Obamania Tops Europhoria
by Jeffrey JenaThe Federal Office of Trend Management announced today that “Obamania” has officially replaced “Europhoria” as the favorite new high of the far left. Europhoria is the absolute adoration of anything European over anything American. Until recently progressives in the United States preferred coveting things European when they needed a lift. For example, if you were considering buying a new car and said something about a Ford Explorer or F-150 pickup they would tell you all about their Saab or BMW. Then they would segue into how in Europe they have very expensive gasoline because the governments understand that high gas taxes are good for the environment and keep the hoi polloi off the highways.
A lot of their sentences would start, “You know, in Europe…” For example when talking with a progressive friend about the current debate about health care they might bring up the European model of social welfare and yap on about it greatness. Your progressive friend might say, “You know in Europe everyone has free health care, thirty weeks vacation a year and is eligible for retirement at 47.” You try to mention how you have to wait in line for five months to get a prostate exam but they are already recounting how great it was to ride the public transportation three blocks to the Opera House in Vienna. New Your Times Columnist Paul Krugman even managed to a plug for Euro socialism in a recent column when he said it was like an ongoing government stimulus package so great for the economy!
Wealthy Progressives usually vacation in Europe, especially if they are New York Times columnists like Krugman or Maureen Dowd. They prefer Spain or the south of France to anything as pedantic or pedestrian as Florida or Mt. Rushmore.
In a column about a year ago Maureen Dowd indulged in both Europhoria and Obamania when she related to her readers how the Parisians have already elected Obama in their hearts. Her implication is that the people of Paris can predict the outcome of elections and since they are Europeans they must be more avant-garde that stupid Americans. With this sentence she also indulging herself in the first and most basic of all Progressive myths; you are stupid. This is some strange logic since the French elected their right winger, Nicolas Sarkozy, when the popular press in American had assured all of us that Socialist Segolene Royal was a shoe in.
New polling shows that the majority of progressives have recently switched to mentioning Obama when they wanted to put down something typically American like private property, baseball, free enterprise, capitalism, personal responsibility or regular bathing. Many of the sentences you hear in conversations with Progressives today now begin with, “Now that Obama is President…”
They praise the President for bringing change from the evil triumvirate of Bush, Chaney and Halliburton. Even though Halliburton is still the major contractor of the U. S. Government and will be well into the future. They laud how he got lobbyist out of government, except for the ones he wanted. They cheer how he closed Guantanamo but I believe there are still prisoners there. While we’re at it did those girls ever get a dog?
Obamania is all around us so be on the lookout for it. It is most often seen on CBS or MSNBC. Chris Matthews is one of its greatest devotees. Post up your favorite example of Obamania or Europhoria and let us bathe in his greatness and the wonders of all things European.
Email this to a friend | Print |
Share on Facebook
| Tweet this
| 
Follow Us on Twitter
Subscribe via RSS
Got a Tip?
59 Comments
Instead of Stuff White People Like, we can have Stuff Liberal People Like. This post totally looks like it came from that web site. Love it!
Europhoria! That is hilarious — thanks Jeff!!
I guess the problem with what you point out (for us at least), is that while they were suffering from Europhobia, we could always entertain the hope that they would move to Europe. But there's nowhere for them to move now that they're suffering from Obamania!! Very sad.
I always found it odd they never mention the violent ghetto's right outside Paris, the poverty stricken regions in Romania, The invasive Russian government, the racism at sporting events, the high illiteracy rates throughout, the resurgence of extreme neo-nazi groups, the hate crimes, Europe's inaction regarding all those South American and African and Asian countries they raped and plundered etc etc ect…
It is a quaint place with very good food sometimes. I hope that they will keep the better hotels, restaurants and museums open. WIll the sharia law allow the good wines to be consumed ? Also, my wife is curious as to the health benefits of the shopgirls at Bottega Veneta ? Do they get discounts on the store's larger handbags ?
And are the Turkish people in Sweden acceptable as au pairs ?
Jena: "In a column about a year ago Maureen Dowd indulged in both Europhoria and Obamania when she related to her readers how the Parisians have already elected Obama in their hearts."
Over here we use the phrase 'Taking Obama Into our hearts' . Without Faith, he's just another bumbling fumbling politician, albeit with that 'world class' political savior tag.
can't even type my own handle without hitting the wrong keys. %^)
Well, unlike the overwhelming majority of these progressive Nancys I worked in Europe for a little over two years and even though I was making more than enough money to live in style and indulge in whatever I wanted (and did) I would rather live in the lamest backwater in the US than ever be in Europe again for any duration longer than a week vacation. About the only thing I found amusing is that we Americans are such mutts that we really don't grasp what, say, Italian-ness or German-ness is, and thus how fun it can be to play with a pure breed knowing rougly how you can communicate with them and elicit desired reactions.
