What Are We Thankful For?

I hope everybody has a good Thanksgiving Day. I hope everyone has as good of a day as I ever wish anybody to have on any day (which is quite good). And if you're rooting for the same football teams as myself (Lions, Raiders, Giants), I hope your teams win.

However, I would also like to propose some notions that I would not suggest be discussed at the family dinner table. Nothing more vulgar than any thing previously read here, but as seen firsthand nothing quite kills family togetherness as abruptly (and loudly) as political controversy.

Thanksgiving is an American holiday. In fact, we could almost call it America Day (though a similar argument could be made for Independence Day, Memorial Day, Presidents' Day, Labor Day, Valentine's Day and, to a lesser extent, parent-teacher conferences). It's a complete celebration of American culture. The culture itself makes up the traditions. A dichotomy of cartoon characters and corporate mascots make up a parade sponsored by a department store and televised on no less than three TV networks. American football is as ingrained into the day; as is the joy, expectation and regret of eating too much. Then there are turkey sandwiches at night. And if we can keep the rampant and unconscionable consumerism from killing three people, then we as a country will have shown more restraint than last year's Black Friday.

American culture, I fear, is corporate culture. What is an "American" restaurant in other countries? McDonald's? What is an "American" restaurant in America? Chili's? This criticism is more appropriate to suburbs and small towns were nationalism is as boasted as it is unexamined. The melting pot has become coldly efficient. American culture is a gray goo of corporations, conformity and consistency. American culture should not include an Americanization process. Our culture should pride itself on diversity. That is American. Our history is made up of world cultures coming together, and I don't just mean in the grade-school-production-of-"The-First-Thanksgiving"-way. The cornerstone, hell, the whole foundation of America is built on equal freedom for anybody from anywhere in the world. We should be a collection of cultures, not one that appeals to the lowest common denominators of consumers. I don't want to believe cultural authenticity is a myth and I don't want to believe America is naturally face-less.

An American culture is based on our perceptions of the world from which we should be drawing our culture. However among much of America there is an indifference toward the global community at best and a cruel mockery at worst. The other countries are so incompetent at existing on their own, we still maintain over 750 bases in over 40 countries even after the Cold War, that's the logic, correct? Funny. Forgive me for not being convinced that the world has been more peaceful in the last 50 years thanks to this $600 billion-per-year endeavor.

Why are people more ready to consider themselves American citizens than world citizen? And why are those two different things? Why isn't there a collective responsibility to the world we live in? Aren't countries just arbitrary borders? Shouldn't I feel as connected to the 6.4 billion global people I don't know as the 300 million Americans I don't know? Why don't massive corporations believe stopping disease and starvation is profitable? Why does it cost leaders political capital?

I am thankful for more things than I care to list (most of which: family, friends and health). But that doesn't mean I'm done wishing for a better world. There haven't always been countries in the traditional sense we know and I believe a day will come when the notions of individual countries will change again. Maybe not in my lifetime, but they didn't get to space in Galileo's lifetime either (how's that for some ego-stroking?). In all sincerity, I would like to see a national change in Americanism and renewed perspectives on international organizations. I like being an American but I also know that just living in America doesn't make you a good American any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.There are times when we are 250 countries and there are times when we are one world. I believe the ReGeneration and the many generations after us will create, change, and unify an unprecedented global community.

And for that, I am thankful.