Monday, November 21, 2005

France Is No Longer Johnny Depp's Utopia

I saw this story about Johnny Depp linked from Ann Althouse this weekend. If you will recall, Johnny Depp moved to France because he couldn't stand life in America. He has been quoted as saying this:
France, and the whole of Europe have a great culture and an amazing history. Most important thing though is that people there know how to live! In America they've forgotten all about it. I'm afraid that the American culture is a disaster.
and this:
America is dumb, it's like a dumb puppy that has big teeth that can bite and hurt you, aggressive. My daughter is four, my boy is one. I'd like them to see America as a toy, a broken toy. Investigate it a little, check it out, get this feeling and then get out.
After the riots in France, he is now saying this:
I went there (to France) to live because it seemed so simple

Now it's anything but. I don't know how they'll recover from this.
Apparently, he's now considering moving from France. I'm not sure where he'll move next, but I feel genuinely sorry for Mr. Depp. I've sometimes described extreme modern liberalism as naivete. (I've yet to come up with as succinct and hopefully just as unflattering description of extreme modern conservatism.)

Many idealistic people such as Depp are looking for a perfect society, where people treat each other well by choice, where there is no crime, no violence, and where everyone is accepted for who and what they are. Sadly, such a society does not exist. Differences in race, religion, socioeconomic standing, and countless other factors lead to many unpleasant things in society that Mr. Depp wishes weren't true.

I wish him luck in finding his Utopia. The rest of us would be better served trying to make a difference in the real world in which we live.