The whys of the Culture Wars
Iraq is supposed to be the war that broke the west. Yes the differences of opinion in the west over use of force against sovereign nations did come to the fore on Iraq, but did the west really break on this issue?
Amongst the litany of grievances listed by Europeans against America (and now Anglo Saxons) is the relatively innocous one called cutlure. The American Empire is different from the other historical empires. It isn't militarily nearly as mighty (Romans have fought on numerous fronts and won, whereas America is struggling to manage two relatively small states) but it projects enormous soft power not least through its media and culture. It won significant victories when it took over other Anglo Saxon states like Britain, Australia and Canada (illustrated by the decline of these states' film industries). And over the years with the great increase in media around the world, the hitherto non Anglo Saxon countries are bearing the brunt of this mighty American culture machine.
The reason many say is the size of the American economy. The economy is a magnet which attracts the brightest of the world, who take back the American culture. Alternately the prosperity is such a strong magnet, the America becomes aspirational which the rest of the world emulates, right from junk food, to MTV. But is the economy the only driver of American cultural onslaught. If that was so, Japan is a huge economy (with a very proud and very ancient history as well) at the heart of the East Asian miracle, but nobody accuses them of projecting their culture.
Back home in India, the state which is projecting its culture is not the largest (who has heard anybody humming a Manoj Tiwari number) or its richest (heard any Gujrati or Marathi songs doing the rounds of countdowns) or one with a glories past (we still don't appreciate Rabindra Sangeet that much, do we?) but a small state in the northwest called Punjab. And lets not even try calling one culture superior to another. So what makes UPwallahs living in Mumbai hum punjabi numbers or south Indians like me appreciate their music?
Societies that are aspirational do manage project their cultures. But what determines aspirations? Is it well being (how many of us watch Swedish or any of the Scandinavian movies) or is it simple wealth of its richest (nobody aspires to be like the Arabs) or is it history (but then why does Pink flloyd sell more than Mozart)?
If you know the answer to this, just drop me a line. We would make the world our little cultural domain!!!!
Amongst the litany of grievances listed by Europeans against America (and now Anglo Saxons) is the relatively innocous one called cutlure. The American Empire is different from the other historical empires. It isn't militarily nearly as mighty (Romans have fought on numerous fronts and won, whereas America is struggling to manage two relatively small states) but it projects enormous soft power not least through its media and culture. It won significant victories when it took over other Anglo Saxon states like Britain, Australia and Canada (illustrated by the decline of these states' film industries). And over the years with the great increase in media around the world, the hitherto non Anglo Saxon countries are bearing the brunt of this mighty American culture machine.
The reason many say is the size of the American economy. The economy is a magnet which attracts the brightest of the world, who take back the American culture. Alternately the prosperity is such a strong magnet, the America becomes aspirational which the rest of the world emulates, right from junk food, to MTV. But is the economy the only driver of American cultural onslaught. If that was so, Japan is a huge economy (with a very proud and very ancient history as well) at the heart of the East Asian miracle, but nobody accuses them of projecting their culture.
Back home in India, the state which is projecting its culture is not the largest (who has heard anybody humming a Manoj Tiwari number) or its richest (heard any Gujrati or Marathi songs doing the rounds of countdowns) or one with a glories past (we still don't appreciate Rabindra Sangeet that much, do we?) but a small state in the northwest called Punjab. And lets not even try calling one culture superior to another. So what makes UPwallahs living in Mumbai hum punjabi numbers or south Indians like me appreciate their music?
Societies that are aspirational do manage project their cultures. But what determines aspirations? Is it well being (how many of us watch Swedish or any of the Scandinavian movies) or is it simple wealth of its richest (nobody aspires to be like the Arabs) or is it history (but then why does Pink flloyd sell more than Mozart)?
If you know the answer to this, just drop me a line. We would make the world our little cultural domain!!!!
posted by Dinkar at 1:20 PM
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