funded couturier:

    If Anna Wintour is the queen of fashion, a new king Michael may have just emerged. And no, it’s not Kors—it’s Mayor Bloomberg.

    With foreign competition increasing and the internet slowly becoming a convenient and cheaper outlet to obtain goods, Bloomberg has instated six new Manhattan-based fashion initiatives geared towards helping young hopefuls get their foot in the door and offering assistance to emerging talents with potential for growth.

    What’s left for him to get his fingers on?

    Dana (8ba2fb)

  55. Dana, there is no end of your life that Nurse Bloomberg knows better how to run than you so.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  56. Ah, Leary, what the heck ever happened to him, he let his show, ‘Rescue Me’ get corrupted by the 9/11
    denialist, he turned out to be one of those blame
    America first liberals

    justin cord (82637e)

  57. #4 A democrat running as a Republican to pretend he’s like Giuliani. Spit.

    What significant differences do you think exist between the two? Giuliani was also no great Republican.

    Milhouse (ea66e3)

  58. I have been to Europe…. nice, but I would rather see all 50 states. America is gorgeous.

    Screw you Bloomberg!

    Pass the salt, please.

    Kristi (61aec2)

  59. Okay, let’s play along for a moment and say we agree we are illiterate. At least we have an excuse. The dims passed bills and refused to read them. Not only that but they refused to give time to others who would have liked to have read them before voting on them.

    Bill R. (3a67e2)

  60. What significant differences do you think exist between the two? Giuliani was also no great Republican.

    Comment by Milhouse

    One is a leader who turned major problems around. The other can’t find anything worthwhile to do.

    I admit, Rudy’s a gun grabber and shares a lot of the same nanny motif, but he is simply not this bad.

    It’s unfair to his accomplishments to lump them together, even though they share some major flaws. It’s no surprise that successive mayors of NYC are similar in some ways, but Rudy’s got a long career of fighting crime relentlessly… and I mean serious crimes. He’s cut from an altogether different cloth and I think he’s simply a more legitimate member of the GOP tent despite being an 80% sort.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  61. Rudy’s crime-fighting career was rather like Elliot’s. OK, he got more convictions than Elliot did; but they’re both bullies and thugs, who in order to further their political ambitions extracted plea bargains from people who might well have been innocent. Rudy cares absolutely naught for civil liberties; entrusting him with the powers of the USA PATRIOT Act would fulfill the lefties’ worst nightmares about what Bushitler and Ashkkkroft would do with it.

    Milhouse (ea66e3)


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