Postmodernism in America 4

America is a land that prides itself in its uniqueness. Its robust individuality is something that Byron loved, Oscar Wilde found ironically humorous, And De Tocqueville celebrated.

Over time, I've come to the view that the only difference between England and America is England's upperclass individuality and American democratic individuality and the religious conservative factor.

This Uniqueness, at the core of American exceptionalism, is threatened by Post-Modernism.
How can you compare Christianity to Buddhism or Islam? How can you compare Mark Twain to Korean or Asian works of literature? There is a uniqueness exclusion principle here. Christians in America adopted the manifest destiny of Israel to America. America is the promised land. Of course, I speak of conservative Christians.

But it's not just Conservative Christians saying this. How can you compare American rock and roll to Asian rock and roll etc.

With rock and roll I can understand. Asians imitate and copy American singers.

The French also have their brand of exceptionalism expressed most vehemently in their love of the French language.

So the two countries that are most vehemently pushing Post-Modernism are the two countries who view themselves as most unique so they can opt out of post-modernism if they wish to but they don't. Because Post-Modernism is comparative, uniqueness itself becomes comparative. This is kind of circular logic. It's like saying everything is relative. But you're making an absolute statement that everything is relative. Also, Nietzsche's famous saying, "There is no truth; there are only truths." That's also an absolute statement of relativity. But without the absoluteness of relativity, relativity would be destroyed by absoluteness.

"Without Contraries, there is no progression." William Blake.

Now, Carl Gustav Jung defined a sign as something that stands for itself. A stop sign means stop. A symbol, he adds, stands for something greater than itself. The cross of Christ stands for the stillpoint in time where time and space meet "eternity," the burning moment. Poets know this burning moment when they write a really good poem.

All around us are symbols and signs. Signs become linked and related through a semiotic, a cultural language expressed visually to create meaning. Symbols become linked through a hierarchy (church, films, etc) and create a system.

I know this is not exactly a good example, but I think that this may be the way a Post-Modernist may approach a text. Language is a semiotic of ideological signs linked through the structure of the culture.

What about historical injustice and reparations etc?

The desire for historical justice is motivated by a pattern of behavior that is antithetical to change.

Roman Catholics may find Purgatory in Post-Modernism.
When I was a Buddhist, Post-Modernism felt like Nirvana.

I must stress here, the late mytholgian Joseph Campbell was very Post-Modernist in outlook.

Rene Pascal said something like "you must change yourself first before changing others."

Now I don't know why I find Post-Modernism so attractive. As a historical deconstructionist, I see even language as being formulated by history. But it is a nice thought, "Why not just forget about the past and start a new life? Why not even change your name?"

But the past is always living in the subconscious if it is unresolved.