From: gln@cs.arizona.edu (Gary L. Newell)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.celtic
Subject: Re: My Ugly American post for the year....
Date: 2 Oct 92 19:06:43 GMT
Organization: U of Arizona CS Dept, Tucson

In article <BvHLF0.IML@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk>, newt@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (Michael Steven Newton) writes:
> mmh@cs.qmw.ac.uk (Matthew Huntbach) writes:
>   The point is that *any* large centralized force with a huge amount of
>   wealth and power over the world, which broadcasts media reeking with
>   its own dogma and cultural values, is going to have a devastating effect
>   on native cultures everywhere, stamping them out like so many little
>   matches.  

 But only after robbing them of their natural resources. After all, there is
little fun in just stamping out tiny nations, one must first bleed them
dry - then its a kick...

> Look around the world right now, and see how little groups of
>   people are sometimes taking arms to protect what little they have left
>   of their language and culture: Basque rebels, Welsh activists, 
>   Lithuanians, American Indians, Quebec separatists, etc etc.

 Oh yeah - this is a first. Never happened in history before. Give it a
break, if we assume that you are correct and that this is a new
development, then that does say something about America and this vast
media machine - it says that for once these "little groups of
people" can be heard - no more will the English approach of "wipe em out
and they can't complain" be carried out! No! Today you and your
neighbors can grab a gun, a bomb, whatever, and struggle to protect
what little you have.... damn I love freedom!!

>   How can these little groups of people, lacking the support and
>   understanding of the main-stream, hope to win?  

 They can't. So they should realize that they should stop their struggle,
buy a coke, sit down and watch Murphy Brown.

> They are always pictured
>   as troublemakers and radicals.  The people who are always asking for
>   tolerance and peace are those who want them to abandon what makes them
>   different and individual.

 Is that so? Just out of curiosity, I notice you left the Irish out of your
list of warm fuzzy "little groups" - is there a reason for this? They seem
to fit your description pretty well. I wonder - does that make Britain a
force that is trying to make them "abandon what makes them different and
individual"?

>   How can these groups of people hope to offer their children anything as
>   glamorous and glittering as American TV shows and bikini clad women in
>   Florida?  

 I see -so it really does come down to this - we americans had either get
rid of our bikini-clad blonds, or at the very least stop producing TV
shows intended for our own use which present this horrible thing. I mean
my God - we have a responsibility to the rest of the world not to strive
for a better life or enjoy attractive women. How can we fail to see that it
is better for all of mankind if we simply become a poorer nation with
double-digit inflation and unemployment rates that are almost impossible to
comprehend - say like Britain....

> Why else would Coke be so expensive and yet popular all over
>   the world (or MacDonalds for that matter!)?  

 Couldn't be that people like it right? Naaaaaaahhh..... gotta be something 
else. That's right people drink it because they hate it but think it
is cool to do - nice try......

> Why else would people spend
>   a month's wages to see a Michael Jackson concert, when they can hardly
>   afford to buy bread?

 Because they are *FREE* to choose what they'd like to do? Because they
want to do it? But no - they should do only what you think they should do,
they should only buy what you think they should buy, they should only
watch what you think they should watch and of course they should only
speak the language you think they should speak - because you see all and
know all and damn it - you and Matthew should be in charge!!! 


>   The fact that most Americans are so blind, and even arrogant, about their
>   inherent "superiority" and ability to stamp out the cultural diversity
>   in the world gives me very little love for them.

 Well I know I won't sleep well - I still keep coming back to one question -
who gives a damn? You don't have to like it - go sell off your TV, empty
your fridge, sell the furniture - I don't care - go live with one of these
wonderful, warm and fuzzy, gentle groups of people - I don't care - sell
your car, your bed, your razor, your radio and move to the third world -
I don't care - but to sit back in your situation, with your likely fututre
and knock Americans for the ills of the world is clearly hypocritical - I
wonder - what are your plans for the future? If you have a degree, what is
it in? Something that is going to help the tribesman of South America
preserve their stone-age culture? If you are getting a degree, is it in
some area of Social science? Something that will allow you to devote all to
the cause of preserving tiny cultures around the world? Exactly what is
your world view for the future? In three hundred years, should we be
attempting to keep cultures from developing in an effort to "preserve"
them? You and MAtthew both seem to imply that Europeans (or at least
some Europeans - as long as it doesn't include the two of you) should
be prevented from wanting/wishing/dreaming of a different life. That they
should be happy with life as it is... exactly who the hell are you to
decide what is right for them?


			gln