We'll always have Paris...or will we?
Another spot-on commentary from "Sundays with Mr. Curry:"
Actually, I'm not so sure about that. I mean, we probably will always have Paris; it's been through some pretty horrific times. The first time we visited Place de la Concorde, the spectacularly beautiful square at the foot of the Champs Elysees, my Dad, the history professor, enhanced our impression of the place by pointing out that during the revolution, the French beheaded 17,000 of their countrymen right there, on the spot. Yet the city stands.
Hitler wanted to burn it to the ground. Yet the city stands.
So, if I had to bet, I'd bet on Paris lasting another thousand years. The point is, if I never get back there, at least I saw it once.
And I'm so glad we had the opportunity to stay in an apartment in a neighborhood, rather than in some hotel near a tourist spot! I'm not sure exactly what would constitute a 'tourist spot' simply because the whole place fits that description. But I'm glad we lived in someone's home. We got to experience, at least for a few days, what it might be like to live there.
Even in ten short, jam packed days, we got a glimpse of a culture that is really very different from ours.
For starters, it's very obvious to we Americans who take them for granted, that the city is much older than the automobile. It's hard to realized just how auto-centric American culture is until you visit a place that old. I suppose on the east coast, in cities like Boston, you see the same thing; narrow, twisty little streets with no parking because parking wasn't a concern back when the city was built. Here in the midwest, our cities just scream "I was built for driving!!" Wide streets, set out in a grid with residential areas separate from commercial districts because there's no need for a corner grocery store every few blocks when everyone drives.
Just a cursory look at Paris shows you that here, things are different. Main avenues are straightish but the layout of the city has no more to do with a grid than a magic eye picture has to do with an eye chart. Most of the streets are so narrow, you'd think twice before trying to navigate them in a Navigator or a mini van.
We think it's great when we live in a neighborhood that has a corner grocery, rather than having to drive to the nearest Super Target or Cub Foods but they have a produce stall, a bakery, a meat market and a cheese shop darn near every street. Grocery shopping is clearly a daily event, given no more thought than our daily trek to the corner Starbucks. It's a life style very different from ours.
It was fun but I have to admit, I prefer ours. I'm sure it's only because it's what I'm used to but I like being able to buy all my things at one place. I'm too busy to buy all my meals out, one item at a time.
My uncle, whose son owns the apartment we stayed at, had described some of the cultural differences to me but it was hard to understand until I got there.
We Americans are much, much busier than the Europeans. We bite off more than we can chew every day. When we eat out, we don't dawdle over our coffee. Not only do we have things to do, the restaurant want to resell the table. This is a personality trait of our culture.
Europeans believe in taking the time to smell the roses.
Americans believe in working hard to develop and grow the biggest, brightest roses the world has ever seen.
Claiming one culture is superior to the other is like claiming one type of personality is superior to another. European 'culture' isn't even about 'smelling' the roses, it's aristocratic heritage actually makes it a 'I'll smell the roses while you peons spread manure' culture. The only difference between now and pre-war Europe is now no one wants to spread the manure. That's why their roses are all dying.
Meanwhile, here in America, we're slowly going from a culture which produces folks who get antsy on vacation and can't wait to get back to work, to a "you work and I'll eat" lifestyle.
When did we stop teaching our children the story of the Goose that lays golden eggs? Because we're killing it.
How about the story of the Little Red Hen?
America used to be populated by little red hens but now, we're all fighting to be the other animals and apparently the plan is to attack the hen, steal her bread and eat it with a nice chicken dinner.
Remember the story of the Grasshopper and Ant? In our new world, the federal government steps in, tells the ants that they are evil and greedy and open up the entire ant hill for the worthless grasshoppers. You're a total sucker if you're an ant.
Twice in the last century, Paris survived because America came to her rescue. I don't know who or what will come to Paris' rescue if America ceases to be America.
So I'm really glad I went to Paris when I did.
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31 Comments
MGarber - Dec 09, 2012 4:12 PM
Waaaaahhhhh ..... we need more peons!
They were so charming, and cute, too.
Carl Hicks - Dec 09, 2012 4:34 PM
some "freedom fries" and relax.
ahemmer - Dec 09, 2012 6:51 PM
Sadly I think our country is going to sink into deep despair, depression on the economic and personal fronts, and bigger, excessive government that will have more power than ever before. Obama's master plan of "changing" America is coming true. What is most troubling is that half of the country doesn't seem to care, as long as they get their hand-outs.
That was the point of Mr. Curry's recent article. Who will other countries look towards for help in the future? America will be in as deep a hole as them. We will not be "exceptional" anymore. Just mediocre. Who will WE look to for help?
As a few depressed people told me after the election, sad to say but we cannot leave the United States and go elsewhere, because America use to be the best. Under Obama, that is no longer the case.
jman99 - Dec 09, 2012 9:23 PM
No that's wrong.
America wants to produce the most roses, sell them at the lowest cost or failing that farm out the production of roses to others so that the unit cost goes down while profits rise so the 1% can go to Paris ( or some other place that is not America) for a vacation from America.
