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Puritans or pornographers?LexingtonThe Economist/Feb. 23,
2006
The schizophrenia at the heart of anti-Americanism
DURING George !sh"s #irst term, $!b%ic &i$%om'c( might h')e
been s!mme& !$ inthe $hr'se *Ne)er '$o%ogise, ne)er ex$%'in+.
This time ro!n& r !sh is going #or '
more emo%%ient '$$ro'ch. -on&o%ee' Rice is $!tting m!ch more
e##ort into&i$%om'c( o# '%% )'rieties, $!b%ic 'n& $ri)'te,
th'n -o%in oe%% &i& 1#or one thing,
she"s %ess '%%ergic to 'ero$%'nes the '&ministr'tion"s to
%e'&ing bo))er4bo(s, Dic5
-hene( 'n& Don'%& R!ms#e%&, h')e shot themse%)es in
the #eet 'n& r !sh h'ssign'%%e& his commitment to im$ro)ing
meric'"s im'ge 'bro'& b( $!tting his
tr!ste& con#i&'nte, 7'ren 8!ghes, in ch'rge o# meric'"s
$!b%ic &i$%om'c(.
!t i%% this renee& em$h'sis on so#t $oer m'5e 'n(
&i##erence9 There 're %ots o#
re'sons #or sce$ticism. :ne is th't h!ge $oer ine)it'b%(
$ro)o5es h!ge s!s$icion.
secon& is th't meric'"s $o%ic( in Ir'; h's
so%i&i#ie& th't o$$osition into ' g%ob'%$henomenon. !t
consi&er ' thir&, '&)'nce& b( eter erger, one o#
meric'"s best45non socio%ogists, 't ' 'n& th't
con#!sion m'5es #ighting 'nti4meric'nism extreme%(
&i##ic!%t.
*!rit'ns 'n& $ornogr'$hers+ is ' c'ric't!re, o# co!rse. !t
$ro)i&e& (o! '&o$t '
bro'& &e#inition o# both !rit'nism 'n&
$ornogr'$h(>ith !rit'nism st'n&ing #or
re%igion 'n& $ornogr'$h( st'n&ing #or $o$!%'r
c!%t!re>it is not 'n 'bs!r& one.meric' is ' stri5ing%(
e##ecti)e $ro&!cer o# $o$!%'r c!%t!re. It not on%( m'5es
more
o# it th'n 'n( other co!ntr( it '%so $ro&!ces more
in4(o!r4#'ce c!%t!re>%o!&mo!the&, %ibi&ino!s 'n&
im$ossib%e to ignore. ?et it '%so st'n&s o!t #rom other
&e)e%o$e& co!ntries hen it comes to resisting
sec!%'ris'tion. meric' is the on%(mo&ern co!ntr( here most
$eo$%e be%ong to ' re%igio!s org'nis'tion 'n& heresome @0A
be%ie)e in Go&.
rg!'b%(, meric'"s re%igiosit( 'n& its $o$!%'r c!%t!re s$ring
#rom the s'mecommitment to #ree m'r5ets. Its ch!rches, no %ess th'n
its #i%m st!&ios, h')e thri)e&
$recise%( bec'!se the( h')e ne)er been sh'c5%e& to the st'te
'n& th!s h')e tocom$ete #or c!stomers. !t h'te)er their common
roots, $ornogr'$h( 'n&
!rit'nism $ro&!ce )er( &i##erent sorts o#
'nti4meric'nism.
For m'n( E!ro4sec!%'rists, meric'"s re%igiosit( is its %e'st
'ttr'cti)e ch'r'cteristic.
The( c'n"t be%ie)e th't 'n( mo&ern $erson c'n be re%igio!s
!n%ess the( 're either
st!$i& 1rit'in"s Private Eye&!bs George !sh the
%e'&er o# the *L'tter D'(orons+ or ins'ne 1' #ormer Germ'n
ch'nce%%or 's 5non to 'cc!se r !sh o#*he'ring )oices+. The e
Rese'rch -entre"s s!r)e( o# g%ob'% 'ttit!&es %'st (e'r
&isco)ere& th't most French 'n& D!tch, 's e%% 's
$%!r'%ities o# ritons 'n&
Germ'ns, thin5 meric' is too re%igio!s.
?et m'n( c!%t!r'% conser)'ti)es &is%i5e meric' #or ex'ct%(
the o$$osite re'son>bec'!se it is ' b'ttering r'm #or $o$!%'r
c!%t!re. #e !s%ims orr( th't meric'
is ' *-r!s'&er st'te+, eng'ge& in ' re%igio!s 'r ith
Is%'m 1' orr( not he%$e& b(
