In the last years, we have repeatedly come across the idea that the U.S. is a deeply divided country. When you think about it, the (hypothetical) reasons for a separation among the population of the U.S. could be many: Democrats … Continue reading
On election day, we had the great opportunity to talk to Richard. T. Arndt. Mr. Arndt started his career as a professor for 18th-century literature at Columbia University before taking up cultural diplomacy with the US Information Agency and the … Continue reading
We’ve been unfaithful to Tocqueville. Instead of following our friend’s route from Cincinnati to Pittsburg, we ended up visiting Sebastian’s host family in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He stayed with them for a year during high school. Family comes before work, sorry … Continue reading
“A Protestant?” asked Eugenia. “I am an Unitarian, madam,” replied Mr. Brand, impressively. “Ah, I see,” said Eugenia. “Something new.” She had never heard of this form of worship. – Henry James, The Europeans I just have to admit that … Continue reading
We just had a great time in Louisville (Kentucky) thanks to our host Mike. He’s only 27 but has already run a restaurant, finished a master’s degree in sport administration – and served for a year in Iraq. We had … Continue reading
“Slavery recedes, but the prejudice to which it has given birth is immovable.” Those were the words of Alexis de Tocqueville in 1835 and unfortunately his prophecy proved to be right for many decades to come. Some prejudices and cases … Continue reading
We’ve been carrying around a big book with us. At first, we had been hesitant to bring it because it’s quite heavy. But now we’re happy we’ve got it with us. The book is called Tocqueville in America, written by … Continue reading
As we were driving up North to Sault Ste Mary, passing through the city of Saginaw, we thought it would be interesting to see some Republican campaigning. Until now we had mostly met young, progressive people who either supported the … Continue reading
Detroit is a fascinating place. Driving around, you see many abandoned homes and industrial buildings. Former parking lots are grown over with grass and small trees. A large part of the population has moved away. And yet, we really liked … Continue reading
We arrived in Cleveland today. We will leave you with this video to describe what the city’s like. Here’s the second part (highly recommended as well).
Early this morning we left Utica for Ithaca. To be fair, Tocqueville never went to Ithaca. He stopped at Syracuse and continued to Auburn to see the prison. This prison was considered the most modern of its kind in the … Continue reading
I had never heard about Yonkers – until recently. I was reading a book in which the city of Yonkers, just bordering the Bronx, plays a central role. The book was World War Z by Max Brooks. Now, for all … Continue reading
At Union Square station on the New York subway, we met people from the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG). They were asking people to register as voters for the upcoming elections. In our video, their project coordinator explains … Continue reading
“No sooner do you set foot upon American ground than you are stunned by a kind of tumult; a confused clamor is heard on every side, and a thousand simultaneous voices demand the satisfaction of their social wants. Everything is … Continue reading