Iain recalled redemption -
'Political System in SF' panel... the rather disturbing (not to say
embarrassing) anti-American jingoism that kept rearing its
ugly head.
Well, I don't know. I think there's a difference between criticising a state, or a political system and criticising 'Americans'. I'm sure when the British Empire controlled about a quarter of the earth, people across the world were highly critical of the institutions of that empire, and I think that was quite a good thing for all concerned. Horizon is definitely on this subject, but I guess people from other countries lose nothing by taking it in their own ways, and referring back to their own histories.
In this panel we were talking about the SF idea of 'utopia'. There always seems to be a country which has a lot of power at any one time. At the moment the US is in such a position. I think both history and SF say that hegemony comes and goes. But perhaps it is quite understandable for some people in the currently dominating system to think that it is a uniquely good, uniquely enviable, and uniquely immortal system. In other words to start to use utopian terms. The Romans did it, the Chinese did it, the English did it. Probably the Huns, Aztecs and Hittites did too.
More thoughtful people - even Kipling the poet of empire said - soon we will be one with Nineveh and Tyre. So I think two critical attitudes are quite appropriate for people to take towards the currently dominating world power(s)
- to criticise a powerful system in so far as it imposes on other nations, or conflicts with the traditions of those nations (though realising that sometimes traditions do need to be overthrown)
- to criticise the complacent attitude that any one particular system is utopian or approaching utopia which is *occasionally* found in any highly successful economic or political system
And I do think these serious points can be made using irreverent remarks. But none of this is to criticise American people themselves, who after all are just as likely to criticise their own government and institutions as we are, probably more so.
Alison