The Eruption of America

All great empires fall. It is one of the unmistakable lessons of history. Even the mighty Egypt, after 3000 years of developing civilization, fell - first to Alexander the Great in 332 B.C., then, ultimately, to the Romans in 31 B.C. Maybe it was just a case of, for much of its history, there just wasn't another civilization equal to the Egyptians - but that was never going to last. Maybe, having shown what was possible, the Egyptians sowed the seeds of their own downfall, it being inevitable that someone would build on and develop their basic idea. And how does any beta prove its worth if not by taking down the alpha?
America did the very same thing when it defeated the British in the War of Independence.
It is one of the ways all empires fall. The other, the one that the United States appears to be suffering presently, is decay.
Egypt was able to survive Akhenaton's attempt at undoing; the United States will, almost assuredly survive, to some extent, its current President's dismantling of all that it once was. American's will, however, have to get used to being something other than what they are used to, their vision of what America stands for will have to change, for they will be less than they have been.
It is a truism that no nation appears to others as it appears to itself. Who but Americans thinks of the United States as the leader of the Free World? Who looks to America for moral guidance? Who has ever looked to America for moral guidance?
A nation made up of such diversity was always either going to be a great world leader or a shambles that tore itself apart. The United States has spent most of its history struggling to pull all its pieces together, to become the Union it dreamed itself as being. For a while, it looked as if it might actually manage it. Only now is it becoming clear that all that diversity has always been, in actual fact, hatred.
Hatred is born out of ignorance. There has never been any great effort to understand the different peoples that comprise the United States. No attempt was made to understand the Red Indian - sorry, Native American (though the name admits defeat, for they were there long before the land became known as America!) - they were simply killed while the law allowed, then shunted onto Reservations when it didn't.
As for African Americans, well, they're still being killed, aren't they?
It isn't just a matter of law, though. Anyone claiming American citizenship is bound by the law, and it is only right that the law supercede local customs, wherever they may be from. Understanding doesn't require law, however.
It does require subtlety, attention to detail and respect.
Episode 21 of Season Two, The Calusari, lacks all of these things.
As superficial TV and a boiled-down version of The Omen (1976) - just don't even think about the other one! - it has its moments of tension, scariness and Scully. But as a presentation of Romanian culture and folklore, well, apparently, it's a "piece of garbage." Without going into all of Sam Cel Roman's criticisms of the show, posted on the website All Things Romania in 2011, his/her speculation that the family may originally have been Jewish and changed to Romanian (for whatever reason) seems reasonable. Back in '95, I wondered if this was a Romanian Jewish family and that was why they called in the Kabbalah-practicing Rabbis.

Compare:

According to the Romanian Traditions website, the Calusari wear white and are a dance troupe.
Such a blatant disregard for the cultural traditions of even a small proportion of the population demonstrates an arrogance that can only lead to a comeuppance.
The current President cannot be blamed for arousing hatred in America. It has always been there, bubbling below the surface, ready to erupt. Good Presidents have succeeded in turning down the heat, easing off the pressure - President Obama being a fine example. The pressure will always build up again and eventually will find a means of release. It's bound to happen and it is happening now.
We just have to hope this is Mt. Saint Helens in 1980 rather than Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D.

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