"...And still the United States continues to see itself as some self-help guru for the world. Just swallow the Uncle Sam Pill, and you too can be happier and more fulfilled. But what exactly is it that America offers the world? What can newly 'liberated' countries like Iraq and Afghanistan look forward to? Fast food, inner city crime, plastic surgery, Michael Jackson, and a gameshow version of democracy. No wonder they are still resisting...."
"America dominates the world politically.
If this were true, America would be so indisputably powerful that it always gets its way. Except that it doesn't. Look at the Iraq war. As causes go, this should have been a pretty easy one to argue. But America's attempt to get the UN to agree to the resolution failed dismally - and in a tremendously embarrassing way for the 'politically dominant' US. Where were all these politically subordinate countries which rushed to agree to whatever America wanted? Hmm. Remember the laughable list of 'allies' in the war against terror. Look at the first country on this list - Afghanistan! Followed by such mighty political allies as Eritrea, Micronesia, and Latvia. Can anyone hear a hollow scraping sound? And then Turkey - that mighty superpower - refused to let America use its military bases. The frantic and undignified combination of begging and threats which followed can hardly be construed as 'political dominance' even by the average American. The sad thing is, that after the deaths of 2000 innocent American citizens on September 11th, almost the entire world was firmly on America's side. Yet over the next 18 months the American government's prize-winning political ignorance dispelled all this good-will, turning most of those countries against it, and losing most of the support it had. At the one time when the US had the world on its side - it blew it. Not only is America not politically dominant, but it's not even politically canny."
"America dominates the world culturally.
America has flooded the world with the finest composers, the giants of literature, and the greatest thinkers. America has provided the world with the most highly valued works of art, the most superb culinary dishes, and the most refined fashions.
Right?
Well not quite. America's cultural legacy to the world seems to be based more on McDonalds, Nike trainers, baseball caps, Hollywood action movies, Britney Spears, and 'The Simpsons'. What this actually means is that America is fantastic at exporting popular culture. Popular culture by definition is transitory, worthless, and uninspiring. Any 'cultural dominance' which America can claim is confined primarily to Japanese teenagers, and European pre-teens. Rome created a lasting template for systems of government and justice. Greece built the foundations of philosophy, science and mathematics. Egypt continues to whisper its mysterious spiritual fascination down through the ages. Britain gave the world its lingua franca. America invented the hamburger. "
Oh, you have to read the rest of the page....
Entertaining and informative.
One thing I'd hve to disagree with the author on though...when he speaks of "culture" that America has exported, in terms of Art...
Black people gave America and the world, the Blues, and especially Jazz Music, which is the heights of Musical Art form...
http://www.netcartoon.net/naaas/pastrants.php
"America dominates the world politically.
If this were true, America would be so indisputably powerful that it always gets its way. Except that it doesn't. Look at the Iraq war. As causes go, this should have been a pretty easy one to argue. But America's attempt to get the UN to agree to the resolution failed dismally - and in a tremendously embarrassing way for the 'politically dominant' US. Where were all these politically subordinate countries which rushed to agree to whatever America wanted? Hmm. Remember the laughable list of 'allies' in the war against terror. Look at the first country on this list - Afghanistan! Followed by such mighty political allies as Eritrea, Micronesia, and Latvia. Can anyone hear a hollow scraping sound? And then Turkey - that mighty superpower - refused to let America use its military bases. The frantic and undignified combination of begging and threats which followed can hardly be construed as 'political dominance' even by the average American. The sad thing is, that after the deaths of 2000 innocent American citizens on September 11th, almost the entire world was firmly on America's side. Yet over the next 18 months the American government's prize-winning political ignorance dispelled all this good-will, turning most of those countries against it, and losing most of the support it had. At the one time when the US had the world on its side - it blew it. Not only is America not politically dominant, but it's not even politically canny."
"America dominates the world culturally.
America has flooded the world with the finest composers, the giants of literature, and the greatest thinkers. America has provided the world with the most highly valued works of art, the most superb culinary dishes, and the most refined fashions.
Right?
Well not quite. America's cultural legacy to the world seems to be based more on McDonalds, Nike trainers, baseball caps, Hollywood action movies, Britney Spears, and 'The Simpsons'. What this actually means is that America is fantastic at exporting popular culture. Popular culture by definition is transitory, worthless, and uninspiring. Any 'cultural dominance' which America can claim is confined primarily to Japanese teenagers, and European pre-teens. Rome created a lasting template for systems of government and justice. Greece built the foundations of philosophy, science and mathematics. Egypt continues to whisper its mysterious spiritual fascination down through the ages. Britain gave the world its lingua franca. America invented the hamburger. "
Oh, you have to read the rest of the page....
Entertaining and informative.
One thing I'd hve to disagree with the author on though...when he speaks of "culture" that America has exported, in terms of Art...
Black people gave America and the world, the Blues, and especially Jazz Music, which is the heights of Musical Art form...
http://www.netcartoon.net/naaas/pastrants.php
