Illuminated International Ideology

Dear Peter,

Traveling makes men wiser, but less happy. When men of sober age travel, they gather knowledge, which they may apply usefully for their country, but they are subject ever after to recollections mixed with regret—their affections are weakened by being extended over more objects, and they learn new habits which cannot be gratified when they return home. Young men who travel are exposed to all these inconveniences in a higher degree, to others still more serious, and do not acquire that wisdom for which a previous foundation is requisite, by repeated and just observations at home. The glare of pomp and pleasure is analogous to the motion of the blood—it absorbs all their affection and attention, they are torn from it as from the only good in this world, and return to their home as to a place of exile and condemnation. Their eyes are forever turned back to the object they have lost, and its recollection poisons the residue of their lives. Their first and most delicate passions are hackneyed on unworthy objects here, and they carry home the dregs, insufficient to make themselves or anybody else happy. Add to this that a habit of idleness—an inability to apply themselves to business—is acquired and renders them useless to themselves and their country. These observations are founded in experience. There is no place where your pursuit of knowledge will be so little obstructed by foreign objects as in your own country, nor any wherein the virtues of the heart will be less exposed to be weakened. Be good, be learned, and be industrious, and you will not want the aid of traveling to render you precious to your country, dear to your friends, happy within yourself. I repeat my advice to take a great deal of exercise, and on foot. Health is the first requisite after morality. Write to me often, and be assured of the interest I take in your success, as well as the warmth of those sentiments of attachment with which I am, dear Peter, your affectionate friend. Thomas Jefferson

Paris, 1787

What a trip to read this letter with fresh eyes... I remember the first time I became enamored with Thomas Jefferson's intellect, when I stumbled onto many such letters to his nephew. For quite a bit of time, I rather preferred Jefferson's take on religion. He didn't believe the miracles and fanciful stuff in the Bible. In fact, he cut out all of the miracle stories in the Bible, while still maintaining his highest reverence for Christ.

The book Jefferson created, since known as "The Jefferson Bible." From the early 1900s to the mid 1950's, a copy was given to every new member of Congress.

He summed up this position in a letter he wrote to Bishop James Madison - cousin of President James Madison, citing a German philosopher with whom he shared a similar outlook: Wishaupt seems to be an enthusiastic Philanthropist. he is among those (as you know the excellent Price and Priestly also are) who believe in the indefinite perfectibility of man. he thinks he may in time be rendered so perfect that he will be able to govern himself in every circumstance so as to injure none, to do all the good he can, to leave government no occasion to exercise their powers over him, & of course to render political government useless. this, you know is Godwin’s doctrine, and this is what Robinson, Barruel & Morse have called a conspiracy against all government. Wishaupt believes that to promote this perfection of the human character was the object of Jesus Christ. that his intention was simply to reinstate natural religion, & by diffusing the light of his morality, to teach us to govern ourselves. his precepts are the love of god & love of our neighbor. and by teaching innocence of conduct, he expected to place men in their natural state of liberty & equality. he says, no one ever laid a surer foundation for liberty than our grand master, Jesus of Nazareth.

Wishaupt was a founding member of the Illuminati, a name which is today associated with anything BUT the chief views and aspirations of Wishaupt and other Bavarians who formed the original society. Their stated goals were to oppose superstition, propaganda ("obscurantism" - presenting incomplete information to skew people's beliefs on critical subjects), religious influence over public life, and abuses of state powers by monarchs. In fact, most liberal friends of mine would and do wholly endorse such views today - even while strongly believing the the Bush family, Dick Cheney, Donald Trump, and other wealthy, powerful conservatives they strongly dislike are members of the "Illuminati." How ironic!

But to the merits of Jefferson's cautionary analysis of travel... First and foremost, I have to say, "Guilty!" I did return to these United States as a place of exile and condemnation, but methinks I would have felt the very same way had I returned "home" to my mother's hometown in rural Central Louisiana for my senior year of high school from Denver, San Francisco, or New York City! Hell, most every friend of mine who was born and raised in New Orleans would shudder to think of being transplanted to rural Louisiana for their senior year of high school! For me, it was a move from Brussels, Belgium, after living 11 years overseas.

But even while abroad, I was very much raised as an American. My father was a staunch conservative, and even more importantly a devout Southern Baptist. He was Texan, and he never hesitated to instill in me a love of American history. My mother was a schoolteacher from Louisiana, and she certainly always considered Central Louisiana her home.

And unlike what Thomas Jefferson may have experienced while living in Paris, we lived in the business and political capital of Europe along with a ton of other Americans. We prided ourselves on our education, which was ranked higher than anywhere else in the world. We had British A and O Level courses, along with the American AP curriculum. In addition, we had classes that were in line with the lauded International Baccalaureate program - a degree that at the time allowed American students to skip their freshman year of college. In contrast, there were two other options for American living in Europe: there were the kids at the D.O.D. schools, the Department of Defense base schools, which were 100% American in nature. We prided ourselves on having teaching faculty from the UK and other nations, as well as a student body that was 30 - 40% international. But our coursework was in English, and the overwhelming majority of school functions and activities were American... We had prom, tackle football (the only international school big enough to have one), homecoming, etc. And when I first began traveling back to Europe, I had lunch with a fellow classmate from high school days, along with a friend of his who had been moved with his family to Belgium from North Carolina. His parents went ALL-IN on their son's European experience...

They sent him to the Belgian school to truly master French and the Belgian way of life. The result?

He spoke English with a heavy French accent, remained in Belgium for university and work, and he did not consider himself an American at all.

***

So what's the point of this ramble?

Well for one, I learned quite a bit about the origins of the Illuminati! But from my perspective, my upbringing was the perfect combination for becoming a tour operator/guide for Americans visiting Europe. I was raised in Belgium long enough and with enough exposure to consider it home - but Americans were always a giant part of that experience.

In other words, I quickly learned what Americans found fascinating about Europe through observing and following my mother and father around every weekend and for countless school vacations. And having experienced so much of it as a child, I retained many wonderful things about Europe - such as its history, its food, its various cultures and traditions, and its perspectives. And I don't think an American kid going to a D.O.D. school, living on a base - nor an American kid being fully immersed into a Belgian school and neighborhood could ever be able to shift between perspectives so easily and effectively. In fact, I don't think they could hop out of their own perspective much at all. *** And one final update. After 12 years of traveling and "returning to my roots" in Europe, I am so very delighted to have a family of my own, back in my original hometown of New Orleans. As for my European/American split, I've made great peace with that as well. Choosing between the United States and Europe, which Thomas Jefferson was alluding to in his warnings to his nephew, is impossible for anyone who loves both. I consider both to be my parents, and I love them both - and will never create some intellectual/emotional hurdle of having to choose one or the other. I am very much home with my wife, son, and friends here in New Orleans.

My wife and son on summer break in her home state of Maine...

But the home I know and love so well is being on a plane, in a train station, or at the wheel of a van or car with fellow Americans - in Europe.

And I am already itching for another return. :P