As IF Times

link:  https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/alysa-liu-champion-who-cant-stop-smiling

Image from Getty Images NBC

That people are tribal is not a new revelation; it’s a basic human condition which exists in our DNA for reasons likely linked originally to survival.  We can probably accept that when people were running around in loincloths and bearskins, it was a good idea to side with the people that looked like you and behaved similarly. It provided some degree of safety to be part of a supportive group in an otherwise hostile environment.  You identified with your group.  We all know of the mythic rivalry between the Hatfields and the McCoys, two rival Appalachian  families who feuded for decades just because their names were different.  The families of Romeo and Juliet; same thing.
On a much larger scale, we have always had divisions of populations based on such identifiers as religions, on ethnicity and race,  on regions and nations and also based on ideology. History shows that the consequences of belonging and identifying with one group over another one can be serious and even fatal.   Lots of wars have been fought based on the disputes both between and amongst such factions.

In today’s slightly more civilized world, these tribal instincts are manifest in less consequential but no less heated loyalties.  Much of these tribal urges are now focused on sports. We all know of the rabid fans in the soccer world during the World Cup when national pride is contested on the soccer pitch.  The activities of a nation can come to halt if a given nation’s team is a contender.  Most recently, the huge commercial event known as the Super Bowl was held and partisan supporters of both teams displayed their fanatical devotion by paying exorbitant sums just to be present at the event and to buy and wear the partisan colors.  This despite the fact that the lives of fans would not be affected in any meaningful way at all, regardless if their teams won or lost.  It was just a tribal thing.

At the moment the 2026 Winter Olympics are being held in Italy and this is the proto-typical occasion to show tribal support for your people, which means for the most part, your country.  People identify with these athletes only because they represent their tribe. If their athletes succeed, there is the notion of reflected glory for the fans of the nation, that they too are part of that athlete’s success.  While it’s natural to root for your country, the feats of the athletes have little to do with their nations.  It’s the result of years of dedicated effort to reach their level of competence. With that said, there can be no greater glory than to stand on the medal podium with your nation’s national anthem playing for everyone.  When the American women’s hockey team won their gold medal, they all collectively stood and sang their national anthem. On the other hand, you could see the heartbreak in the faces of the Canadian team who came up short.  It wasn’t just the loss, it was a loss for their nation. People vicariously live through these athletes representing their national pride.   Nationalism and patriotism is still a strong binding tie for most populations which is why we witness so much backlash against the talented skier Eileen Gu who elected to compete for China instead of her native United States.  The exact opposite was the affection for skater Alysa Liu who was unabashedly patriotic for the United States,  a story which is more compelling given that her father is a refugee from China.

Unfortunately this notionally non-partisan world class sporting event is being used more and more as a political billboard for many participants.  Certain among the American contingent have taken to use their 15 minutes of fame to criticize their own nation or to highlight issues that have nothing to do with competitive sports.  The dynamic of the “me me me” mindset has unfortunately made its way into the arena of sports, a venue which is meant only to showcase the best talents of dedicated athletes.  As the Dixie Chicks intoned years ago, ‘just shut up and sing’.

Fast forward to today and the difference between the European Union and the United States experience is stark.  Even though both are considered ‘western’ politically, America, at its core, continues to champion the idea of freedom and self-determination, whereas the European Union have come almost full circle to the authoritarian/monarchial roots of their founding states.  The reality is that regional differences are so significant amongst member states that any one size fits all dictate from a centralized government causes havoc instead of harmony.  As we write, there are virulent protests in France and Germany against EU policies which cripple their agricultural industries.

But perhaps the most telling aspect of the EU regime is that they have become the regime that they sought to replace.  Rather than being a mechanism of freedom and prosperity for the nations, they have become purveyors of dictatorial edicts under the guise of collective good. It becomes increasingly evident that their existence is perpetuation of the administrative body itself rather than to further the interests of the member states….not unlike a monarchy.  The mindset of the EU is aptly represented by the World Economic Forum, a cabal of wealthy megalomaniacs who purport to know what’s best for everyone.  In fact, the leadership of the EU and the WEF are essentially one and the same. While we’re at it, let’s throw NATO in there.  An illustration of the stark difference in their mindset versus that which is espoused in the US is “you will own nothing and be happy”.   That’s as much a Dr. Evil pronouncement as you’ll ever hear.  In their worldview, people are subjects to be dictated to by those in charge.

If you think about the entire construct of the political East vs West argument, the whole argument hinges on the repudiation of what “Eastern” nations such as Russia and China represent, especially state control over every aspect of your life. Even as participants in the latest World Economic Forum lament the ‘decline of democracy’, these very same nations are restricting free elections, preventing free speech and expression and the promotion of collapsing borders.

In the United States, owning your own home is the very pinnacle of living in a free society and is the goal of most citizens.  This is not the goal of the European mindset.  It appears that the mindset there is of conferring and receiving privileges whereas in America, it’s more a notion of opening opportunities.

The recent Greenland issue brings into focus the difference in mindsets.  While Donald Trump is making bellicose overtures towards taking over Greenland, the Dutch and the Greenlanders alike are objecting to any takeover.  Actually, a poll of Greenlanders shows that they would be happy to be independent of EVERYBODY, but prefer to also continue to get free healthcare, education and military safety.  If this sounds familiar, think Canada. The entitlement is on a grand scale.  It’s as if they are teenagers who want Iphones and vacations but are not willing to have to pay for them.

It’s amusing to see the outrage of the once powerful colonial powers such as The Netherlands, France, Spain and the UK over the hegemonic aspirations of the US when they were once and still are to some extent, the greatest land grabbers in history. The leadership of the EU are behaving like modern day monarchs.  Although they were formed to only manage the movement of agricultural products within their member nations, they have morphed to become an autocratic rule making body totally removed from the realities of their own member states.  They restrict speech, impede elections and support on going military conflict against imaginary adversaries. It won’t last.