Eurocrites

The Paris Hilton story's revealing a lot of hypocrisy in European media.  Reuters, Spiegel, Times, BBC, Guardian, the Independent etc have all done themselves few favo(u)rs by giving this a front page presence.  Even last night, the Times Online made Paris's return to jail their centerpiece feature, complete with an enormous photo of the blonde bimbo bawling in the back seat.  Never mind the G8 Summit, right? 

So what do Euros have to say about it?  Outrage everywhere (through message board discussions and article comments) at U.S. injustice for privileging such a spoiled little rich girl.  It was the perfect opportunity to make a widespread cultural critique on how minorities and the impoverished get the "real" treatment in America.  The "land of the free" jokes were everywhere.  Of course this was all before the judge ordered her back to prison and there's been very little banter since.   Perhaps the most suprising thing about all this was the minimal attention paid to this coinciding story re: George Michael's similar situation.  Thankfully justice is served here in the States and that non-story has received almost no play on CNN and in the NY Times.  The determined anti-American European Left and the Sean Hannitys, Ann Coulters, Bill O'Reillys are all the same to me.       

   

Comments

[joshi]

man, i didn't think i would EVER see you use something so awful as the non-word 'privileging'.

anyway, living in the uk as so closer to the european zeitgest than you are, its clear that the us of a is at its all time nadir of regard.

we are regarded as a country that won't get serious about climate change, that made an enormous mistake by getting us into a war with iraq when there no wmd, that wont admit its mistakes and then tries to unilaterally order other countries what to do (iran).

we are justifiably scorned as people who freely elected the twat who's serving as our current president.

there you are - its not leftist ranting against america, but some very serious charges that actually have merit.

[Bryant Manning]

I'm aware our foreign policy leaves a lot to be desired, and i'm embarrassed as anyone that W was re-elected. but hasn't blair been in office for 10 years now?!

but what does anything you've said relate to the hypocrisy of the hilton case? within the rabid anti-americanism in europe, there's this proud attitude (yes, i was in london for 4 months) about "civilisation" and "why should we give a monkey's toss about braindead hollywood celebrities?" why has this story gotten any press outside of california?

anti-americanism is sport over there, and as much as some of it is deserved, a lot of it is just plain prejudice. english message boards showed very little chatter about chavez shutting down the opposing television station, and mum was the word on the us's recent diplomatic talks with Iran. but darnit if there weren't animated talks about gun permits in the States or bush's harmless buffoonery in front of the queen.

[joshi]

americans are held to a higher standard because they are the loudmouthed, unmannered, texan twanging, richest, most powerful militarily, rapidly polluting, frequently invading imperialist power around.

you want to compare chavez to a country that not once but twice dropped nuclear bombs on civilians?

of course blair is shameless. but he cant do you much damage. w suspends the most basic right - habeas corpus - and americans go right along.
americans elect the democrats to stop the war, and what happens? exactly nothing. they cant even get that crook albberto gonzales out.

of course theres prejudice against us americans. we've earned it. the reason the paris story gets press the way it does is that theres clearly two americas: one that jails the largest percent of its population and one where money buys you out of trouble. look at the war - rich peoples kids arent fighting in iraq. bring back the draft and you'll see how quickly this war ends.

[Bryant Manning]

"...loudmouthed, unmannered, texan twanging, richest, most powerful militarily, rapidly polluting, frequently invading imperialist power around."

...and despite all those flattering characteristics you chose to list, the arepa lady, for instance, gave up a civilized and mannered life as a *judge* to flip corncakes in queens.

"the reason the paris story gets press the way it does is that theres clearly two americas"

i gather that john edwards is your man in '08? :) i don't know why she was let out to begin with, but she's back in the slammer so what's the big deal? martha stewart wasn't given a free pass either. now what about george michaels and his guilty feet?

[joshi]

'...and despite all those flattering characteristics you chose to list, the arepa lady, for instance, gave up a civilized and mannered life as a *judge* to flip corncakes in queens.'

huh?! whats that got to do with anything? no-one is saying all americans are bad, or that people can't have happy productive lives in the states or that poorer people tend to do better in the us.

all thats being said is that your government has regularly behaved with the grace and dignity of attila the hun on a bloodlust.

[Bryant Manning]

what's the feeling over there on gordon brown?

[joshi]

its anyone but blair