That former president of ours, four-times-indicted, loved to talk about “America First.” Let’s unpack that idea in a novel way: cars.
I was driving behind a new Corvette in bright blue today and I wondered,
“What kind of person buys a Corvette? And then decides on neon blue?”
What comes next is my own bias and stereotype based on cars people drive.
“Is it okay for me to dislike you just because of your car choice?”
People aligned with the America First idea (not necessarily all MAGA folks) tend to drive American cars. Here’s my list of cars that irritate me for no reason:
- Jeeps
- Big-ass Trucks of all kinds
- Corvettes
- Camero/Charger/muscle-type cars
- Escalades
I have my own personal reasons for these cars and my bias against their drivers. And I have my own driving habits and my own automotive preferences. So, now consider our reaction in the modern market place if the German car manufacturers started a campaign,
“Germany First!”
I think you can understand a few of the issues with this global marketing campaign. As an American, you might say, “WTF? What were they thinking?”
Now, put yourself in Europe or anywhere outside the United States of America and take a reading on how stupid “America First” sounds to the rest of the world. Sure, Trump and the sheep of the GOP are still in *his* pocket and fighting to get him back in office to keep going with his agenda. Perhaps, Trump is fighting to keep himself out of Quantico, but the people rallying around his victimhood would like Trump back in office. They want him to continue to dismantle the environmental movement, free the proud boys and Jan-6 prisoners, and push “America First” as a global initiative.
I personally love German cars. I think German cars have the most exciting designs and innovative ideas in the world. I drive a Japanese car. I don’t hate American cars. I might hate Jeeps. I have no idea who the Jeep driver is, and thus have no bias against them beyond the decisions they made to buy a car engineered for the dirt road and not the highway.
Now, the guy in the blue Corvette, the young woman in the Dodge Charger, and the big bearded dude high above me in his smoking diesel truck, I just don’t like that guy for a number of reasons. I don’t know any of these drivers. I don’t like their cars. And I’m assuming that their reasons for buying them have to do with money and American exceptionalism rather than performance or maintenance costs. I don’t like tattoos either, but I don’t necessarily dislike everyone with a tattoo. My stereotypical Jeep driver is a former client who was a bit of a bully. And quintessential Jeep club guy. He was super proud of his Jeep and all the lights and extra features. He wasn’t a nice guy. He was a narcissist with an attitude problem. He was a Jeep Exceptionalism guy.
Here is the 2022 global market share for auto manufacturers.
Around the globe, America First sounds arrogant and comical. That’s how they see America, and thus Americans, as jokers, thieves, and a country where 50% of the people are trying to reelect one of the most dangerous leaders in our known history.
When I think of American exceptionalism, American imperialism, America First talking points, I laugh. Say the phrase “Germany First.” How does that feel to you? Same *bs* for the entire *outside the US* planet.
