Tom Wolfe vs Charlie Pierce

I was struck by this exchange between Peter Robinson and Tom Wolfe.

ME: Henry Luce famously called the twentieth century "the American century." Will the twenty-first century represent a second American century?

TOM WOLFE: I believe we’re on the edge of about 800 more years of American centuries. The biggest problem is all the people who see a problem. It’s very fashionable to think that the end is near.

I think the Wolfe quote hit me hard because I had just read this piece in Esquire by Charlie Pierce. When you read the word "cynic" in the Pierce piece - it may be helpful for true comprehension to replace that word with "aging hippy who still thinks he knows best and why won't these damn whippersnappers just listen to me."

I guess I was bothered by the Pierce piece because of the underlying current of "Blame America First" and "the Republicans have led us to hell in a handbasket" sentiment that runs throughout every line of every page. The "cynic" in the "story" (I use scare quotes around "story" because I'm not sure what to call the piece - it certainly isn't a profile of Obama and it certainly isn't reporting - it may not even be non-fiction) - anyway the cynic thinks, "Maybe the world wants America to sit down and shut up for a while." I think this last line is the one that gets me the most. It's as if the "cynic" doesn't want America to be great. He wants America to be both equal to our European partners and well liked. He wants us to pass an John Kerry-type Global Test.

I was bothered by Pierce's piece and his mindset until I read the quote from the great Tom Wolfe. It was then that it hit me that Esquire is just a gussied up fashion magazine for men and that Charlie Pierce was just being fashionable. I was then able to let go of my - for lack of a better word - anger towards the Pierce piece. I mean as far as fashion goes - the Pierce piece is like Capri pants on men. Sure it's fashionable in some circles but you have to laugh at such wrongheadedness - not get angry.