Back in the USA?
Unceasing Sentiments of Ambivalence about the United States of America
A colleague of mine contacted me with an unexpected invitation. He said he was impressed by my recent contributions to philosophy and invited me to be a special guest speaker at a philosophy conference — all expenses paid. How could I turn that down?
The only drawback is that the conference is on the other side of the ocean. I live in Europe, and the conference is in the US. Tennessee of all places. I leave tomorrow.
So there I will be, an honored part of a conference dedicated to learning and dialogue in a country that may just elect a government that wants to ban such things. The irony is not lost on me.
I haven’t lived in Minnesota for many years, but I still consider myself a Minnesotan. I haven’t lived in the US for a few years, and I am still registered to vote at my official US address. I am happy to be American, but increasingly, the US feels less and less like home, and not just because of the right wing.
It will be strange returning, as it was the last times I returned, each time American corporate culture feeling more alien compared to European culture. I looked online for what was around the hotel where the conference is having me stay. Pretty much the same national chains you find in…
