Actually I think it is not paternalistic, it is even worse in some areas and in some groups in Europe...worse than paternalistic.

On the other hand, I really doubt that it is paternalism the way we feel about other countries here or in other forums..a d it is not about countires, it is really about people, classes of people.

In any case, I sort of get what you mean (not completley) but it is not certainly paternalistic (it is of course,an attitude, we all ahve attitutdes towards things)...I also doubt that paternalistic is correct in any US frame of reference.

IN other words... when I say that in Europe (some people) is worst than paternalistic , think about what someone from San Francisco will think about people in Alabama or Kansas or Georgia.

On the other hand , when i think it is better, think about what the peole supporting Dean or Berni Sanderd thought about Kerry. It is nto really a paternalism... not dislike...it is somethin like .. "why are some american naive"... I think somehow you would find this attitude all over Europe.

Is it shit? Well.. I will disagree... because we like very much people like you. And there is no shit among friends

A pleasure

I therefore claim to show, not how men think in myths, but how myths operate in men's minds without their being aware of the fact. Levi-Strauss, Claude