Utopia Achieved

In Utopia Achieved, Baudrillard makes very provocative claims about American culture, and at the same time admires it. Many Americans could be insulted by his writings, but when looking past what he is saying to the meaning behind the words, it makes sense. He does not completely tell his purpose in writing Utopia Achieved, but instead instigates thought in the reader to make up their mind about the situations presented. Baudrillard explains each thought, idea, and viewpoint of American and European culture followed by criticism and comments. What most readers don’t see at first is that the criticism and comments are directed towards both Americans and Europeans. This seems like an essay that puts down American culture, but is just assessing our culture and ways of life. People have different opinions and perspectives on everything. When looking up in the sky we see clouds forming into different shapes. The shape that I see in the sky may differ from the shape someone else may see. People see what they want to see in the sky; as well as in this essay. “The enigma of the relation between the negative foundations of greatness and that greatness itself” (Baudrillard, 118) describes how the reader may react; good or bad.

Baudrillard states, “America ducks the question of origins; it cultivates no origin or mythical authenticity.”(Baudrillard, 110) Americans do not have ancestors of our land; everything that we do is modern and new. Our ancestral territory in America belongs to the Indians. They were here first, which makes them the ancestors of our land. When studying American history, the Founding Fathers are credited as the first and take the role the Indians should be given. We did not form to the Indians ways of life we made a new one. Europe on the other hand has followed their ancestors from the very beginning. To this day Europeans are still ruled by Kings and Queens. The Indians that are living in the United States have their own “territories”. Never have I seen a sign saying, “Entering American Reservations”, but they do exist for the Indians. Baudrillard says, “The Indians territory today is marked off in reservations, the equivalent of the galleries in which America stocks Rembrandts and Renoir’s’’ (Baudrillard, 127). The Indians, as ancestral Americans, if in any place besides America would most likely hold a certain authority because they were the first here. Instead, they have been given their secluded territories and forced to deal with our new ways of life. Materialism and values are very different between Indians and Americans. America’s power came and still comes from the rich and others who are without, “origin and authenticity”. Bill Gates is a prime example. He is not royalty, politically powerful, and has no historical importance. With the help of prestigious schooling he furthered himself with intelligence, great ideas, and his strive, for success; not his bloodline. Only in America does this happen. You can come from nothing, and end up with everything.