As ridiculous as it may sound to some, I honestly do not think that another phrase can more accurately describe my absolute confusion for the modern United States , than that line. I think it sums up a thousand years worth of history as fast as possible ....and I think too that it sums up all the problems that we have all been experiencing for quite some time now when it comes to this country. Not only is the wine in almost every region of this country -- aside from California--- God awful ; but it is also ...well, next to non existent in the culture itself as well as - when it does pop up -- often rather demonized. I can think of few things more horrifying than this; and the funny part about it all is that I'm not even really a wine drinker. In fact, until about 2 months ago, I had not had a single drop of wine in almost 9 years time.
But that doesn't change the fact that wine, whether I personally like to drink it daily or not, is and forever has been a sort of historical symbol , I guess you could say, of a culture or a country that has reached 'peak'. Wine is, in other words, a sign of civilization, and when you look at America, generally speaking, especially when you look at its history, you're going to see wine is really - again-- almost no where to be found. Indeed if there is one thing I have learned as I have perused the books of history it is that each culture on this earth is intricately tied to its alcohol, and of course , as we all know, there are only really 3 types of alcohol: Hard liquor, beer, and wine. That's generally the level of evolution in terms of civilization as well. Don't believe me? Just look to America's absolutely mythologized --- but also absolutely disastrous -- Wild West. Contrary to what John Wayne wants you to believe and in spite of the fact that it makes for a fun film, The Wild West is probably one of the must uncivilized, barbaric things to have happened to western civilization in the past 400 years. There was no law. There was no civilization. Women were like men in the west. And of course life was brutal and short. Not surprisingly , what was their drink of choice? Hard liquor. Whisky. Scotch. Perhaps some rum. When you're living a life as god awful as the one that was lived in that horror story, liquor is probably the only thing that can save you....
Now flash over to beer. It's cheaper, and it's far easier to make than wine. At the same time , it also doesn't get you as hopped up as liquor does. It's a middle of the road beverage; it seems slightly respectable and less hardcore; but it also doesn't exactly look elegant either, like good purple sparkling wine does. Not surprisingly, it's curently the favored drink of the Americans, Nd has been since about the 30s or 40s...after they got over that whole pathetic prohibition thing. How come though?? Why do Americans prefer beer? Because the Americans , whether you folks out there want to believe it or not, are somehow still struggling in the middle. They somehow still have not made it ...to wine.
I guess the reasons why are simple, though it could still make me cry, considering I'm trapped in their game: the country is still young ...still not old enough for wine yet ...still not smart enough. But alas! Isn't it rich enough? Well, at first glance that *is* what you would think right? Seeing as it's - or so they tell us it is - the wealthiest country in the world. But here lies the rub, Antonio: the wealth of America is situated amongst a very very few specific spots on its map. Those spots of course are , for the most part, Manhattan and California. Manhattanites and Californians are both renowned for their wine ingestion. The rest of us however? We live on blighted, scorched land. We live on barren land. We live ....away from the wine. There is no wine to be had outside of those fine places...we be on scorched burnt land ..,dry as a desert out here. "Enjoy your Budweiser sir." BLEGH! Where's my wine!
Hence you see the fact that a particular number of Americans just so happen to be overwhelmingly wealthy actually means nothing at all to the country at large, because the country at large is , in so many ways, as poor and as ragged as could be. The Deep South and an overwhelming swathe of the west is basically still liquor territory , and as for almost all the rest, it's just plain old beer territory. No wine here folks, move along. Maybe 100 years from now. Maybe 200. But not now. We ain't ready for it yet .....we ain't collectively rich enough for it yet....
The lack of good flowing wine of course , it effects everything more than one might think. Women, for example, are far worse off in a wineless culture than men, and so too are intellectuals of almosr any sort. A beer drinking culture prizes ...well I suppose I need not be bothered scribbling what it prizes, as you can probably already see that for yourself, just by examining the sad, deranged state of this culture as it currently stands. Utterly wineless. Painfully dry.....
--wishing I was anywhere in western civilization but here.
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