The American Coup

[James R. Coplin]

>This also reminds me of how I explain the difference between the US and 
>Europe:
>
>In the US, 500 miles is neighborhood, and 100 years is history. In 
>Europe, 500 years feels like yesterday, but 100 miles is far, FAR away...

I think this a better explanation than you may know.  In the West, we have
typically sacrificed place for space by exchanging it for time.  Where you
are is when you are.  This has led to a perception of time as superseding,
conquering and dividing place.  I think however, this is a mistaken notion.
When we talk about time, we talk about in physical terms stemming from
place.  We talk about a "long time", "short time" etc.  This suggests that
time derives from place and not the other way around.

When westerners encounter a wide open space like they do in the US, the
transition to the dominance of time over place is already complete.  This
radically colors their perception of their environment.  Europe is still
place to them, but the US is now space.  This perceptive difference of the
two environments results in your above statement.  

James R. Coplin