From: steph@cs.uiuc.edu (Dale Stephenson)
Subject: Re: INCOMING!! (Was: Re: American Cultural Imperialism over Canada)
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 05:23:40 GMT

In <1992Apr9.045920.16474@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> bdienes@s.psych.uiuc.edu (Bruce Dienes) writes:
[snip]

>I can't believe that USers are still so uninformed about how their nation
>dominates and controls other countries, with no regard for their culture,
>social systems, or financial systems.  During the so-called "Free Trade"
>debates, US officials were intimating that Canada had to dismantle its
>medical care system, because it was an "unfair advantage", that it would
>have to cut support of Canadian magazines and other media (which have to
>survive the onslaught of US media from a strong power base across the 
>border.  People on this news group are even complaining that foreign
>cartoons refer to their own cultures, as if that were a terrible thing!
>The attitude is that there is nothing to learn from other cultures, that
>everyone would be better off under US rule or influence, etc...

Just one moment, sir.  I have read every note propogated to my site in
this group (so far), and I don't recall people "complaining the foreign
cartoons refer to their own cultures."  I *have* heard people complain
that Fred Basset is being altered to remove British culture -- which 
bothers me, also.  My position (and probably the position of others) is
that there is nothing wrong with a strip reflecting a cultural background
*as long as* it is funny.  While I admit that cultural differences may
make a strip less funny, apparently "American" humor translates well
into Canadian, and vice versa.

Political and financial domination are basically separate issues from
cultural domination, and obviously irrelevant to rec.arts.comic.strips.
With respect to cultural domination, America does not *force* Canadian
papers to run American strips, nor Canadian readers to read them.  If 
your culture becomes Americanized it is your own fault.

>When the whole cultural framework of your nation is being assaulted,
>taking a stand for every part of it (including comic strips!) is essential,
>before it is eroded away from the edges.  It is NOT true that Canadians
>other than Quebecois are "just like USers".  Come up and live with us for
>a while and get a flavour of our unique music, arts, social life, values,
>sports, politics, (and Mutant Killer Snow Goons)

If you really think reading "Foxtrot" will impair your Canadian identity,
you must already be more like USers than I had ever imagined.  If you're
that paranoid, I have a suggestion:

DON'T READ "AMERICAN" COMICS.

Drastic, eh?  But if your cultural identity is that precious AND that
fragile, do it.  As for me, I can sleep nights without worrying that
my "Asterix" books are going to turn me into a European.  Or that Shakespeare
will make me British.  Or that the Bible will make me Hebrew...

>Yukon Ho!

>A Canadian in exile (at grad school, but resisting acculturation)

>Bruce.

--
Dale J. Stephenson |*| (steph@cs.uiuc.edu) |*| Gigabit Study Group 

  "It is considered good to look wise, especially when not 
   overburdened with information" -- J. Golden Kimball