Gee, I had a girlfriend once who congratulated herself on her open-mindedness and avante-garditude when she told me I was the first person she'd ever known who owned an American car.
Thirty-five years ago.
The double digit unemployment, the riots, the strikes…
As someone who has been to Europe a handful of times, and had parents that lived in France for 10 yrs, sorry, just don't get it. If it was so great, why do most Americans come back?? My mother describes her time of living there as if it were some sort of prison encampment, and they live in Alabama now! I think of Europe as a nice place to visit, as it is odd and different, but I don't find it to be terribly special, nor would I want to ever live there. What am I missing?
This is my favorite Winston Churchill quote:
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery."
Does that hit the Ozombie on the head or what??
Speaking out about the ills confronting France will land you in court, and you'll have to pay a steep fine. Is this our future?
Great picture. Bars, unconditional love from a child. Kinda says it all.
Did anyone see the float of Obama in Germany portrayed with a halo? Float of Messiah. http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/President-Obama/pho...
Especially the double digit employment. France had 10% unemployment for years, which would have Krugman screaming depression here in the U.S.
As someone who has turned a wrench professionally (some of you all of the sudden figured out my screen name) I can say the one thing Europeans do better than Americans (and have for the last 4 decades) is build cars.
I don't care if it puts me in the company of idiot "progressives" and liberals I'll STILL take a BMW (or in my particular case a Porsche) over a Ford or Chevy any day of the week … the only reason I currently own a Dodge is that Mercedes owned them at the time it was built (still not a good enough car for me to buy another one).
The Europeans also make nice guns (but that's one area where us Americans can compete).
But as for everything ELSE European (ideology and politics in particular). Forget about it.
You're missing the "ignorance" factor. Many of the Europhiles know nothing about how Europe really works. This allows them to make Europe out as some sort of fantasy land.
I'll give you an example. I knew this guy in college who insisted that "the reason all great rock bands come from Europe (huh?) is because in Europe, they let you do what you want to do and they pay you to do it." This is 100% not true, but he really believed it because it sounded right to him. How can the reality of the US compete with the fantasy of Eurotopia?
I would have made a snark about American electronics, but the Microsoft XBOX 360 seems to be doing all right for itself in Japan.
It'd be doing better, except that Xenophobia is near the top of the depressingly-long list of Things Japan Does Better Than America
They could also try licensing game that isn't an FPS while they're at it, of course…
And the 751 "No-go" zones throughout France, which the French state has no control over…
http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2006/11/the-751-n...
What, you've never heard of the famous Led Zeppelin Subsidy Bill in the British Parliament?
What boggles the mind is how liberals can actually see socialism taken to its logical conclusion in Europe and still lust after it.
High unemployment? Burn a Peugeot. Try to reduce of anti-business restrictions to encourage employment? Burn a Peugeot.
Come to think of it, Progressives love a good riot. That's probably a plus too.
Hilarious. Aside from the fact that they look to America as we look to nothing aside from the sun, there's the fact that young people are limited there in ways we can't even fathom. In Italy the amount of people who still live with parents well past the age where we'd slit our wrists here is high comedy. And in Germany, assuming you can even get a place in college studying what you want, you're pretty much locked into a career for the rest of your life because it ain't like here where you can bounce around till you figure out what you really want to do. Dopey Europhile progressives don't have the slightest clue how much freedom and flexibility we have here. Nor are they smart enough to understand what that contributes to how dynamic and prosperous our country is
Well, as far as I can tell from my end, which is the southern european nation of Portugal, the one time leading superpower(back in 1400), I still get a lot of Obama-mania running around. The portuguese media was particularly delighted when Obama sent a letter to our President wishing for world peace, too bad nobody noticed that he sent identical letters to the Prime Minister and another secretary about the exact same thing.
Our main pundits for some reason worship the ground Bill Clinton walks and for some reason can only remember his Monica Lewisnki scandal as his only low point. The same with Obama, a newspiece about Obama in Portugal seems like a PR stunt for a celebrity rather than anything remotely serious. Full dialogue is shown, no edits, no comments. Just endless fawning over this person, that portuguese and european alike seem to think they elected themselves.
Very little dissent is going on, of course, if Obama fails the portuguese have already painted him as a tragic JFK figure that, according to them, will never do all the things he promised(whatever the heck that means) because of the evil shadow conspiracy of the racist american public or fear of an assassination attempt. Aparentely, portuguese only started caring about a foreign president getting shot with Obama and… JFK.
