* * * [music: "Born in the USA"] As to us, we learned everything from the Americans. If the Americans were not there, by now we would be... European. Old, heavy, always worried, with grey clothes and taxis still black. No other people are as full of new ideas as the Americans. And generous. And good. And fair. No other people are as fair as the Americans. Even if they are obliged to go to war (due to force majeure of course!) they don't do it for their own good. Nooo! It's because there are still some places without neither justice nor liberty. And they... And they... Here it is: bang! They carry it to you. They are carriers, the Americans. Immune carriers of democracy. Meaning that democracy is not harmful to them, but they infect you with it. And apart from war, on which everybody has already discoursed, from CNN to Emilio Fede; apart from war, what always struck me about the Americans, is this need they feel, this desire they have to spread all around their way of living. Their culture... No no not their culture. The innovations, the customs. They are immune carriers of new things (always meaning that those things are not harmful to them). After World War II they came here and carried with them: - Jeeps - Cans - Jeans - Culture... No no not culture - Loose-jointed movements - Cheerfulness - Progress - Culture... No no not culture - Coca Cola - Well-being - Technology - Development And suddenly Europe, old Europe, with its paper lanterns, its rivers, its traditions, its violins, its waltzes... [music: "In the mood"] And then lights, and neons, and life, and colours! And bridges, highways, skyscrapers, planes!... Chewing-gum! No other people are as stupid as the Americans. [music: "Strangers in the night"] Culture has never affected them. But on purpose. Yes: for they are right to mistrust our old, elaborated, tortuous culture. Of course! More simplicity, more immediacy! That's how they create. Like going to the loo... [music: "Tutti frutti"] No other people are as simple as the Americans. To them, the whole world comes down to Good Guys and Bad Guys. Oh, they are crystal clear about this. But not from theory: form experience! The Good Guys, it's them! And why is it them? This is the best part. Because they are "free men". America makes me feel no good... Too much liberty. Nothing flattens the individual like that sort of liberty. Even an illness doesn't erode you so well from inside. How clever are the Americans... [music: "We shall overcome"] They place it in front of you: liberty is within anybody's reach, like the guitar. Each person plays it as they like and everybody plays as liberty likes. * * * (my personal translation)

• published: 10 Dec 2013
• views: 7