Politics

Cultural Imperialism

Those Americans who think we are cultural imperialists do not consider that these other country's governments refuse to allow their own people to develop film, video, music, art and literature and other intellectual pursuits, thereby making a vacuum for the entertainment and intellectual and creative interests of their own people. Those people who then fill it with American programs and arts and culture.

But here again, the creativity for all this lies within the individuals, not within the system. Which their own governments prevent them developing, because they believe creativity must be controlled by the state for the good of the people, for the glory of the state. Individualism is dangerous. People like to entertain themselves, and most countries actively destroy any attempts at creative entertainment in the name of God or the State. America does not prevent the making of film and music and art -- these countries do it because to them cultural creativity either must glorify alleged history of their ethnicity or glorify the current leadership

Socialist realism of Soviet Russia is just the best known example. But banning newspapers, allowing only a handful of state run TV and radio stations, preventing use of the internet -- all in the name of the people -- cause irreparable harm to the very cultures which these governments claim they are protecting.

So the people of these countries seek out American culture because they know it's good and they can get it with far less risk to their lives and limbs than creating their own. Chinese people pirate American film and music DVDs, Video, etc.., because they can not create their own, and can not legally import others, so they steal it with the best of intentions.

Most creativity in the Middle East and the Arab and African world has been effectively snubbed out. It makes no difference if it is in the name of Allah, or the State, or the People, or the Leader, the result is the same: a stullifying conformity to a rigid adherence of glorifying the idea of the state at the expense of the very individuals who must live within those states. Their brightest emigrate to the United States.

India, which has a free press and freedom of creativity has a vibrant film and music industry, which they export to all the neighboring countries, and those neighbors work mightily to stop that too.

America did not become the cultural capital of the world so we could impose it on the world. We created it for ourselves, it is the individuals of the world who seek it out and their government which seek to prevent it. We in American have willingly adopted any cultural thing we find around the world and incorporated that into American Culture. This has lead to diversity and acceptance and harmony and prosperity. The more diversity within a country the more prosperous it will be, becuase there are more avenues for gainful employment.

Most of the rest of the governments of the world have worked diligently to prevent any outside influences, "corrupting" influences, as they call it. But it is hard to find other country's cultural expressions because the governments of the world work so hard to destroy creativity. You can not blame America for the actions of the governments of the world. We did not create the statist ideas that consume the world. We have worked diligently to bring individuals freedom.

In fact, countries as modern as France even work hard to destroy the creative use of language by being language imperialists and barring the use of English Words, which their people want to use, but the French Government criminalizes. So while the French State works hard at trying to prevent English words from entering their language, English has borrowed liberally from French. And become more richer and powerful for it.

If Americans don't like Foreign films and music we are derided for being cultural snobs, But if the rest of the world likes our films and music we are accused of cultural imperialism and they are lauded for cultural protectionism.

The rest of the World wants America to change, but none of the rest of the world want to change themselves or anyone else. The rest of the world accuses America of greed and wealth mongering and materialism but they are working so very hard at getting their hands of our wealth and our materials.

American culture and wealth is the result when the world's cultures are mixed in a freewheeling, liberty based social system, and the rest of the world is working diligently to prevent the very mixing and liberty which will result in wealth and happiness and a vibrant culture.

Their systems have proved to be unworkable, burdensome, failed and repressive, and their solution is not only more of the same, but to badger the US to become what they are. And there are people within the US, the leftist liberal ideology who covet the same failure, burden and cultural conformity. Just as there are religious fanatics in the US who aspire to the theocracy of Iran and the Arab world.

Languages can die, and even should die, just as cultures, just as people themselves. The French, Chinese and African languages are just as evolving as English, except these other countries actively engage in the stagnation of language. Either through direct intervention like language laws, a la France and Quebec and preventing the mixing of cultures and languages that is necessary for growth. And by one language group actively repressing other language groups within the same country, like the Turks upon the Kurds. A third way is outlawing freedom of thought, thus preventing people from creative writing, thus preventing the development of the language.