Americans Abroad and Victimhood Politics
How are you feeling about the US these days? The perennial awkward American abroad question. I’m like “don’t touch my garbage” like a bin raccoon.
Joking aside, my response is the need to move the political conversation beyond the entitlement victimhood and grievance politics on the left and right (hello JD Vance) and about solving bread and butter issues that affect everyone and how we’re connected to a larger world.
I’ve thought particular of this section of Robert Putnam’s interview, author of Bowling Alone, about the need for more bridging capital and less toxic bonding capital in the US. Too many people in the US live in isolated angry bubbles fearful of others.
Big countries inherently need to find ways to build more bridging social capital when so many forces, eg. sites like this and other natural divisions that form from differences in region, class, religion, race, education, etc. that are working against it.
It’s too easy for politicians and influencers in big countries for push entitlement victimhood narratives as such, you really see it in places like the US, China, and other large diverse countries. You don’t see this specific strand as much in Taiwan, in a small and not powerful country, so not powerful our neighbor bullies and gaslights the world into saying we’re not a country in long-range tactic to steal our land for themselves.
Despite a raucous political scene, day-to-day Taiwan doesn’t have this visceral fear and anger other places have permeating society (even if there are other deep frustrations). A culture shock for many US expats is not having to feel hypervigilant all the time. A victim mindset doesn’t feel so prevalent or tolerated in Taiwan despite our situation.
It’s a big shock and relief for many Americans abroad in many places to not live in an angry and unsafe society.
At the same time, you truly realize how many opportunities America has to offer and what it is to come from a big rich and powerful country.
People ask me all the time about how I feel about cultural differences coming back to live in Taiwan, but I think the biggest difference is feeling the difference of being part of a small country versus part of a big country, each with its promises and perils. What’s common are too many people who would exploit or buy into the narcissism of small differences to their own ends or the ends of outside forces.