The other day I had a conversation with my very liberal British friend who lives in London. I told him how there are many people in the streets protesting Obama's new policies. He didn't believe me because he had not heard anything on the news over there. We talked about that and I sent him some links. I asked him what is the role of government and he said it is to take care of the people. I said no, it is to protect it's people from harm. He said I was wrong and I said he was wrong but we never got mad at each other or called each other names. I wish that American liberals will learn from their European counterparts that we can agree to disagree and still remain friends. "I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” Thomas Jefferson
Over the last several months, one of my Europhile, liberal friends decided we were no longer friends. Wish he had read more T. Jefferson–founder of his own party.
Love it or leave it. Obama you can go to Europe no problem
Hmm..mostly true but that is in part due to the fact that the high value cars like BMW's, Audi's, and Mercedez get around the US environmental mandates for vehicles by simply ignoring them and paying the fine, and then attaching the price to the car. Also, Mercedez Benz' are garbage cars. They are almost laughably bad, you are paying for the symbol. The rest of the car is junk. I have always had at least ONE American car. I have a Chevy Tahoe for the family, and it has actually been one of the bettter cars I have owned, I have a Jeep for the winter, which sucks, but it is for the winter, and My pride and joy is my brand new Audi TT 3.2 which I agree, is just about the most fun to drive and well manufactured cars I have ever had.
Hmm..mostly true but that is in part due to the fact that the high value cars like BMW's, Audi's, and Mercedez get around the US environmental mandates for vehicles by simply ignoring them and paying the fine, and then attaching the price to the car. Also, Mercedez Benz' are garbage cars. They are almost laughably bad, you are paying for the symbol. The rest of the car is junk. I have always had at least ONE American car. I have a Chevy Tahoe for the family, and it has actually been one of the bettter cars I have owned, I have a Jeep for the winter, which sucks, but it is for the winter, and My pride and joy is my brand new Audi TT 3.2 which I agree, is just about the most fun to drive and well manufactured car I have ever had.
Healthcare in Portugal: Don't get sick. Going into a national health center just eats your tax dollars for nothing and the goverment couldn't care less about your legitimate complaints.
Taxes: Buy a car in Portugal, pay taxes for the amount you pay, plus the tax on the tax itself which is 20%. Sweet.
Current leading mindset in Portugal – Profits in a time a crisis are evil. Especially basic utilities like gas and electricity. It's wrong for them to turn a profit. They also shouldn't fire staff when they profit. Big goverments is the answer for everything(we have done that since 1970 and we're still the poorest nation in Europe).
Left-wing politics are above the law. How the Freeport-gate has been subdued because our PM is involved.
Propaganda: Apparentely selling an american-made Intell Classmate PC under a portuguese name makes it automatically portuguese hence making it possible to sell to Venezuela and other 3rd world countries.
Bussiness partners: Angola, Venezuela, Cape Verde and Lybia. Allof them questinable countries, Cape Verde, Angola are poor and Venezuela is rotting even as we speak.
But thankfully, Obama was elected.
Errr- the *Germans* can build cars. The French, Italians, Brits? Not so much. Sure, Ferraris and Lotuses and Maseratis are nice, but when we climb down from millionaires' toys to the vehicles real people drive, non-Kraut Eurocars are crap. Back in the 70s my dad had a Fiat- biggest POS I've ever been in. My stepbrother's pricey Jag spends half its time in the shop, and when it runs it's no better (in any respect) than my aging Dodge Intrepid (which predates the Benz merger).
———-
As to the socialist paradises of nanny-state Europe, remember the wisdom of PJ O'Rourke- "If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free."
Jefferson was the founder of both parties. It was originally founded as the Democratic-Republican Party and was opposed by the Hamilton and Adams led Federalist. It's odd to think as divided as we are now that we used to be one party.
" Ya know in Europe they like to roll over and play dead when someone is mean to them."
Sounds like Portugal is giving the old Soviet Union a run for its money! My advice: leave now before they build a wall to keep you in.
I've always thought of Europe as a quaint little theme park of genocide and antisemitism.
Yes! Thank you for mentioning the racism in sports over in Europe. Living in England for 6 years, I came across stories detailing the racial riots/chants/outbreaks all the time….but have never had any success in explaining that things occur, with frequency, to my 'America is so racist" friends.
I object to using the term "hoi polloi" as it's a Euro-whatever way of referring to the "commoners" or "peasants," good terms that have served the English language well. Besides it's Greek and I've long avoided "going Greek." I even boycott the Mediterranean Diet.
For those who wonder "Are you boycotting democracy as well?" there's no need, the administration and Congress are doing just fine without my help.
I have a couple of musician friends who moved to England because it's "so much cooler there, man".
Really?
I used to think so as well. As I stated before, I have family there and went to visit in 1984 and again in 1990.
You know what I found? I found that London is nothing more than L.A. or New York with an English accent.
Wee.
Buncha poseurs trying to be Americans but hating us at the same time.
