[Vision2020] On the season

[Chasuk]

On 12/17/05, Phil Nisbet <pcnisbet1 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Christmas is an American Holiday.

I've lived in a few places in the world, and this is no longer
particularly true.  First, I assure you that Christmas is celebrated
in most of Europe, though they manage to celebrate it without quite as
much obnoxiousness, nor does it seem to be as interminable.  Second,
I've listened to Christmas jingles in both Korea and Japan, and seen
Santa Claus there.  We can't really even call Christmas an American
invention, as we can thank Charles Dickens for that.  Yes, Santa Claus
in his current guise and popularity we owe to the Coca Cola Company,
and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer we owe to Montgomery Wards.  But
Christmas itself is now definitely international.

> there is a lot to be said for a season when we first remember good will toward our fellow man

I don't see that Christmas as actually existing.  I am not a
Christian, so I am happy for the secularization of Christmas, but
Christmas goodwill seems to me about as sincere as Barbi's smile.

> Its good to be an American, regardless of our politics or of our religion.

I couldn't disagree more.  I do enjoy being an American, but I would
also enjoy being Canadian, or Swiss, or Belgian, or [insert a list of
about 50 other nationalities].  Patriotism itself makes me queasy,
especially when it is attached to sentiments such as "regardless of
our politics or of our religion."  I wouldn't voluntarily reside in a
country which was a theocracy, for example.

> I hope I am not stirring up any more controversy so soon after settling the
last one,

Controversy is fun, as long as we all remember that disagreement is
supposed to be educative, and not about the sharpening of daggers.  At
least, that's what civilized controversy is about TO ME, and that is
the only type of controversy in which I am interested in engaging. 
Leave the cuts and scrapes to little kids and politicians.