The American Age: A Commentary

“Jimmy Porter: I must say its pretty dreary living in the American age, apart from if you’re an American of course. “

This is a quote from the movie Look Back in Anger. Richard Burton is playing the role of Jimmy Porter. The movie is based on the famous John Osborne play, set in postwar England among the British working classes.

Walt Disney and The Disney Company we noted Disney and the Disney imagination and enterprises, for example, is an achievement of the American Age. However, it should be noted that the Disney’s are Canadian immigrants, Canadian farmer coming to America to realize in America dreams that might have been unrealized if the Disneys had stayed in Canada. Maybe Walt Disney would have continued to be a farmer. America might have had many theme parks, but none like Disneyland. Or, perhaps, another great imaginer would have invented a land named after them rather than Disney. It might have been very similar to Disneyland.

Even though this is “The American Age” we should note that many immigrants from all over the world, including the English, have contributed to the genius of “The American Age.” In fact, although Englishman Jimmy Porter is complaining about the dreariness of the American age for every nationality but Americans, nevertheless the English, along with the Spanish and the French as the first colonials helped to launch this American Age. Others, the natives and the enslaved and many of the disenfranchised, along with the more powerful immigrant groups, again, contributed to the American genius.

Some of the ideas of the American Age are truly new. Some are old ideas that are renewed and the best and greatest version of the ideas.

“The Roman Age,” “The Egyptian Age,” “The Greek Age,” “The British (Empire) Age,” all of these ages help the various peoples to realize their dreams and imaginations. Many of them have helped, along with America, to build their ages with the genius of other peoples, including Jews, Africans, Indians, Chinese and others.

Recently some of us rewatched Ben Hur, the famous movie starring Charleston Heston, playing a Jew in the Roman Age, during the time of the Christ. Ben Hur is the central character of this story, a wealthy Jew, who meets the Christ, and there is an interweaving of the storylines. The story is set during “The Roman Age,” when the Romans are the great power. You witness both the greatness of the Romans and the corruption of the Romans. You witness the power of the Romans for greatness and the Romans abuse of their power.