Response to 'Transnational American Studies'

-The “stupid white man” being seen as ‘rejuvenating conservative forms of straight white masculinity into the public sphere’ in the 1990s-2000s is what gives the ‘dumb’ view of America to other countries, especially those in Europe.
-I found interesting reading the idea of American stupidity vs. English intelligence, and how the two world leaders were viewed differently over the same subject of the war in Iraq. ‘Bush is an idiot, but what is Blair’s excuse?’ is a quote that struck me because although it is clear that both leaders were untruthful, they were treated in different ways because of how they addressed their nations, with Blair being more resented because of being ‘intelligent’. Bush’s reputation was far less damaged by taking a moralistic ground.

-The way the article ends with ‘the consequences of stupidity, in the forms of misrecognition and failure to plan, can be catastrophic’, can relate to an article I found ‘Why Bush’s stupidity is a threat’ by Matthew Yglesias:

http://www.alternet.org/story/39770/

:“The real problem is that the risk of a wider regional war involving the United States remains. And if that risk becomes a reality, our country will be led into it by a president who doesn't seem to grasp what's happening.”
-The idea of the stupidity being hilarious…until something uncontrollable happens is further explored in this article, because Bush seems to not really know what is going on around him. It seems like this ‘desired presidential quality’ (quote from West Wing) of stupidity could cause major repercussions.

-Towards the end of the Transnational American Studies article is mentioned how the emergence of the ‘stupid white men’ came at a time when other identity movements were becoming stronger such as civil rights, gay and lesbian and femininity, so I would have liked to have read more about how this may have left white men looking for a new identity so that their power was not so under threat - the idea of the ‘crisis of white masculinity’. This is an area I would like to study further into, as I could relate it to my FYP as well, with the early 90s a time period I am looking at with gay identity in contemporary American film.