Didn't they even have to play soccer games in empty stadiums in Italy at one point because of soccer related riots?
LOL!! The "doing just fine" line is priceless.
Yes! And Spain too.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internat...
I believe at one point in Turkey, the British were being spit on…. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internat...
Think of it…whole stadiums of people chanting racist slurs; no news coverage. One unnamed, unverified man calls for death to a candidate; newsfodder for a month.
Yeah, and they had to play a Davis Cup tennis match in Malmo, Sweden to an empty stadium as well recently.
LOL — Loved that!
Racism at sporting events? How about racism in everything. The French are the most racist people I have ever met.
Well maybe the quality has deteriorated, its been close to 20 years since I worked on them professionally (I worked in a shop that specialized in German cars). At that time and back to at least the 1920s I'd say Mercedes Benz were the absolute best built cars on the road. I saw more "Million Mile" Mercedes than any other make (never seen a "Million Mile Chevy).
Andrew,
I guess you are right. I haven't ever spent massive amounts of time there, I have always thought the little street cafe's somewhat dirty, the hotels old, musty and very small, and the people very rude. My mother, who speaks fluent French, (albeit w/ a Southern accent, LOL), has told me all my life about how horribly she was treated during the time they lived there. She made one friend that she has kept all these years, but she can really get going if you ask her what their apartment building smelled like! She will tell you bluntly about those stinking, unwashed folks with their perfume baths, and the smell of ripe cheese and old cooked seafood. It's a hoot. We know better to even get her started on the women with their hairy armpits! :-O
Yeah, bathing appears to be an issue of there — and I've smelled the Metro. Yikes.
What gets me is the mentality that whatever happens is beyond their control, the state will take care of it or they won't. Nobody over there seems to think they have any control over their own lives. That makes me sick, especially when you consider how much Europe gave the world in the past — science and culture. I hope Eastern Europe follows our lead and not Western Europe's.
If you read Stuff White People Like, it pretty much is Stuff Liberal People Like. Check this out:
http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/02/10/62-kno...
I know exactly what you mean. I have cousins who grew up in England and have the stereotypical British boarding school snobby attitude. While they would tell us how much better England is they would be wearing Levis and smoking Marlboros. I remember the same attitude from foreign exchange students when I was in school. They would come over here from Europe wear Levi's and smoke Marlboros all while telling us how much better Europe is. The British cousins who would tell us the evils of capitalism, they all live in the U.S. now and work for themselves. They still talk of the evils of capitalism.
Man y'all are destroying my expectations of Europe here… Here I was convinced that it was the model for political and social perfection, and it's now destroyed. I mean, who wouldn't want their vegetable shapes regulated?
Just a matter of time before Telepromptermania trumps Obamania. Let the good times roll. http://the100mostannoyingthings.blogspot.com/
If recent history is a barometer, the one has already spent a great deal of time on the Great Road Show and World Tour. . Barry has used the 747, and the entourage of other planes at least three times a week. Hell, if that was my plane you couldn't pay me to stay at the White House. (maybe we can pay him to stay away) Let's have Mimosas in Hawaii, High Tea in Hong Kong, Goat curry in Bombay and the shuttle for scones in the UK, wine in France, caviar in Mockba. His carbon credits must have reached parity with his stimuli and spending bills. Yeah, he sure is sending a serious conservation message.
There was a reason why all those British bands in the pre-Thatcher era moved to California or started recording in Switzerland. That reason was a 90% marginal tax rate. Just ask Sean Connery.
There was a time when most great bands came from Britain, but that was a long time ago. Today there are no great bands anymore.
There was a reason why all those British bands in the pre-Thatcher era moved to California or started recording in Switzerland. That reason was a 90% marginal tax rate. Just ask Sean Connery why he left for Spain.
There was a time when most great bands came from Britain, but that was a long time ago. Today there are no great bands anymore.
it's a toss-up where i've heard the evil "N-word" tossed around so casually and so frequently: among rednecks here in the south, or London…
here folks at the fringes believe in evil black helicopters. over there everybody believes in magical white helicopters…
As a BFH I have heard the "N" word more in South Boston and North Jersey than in a lifetme of living in the south, and not from rednecks
You can trust the Germans when it comes to engineering – not just cars, but machine tools and all that stuff. But that is the last thing American progressives want to emulate. They are bent on de-industrialization.
And for all their eco-talk, Germans obsess about their cars like no one else. When the concern about global warming started about 10-15 years ago, there were no SUVs in Germany, just a few offroad vehicles for farmers and freaks. Now they are everywhere and every car maker sells them. They are a bit smaller but they are there, in a densely populated completely urbanized country.
[...] Obamania Tops Europhoria – Big Hollywood [...]
You must be logged in to post a comment.