Americans may be more inclined toward arrogance than most, but they do not hold the franchise. I have witnessed displays of American and French and British arrogance, along with non-specific Arab arrogance during our trip thus far. I mention those because I have witnessed displays of American and British and French and non-specific Arab humility and compassion, as well.
What this tells me is this: in spite of our different languages and disparate cultural norms, we humans are more alike than we are different. That is a good thing for Paris and other parts of northern France and Germany, where horrific floods are putting people and property at grave risk. The reason it’s good is that, in my experience at least, people display their greatest compassion when they encounter others in need of rescue and recovery from powerful nature.
I understand Texas is having similar challenges. Even the most right-wing political beasts are not apt to deny help to people in such circumstances. Unless you happen to be Senator Cruz and his ilk.
We’re a wonderful, entertaining, enlightening time in France. Just being here makes me more conscious of the complexities of humanity.
I like this … I like it a lot! Had a great hunting friend named Paulo, Italian, whom I often hunted with. One summer we acted as hunting guides for incoming Italian friends of his who paid us well to take them to the Laguna and hunt duck: $800 dollars was my end, and that was good money for a college student in those days.
Paulo would often speak of the French with so much discontent over their arrogance that it was laughable.
These Italians, I remember, killed well over their limit — and they knew it. Broke every law in hunting, including hunting with lead shot and not steel. There was arrogance there as well.
But I found their personable nature appealing and despite their own kind of arrogance, I loved them anyway.
People are people…..it’s the context that makes the difference!
Be safe where ever you all are!