Glad I could fix that for Mrs. Curry.
WFB resident - Dec 09, 2012 11:42 PM
taliban home ?
referee33 - Dec 10, 2012 12:56 AM
jman99 - Dec 10, 2012 7:38 AM
taliban home ? "
This sounds like a threat Hemmer, to me, from an unstable individual.
It is incumbent on you and LLC to take appropriate action with WFB.
MGarber - Dec 10, 2012 9:18 AM
Im sorry.
It was a real nice travelogue.
"That is, America used to be an exceptional country."
Oh. Was THAT his point? OK.
Im sorry he no longer loves America; its his loss.
Mucho - Dec 10, 2012 12:15 PM
Ever hear of Harley Davidson?
Waukesha Engine?
Harken, Snap-On tools, ...
People like you that have given up on the US and push anti-business agendas, hurt the businesses that succeed via American Made Quality.
jhayett - Dec 10, 2012 12:27 PM
over the last five months are in government, according to official data
published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In June, a total of 142,415,000
people were employed in the U.S, according to the BLS, including 19,938,000
who were employed by federal, state and local governments. By November,
according to data BLS released today, the total number of people employed
had climbed to 143,262,000, an overall increase of 847,000 in the six months
since June. In the same five-month period since June, the number of people
employed by government increased by 621,000 to 20,559,000. These 621,000 new
government jobs created in the last five months equal 73.3 percent of the
847,000 new jobs created overall." --CNSNews editor-in-chief Terence Jeffrey
jman99 - Dec 10, 2012 12:37 PM
all the time:
potato potato potato.........
#1 ride of Drug dealers
" ....full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
Mucho - Dec 10, 2012 2:29 PM
Your claim that Harley is the "#1 ride of Drug dealers" comes from what movie - Easy Rider or the Wild One?
Your true colors come out: With the most Liberal president in the Nation's history, government control of health care, $250mm of Obama stimulus money going to a Chinese battery company, Government Motors -GM, and an anti-US business attitude, you vote for legalizing drugs and then bash one of the USA's most iconic brands because of "Drug dealers"?
How about Waueksha Engine, Harken, Snap-On, John Deere? Want to tax them out of the US too? Obama seems determined to.
Mucho - Dec 10, 2012 2:33 PM
I disagree with the article's author about Paris "lasting another thousand years." All of Europe's ethnic culture is being killed off by birth control and abortion. At 1.9 live births per woman in Paris in 2006 being the highest in Europe (other than Ireland) France has installed incentives for its citizens to have more children because, like all of Europe, the Culture of Death has made them dependent on immigration to fill jobs vacated by the aborted native population over the past 4 decades.
Despite the modest improvement due to these gov't incentives, at their current birth rates, the current culture in Paris, like most of Europe, is on the road to extinction by 2112.
jman99 - Dec 10, 2012 2:35 PM
What motorcycle do the following ride:
Hell's Angels ?
See:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWNmCnyjUEA
jman99 - Dec 10, 2012 2:43 PM
Well Prostitution has been legal in Nevada for years as is gambling. Bikers were into those big time for a long time. and now they are legal and main stream ( in Nevada). Mind you the biggest single supporter of Mitt Romney was a Casino owner, so there you go.
Most mechanics can't afford Snap-on Tools any more.
Mucho - Dec 10, 2012 3:03 PM
You really think those 1000 members supply Harley with its $5 Billion in annual revenue or do you think ALL Harley riders are criminals? You have so much prejudice for a lefty.
Related to the BLOG topic: Paris has 5x more Harley owners than Hell's Angels has members. Better not go there. Here is one of France's 25+ H.O.G. chapters: http://www.pariswestchapter.com/
Apparently Parisians appreciate the biggest, best motorcycle "flowers" in the world that American workers can produce more than you do.
Mucho - Dec 10, 2012 3:05 PM
Good poiint. Why should Obama riase the taxes on that company, their employees and their customers (mostly small businesses running local garages?
When you start making the point of those you are arguing against, you need to re-evaluate your position.
jman99 - Dec 10, 2012 3:11 PM
Nope, and that's not what I said either.
What I said was:
"Ever hear of Harley Davidson? "
all the time:
potato potato potato.........
#1 ride of Drug dealers
" ....full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
When you start twisting words of your opponent, it is a sure sign you've lost the argument.
Go see if you can play with Hayett, he's more your speed.
jman99 - Dec 10, 2012 3:22 PM
Most Mechanics own their own tools. Their employer pays nothing toward the cost of these tools, in most cases, but demands that they have tools in order to work at the establishment.
In some cases individual bays at garages are leased from the garage owner and the owner takes a share of the cost of repairs when you bring in your car to get fixed.
It is a far more complex world for Mechanics than you simplistic juvenile model presents.
The mechanic who fixes your car, who owns his own tools, is not part of the 1-2% that would suffer and increase in taxes. Most mechanics earn well below $250,000.00 per year.