An Ode to America as Utopian Dystopia
The other day I read an article by a Christian theologian, Kevin Hargaden, who lives in Ireland, saying that he would never consider moving to America, largely because of the gun violence.
I’ve lived most of my life in Australia, but I’ve also lived for periods in the UK, and I visit America once or twice a year to conference, lecture, and teach.
I’ve often faced the question of whether I’d move myself and my family to America for a possible job opportunity. To be honest, I’ve been offered several jobs in the USA, but never one that I thought was worth moving for, despite the attractions.
Don’t get me wrong. I love America and American people.
America saved Australia’s asses in World War II from the Japanese. I love Chik-Fil-A, Fish Tacos, and American BBQ. Americans are such generous people too. My favourite cities are San Diego, Raleigh, and Grand Rapids. I have so many colleagues, friends and fans in America - most of the readers to this substack! The country actually takes religion seriously, being a biblical scholar means something over there, unlike in Australia where I’m treated like a circus freak who has monetized his freakiness.
But here’s the thing. America has for me both a sense of seduction and revulsion, somewhere I want to be, and somewhere I fear to be.
America has the lure of being the centre of the world - politically, commercially, creatively - it is the “room where it happens.” Because of America’s demographics and history, being a biblical scholar is a noble profession, there are big churches, major seminaries, and universities with religion departments. If you want to change the world, you need to set up shop in America at some point.
The thing is that America is a Dystopian Utopia.
The American paradox is that it is the paradise of the middle class and purgatory for the poor and powerless. America is the place where beauty and chaos intersect, where fantasy meets fear, where opportunity touches terror, and villainy masquerades in virtue. For, under the thin veneer of civil society are subterranean demons constantly digging towards the surface, and sometimes they break through.
America can feel like heaven, until it’s not, when it is breached by horror. Whether by gun violence, by a medical diagnosis, or by an act of political betrayal. America is like a drug at a dance party, it dulls your senses, allays your fears, you love every minute of it, until it kills you.
I keep thinking of America as a Dystopian Utopia.
America has the best of everything, but the best is always somehow tainted by the worst of something. It feels like paradise on earth, even when you know it’s somehow lost to its inequalities, pig-headed-ness, prejudices, and republican fratricide. It’s like walking down a street with Antifa on one side and the Proud Boys on another side.
Could I see myself moving to America, yeah, maybe, one day, but it’d have to be for a special job, something that I felt called to do. I like to think my own country and my own college needs me. We have our own problems here, especially in Victoria, which is so progressive that it makes California look like Alabama. Part of me wants to stay and fight for a pluralistic democracy, but America would be a great refuge for someone tired of being treated like an enemy of the state.
What do my American friends think?
You've painted a disturbingly accurate picture of the contrasts and extremes of life in America...particularly the way American culture is self-consumed. Even apart from the Christian nationalist movement there is a general entitlement presumption among American Christians (and evangelicals in particular) with regard to comfort, rights, and power. Having lived most of my adult life in Islamic settings abroad, the tiny Christian communities there have no such presumptive illusions. Instead, they cling to each other while they embrace their Blessed Hope. We have much to learn from them...
This is a delightful read. I am NZ born and raised but have been living in the USA for 25 years. You're right about America, as with the comments below, living in America is not for everyone. One could say the same for NZ or Australia and so on. Right now, the last few years heck I'd even go as far as saying since 911 with everything going on this is the most amazing time to live here. Right now its feels like America is on the verge of "fragile peace and certain war" You've got the left trying its best to make everything woke and the right trying to pull the hand brake on that attempt. That sentiment breaches all aspects of American life: spiritually, politically, socially, economically and so on. I hear the more conservative folks saying "America is going to hell in a handbasket" There's plenty of eg's to support that statement.
BUT the heartbeat of America, the American's that won my reluctant heart in '98, the people who are raising their families, working hard, patriotic, doing everything they can to live the American dream to me they are something special. There's sadly some real ugly things that go down in America (I live in a town next door to Sandy Hook so that ugliness got personal for us). We also had friends on the second plane that went into the twin towers. Those experiences and countless others that exemplify evil in this corner of the world taught this little Kiwi how to stand against evil, stand on my faith, and most importantly how to hold on tight to Jesus when nothing makes sense.
America would be lucky to have you Mike, and anyone else who wants to give America a go. There's no promise of a utopia but it will be the best adventure of your life.