The ever-relevant Frank Rich

I first became a fan of Frank Rich when he was the New York Times theater critic, then followed him with interested as he wrote an op-ed column for the Times, and now as he writes insightful analyses of political and cultural America for the New York Magazine.


His current article is titled, "Mayberry R.I.P.:  Declinist panic," is well worth reading in its entirely.  Below is the reference and my attempt at a summary.

http://nymag.com/news/frank-rich/declining-america-2012-7/?mid=nymag_press

Focusing on the nostalgia for the old Andy Griffiths television show "Mayberry, R.F.D.," he basically says that (1) the idea of American in decline is a matter of perspective and (2) what seems desirable from the Mayberry era is from the perspective of "white men of a certain age."   The fictional Mayberry, N.C. was lily-white for its entire eight year run.

Rich writes that: 

"The wave of nostalgia for Andy Griffith’s Mayberry . . . says more about the frazzled state of America in 2012 . . . than it does about the reality of America in 1960. . . .  For nearly four years now—since the crash of ’08 and the accompanying ascent of Barack Obama—America has been in full decline panic."

Rich tells us to take another look and get over it.

As to our position in global leadership, he quotes Indian-born pundit Fareed Zakaria saying that the subject is "not the decline of America but the rise of everybody else."

As to "American exceptionalism" that conservatives are so fond of saying we have lost, Rich says that the term was first used by Joseph Stalin in 1929 when he used it scornfully in referring to the United States.    And contrary to popular belief, George W. Bush did not use the term in any recorded public utterances.

But, unsurprisingly, Newt Gingrich jumped on the bandwagon, declaring that he is an “American exceptionalist” because he believes in “fundamentally rebuilding the America we inherited,” as opposed to Obama, who “believes in fundamentally undermining the America we inherited.”

Rich continues:

"In the post–World War II years of American might, it is hard to find a sustained period when America was not fretting about its status in the world and its ongoing or potential decline.  That includes those golden years apotheosized in . . . The Andy Griffith Show  . . .

"Bipartisan panels . . . published . . .  a 1961 report titled Prospect for America.  “The number and the depth of the problems we face suggests that the very life of our free society may be at stake” was the opening sentence."

So there we have it.   Perhaps there is genuine "declinist panic," but it is nothing new.   Its current vogue is more a political tactic than a legitimate concern, especially if we trace the history of "American exceptionalism" that excludes Barack Obama and blames him for its loss.   Sarah Palin is largely responsible for that political tactic.

Columnist Charles Krauthammer then took it up and gave it more gravitas, suggesting that Obama was "endorsing American decline" when he said “I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.”

To the political right, this line became the smoking gun that proved Obama is "not one of us" and is leading America to abdicate our position as global leader, and indeed our exceptionalism.

We do face real problems, but Rich is more inclined to lay the blame on "the three-decade-long collapse of fundamental economic fairness. . .  We are living in 'a country run by the rich, for the rich."

What's to be done?    Rich is not so pessimistic.   He calls for perspective and rethinking where we are.

"Lost in all our declinist panic is the fact that the election of an African-American president is in itself an instance of American exceptionalism —an unexpected triumph for a country that has struggled for its entire history with the stain of slavery. . . . That [Obama's] unlikely rise has somehow been twisted into a synonym for America’s supposed collapse over the past four years may be the most disturbing and intractable evidence of our decline of all."

Frank Rich is a keen observer, admittedly from a perspective on the left.   But I believe his analysis stands up better than those he challenges.

Ralph