Mali Delenda Est

[Dis]

Originally posted by General Ludd



American commodities pervade every culture on earth.

American culture is hard enough to find in the USA itself, let alone anywhere else.



People have given you numerous examples, but you've ignored them all.

monster truck rallies is culture.

[sophist]

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic, but yeah, monster truck rallies are culture. Culture is the set of common entertainment, language (idioms especially), dress, traditional, and religious practices, among other things. If you think American culture is mediocre and lame, well, I won't argue with you. I will, however, argue that so are the cultures of other countries. For example, read the script of an opera translated into your native language. It's such ridiculous soap opera. And yet, we regard it as high art. It is a historical constant that the culture of the day will be condemned as worthless. It is a historical constant that the culture of other nations will be condemned as worthless. And yet, here we are.

[Alexander I]

Originally posted by GeoModder

But to answer your question, there is sure a 'decline' in american power due to the fact that new worldpowers are coming up, so proportionally seen the US has to 'share' power with more players to say the least. Power been defined then more then military advanced hardware, mind you.

New worldpowers? Name one. Granted, China's trying to reach that level. They're not there yet. Other than that, I'm waiting.

[Aro]

Monster truck rallies, Disneyland and Hollywood. Good. We deserve that, after all.

Camon, boys... You're missing Graceland!
Not to mention Michael Jackson's Neverland...

And Beware of Brazil! We're coming to smash your world power!!!

[Xorbon]

Originally posted by Dis
monster truck rallies is culture.

It's true!

Monster trucks rallies, pro-wrestling, and celebrity worship may not be high culture, but they are culture.

Don't let the General tell you any different!

[Dis]

I'm glad people see it my way.

And yes, it is not good culture. I'm trying to think of good examples of U.S. culture, I'm having a little trouble .

There is the fast food culture. That isn't good of course. But that might be more of a lifestyle instead of culture.

going to the movies, isn't that an american culture? Sure other nations do it, but weren't we the first?

biker culture. I know England has somewhat of a biker culture, but it isn't that similar to the one in the U.S. This might not be a good example, but that's only because I don't like motorcycles. Many people do.

Hot Rod culture.

football (american) and other sports such as baseball which are very american centric. and of course wrestling, monster truck rallies, car racing (though forumula cars are popular in Europe), mud wrestling, mechanical bulls, the whole cowboy thing for that matter, rodeos. the list goes on and on.

keggers and funnels (I don't know what they call it when you down beer with funnels). Not a very safe practice, but it's a party culture. Sure the English and Irish drink a lot, but they drink differently than U.S. college kids.

[Aro]

Originally posted by Dis
I'm glad people see it my way.

And yes, it is not good culture. I'm trying to think of good examples of U.S. culture, I'm having a little trouble .

All that Jazz!
I'll suggest a Great Wonder: The Blue Note Recording Company.

[Autotropx Sox]

And yes, it is not good culture. I'm trying to think of good examples of U.S. culture, I'm having a little trouble

American Grand Stand

Baseball

American Literature (distinctly different from Old World in every way)

Pop-media (nearly any type of modern musical styles originated in the United States)

Americanized English

Modern motion films

The list can go on and on with good examples of how American culture has differentiated itself and developed into a diverse mix of other races, cultures, and ideals which form a rich tapestry of our "American" culture.

And Dis..

I take offense at the examples of America's culture you so lovelingly placed on your brief and biased list. If you had actually tried to find out about American culture other then what you see on your news channels and on internet sites such as Newgrounds and Liquidgeneration then you would realize that our country isn't some shallow demigogue of uncouth and stupid youth.

It is a historical constant that the culture of the day will be condemned as worthless. It is a historical constant that the culture of other nations will be condemned as worthless. And yet, here we are.

Then why do you take such offense at the fact that other people consider Mali's culture and people too unwrothwhile to be included into Civ IV?

[sophist]

Originally posted by Dis
And yes, it is not good culture. I'm trying to think of good examples of U.S. culture, I'm having a little trouble .

Computer games! Especially turn-based historical strategy games.

[Dis]

Originally posted by Aro


All that Jazz!
I'll suggest a Great Wonder: The Blue Note Recording Company.

I should have got that. Especially since I just recently started listening to jazz (and classical). Great music.

[Zoid]

OMG is this how it´s going to be from now on? An invasion of flag waving knuckleheads who fiercly defend all things american... Haven´t we quite enough of these already (where is Fez btw? )

[yin26]

As a red-blooded American who just bought a Harley Davidson motorcycle, here's my view:

We have some *very* hard decades ahead of us as we learn to be #2 (then #3, #4?) in the world. We are already losing jobs and some of our leads in various industries are dropping rapidly. In other words, our Golden Age in some respects is declining.

However, if we learn to join forces with the world and adapt to realities, we can maintain an incredibly important position. But it will have to come with some hard lessons of humility and heaping doses of more respect and understanding for other countries and cultures. I do believe, though, that day will come...if slowly. Indeed, it's what I work on every day in my job and is the reason I lived in another country for 6 years learning a foreign language (Korean). I start Chinese language in the fall, also.

At the same point, the American resolve for fighting the good fight (at least when it's against a clear enemy and not something much harder to understand like terrorism) is and has been a wonder. I am speaking, of course, of WW2 -- to which we came very late and very unprepared, I understand.

But since WW2 (Korean War, Vietnam, now Iraq) as our understanding of the enemy has gotten worse and worse, so has our response, sadly. Thus, to the degree that we learn more about the world and our proper place it in, I think the American civilization will yet again prove one of the greatest ever.

This is especially so as long as some of the world's greatest minds continue to seek a life here enriching us financially and culturally.

[Alexander I]

Originally posted by yin26
We have some *very* hard decades ahead of us as we learn to be #2 (then #3, #4?) in the world. We are already losing jobs and some of our leads in various industries are dropping rapidly. In other words, our Golden Age in some respects is declining.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but who's going to overtake us? China is still quite far behind us, and even though they are progressing, I really don't think their growth is sustainable.

I understand that the US is suffering from several problems at the moment, but it seems that China's problems get swept under the rug. They have so many issues to overcome to become a superpower, whereas the USA already is one.

Who is going to beat out the US as the lead power?

[Alex]

"America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between." - Oscar Wilde.

[yin26]

Who is going to beat out the US as the lead power?

For the short-term, it will be collectives like the EU. Surely all of Europe can surpass the United States in whatever it wants, if it can work through its own huge problems. Later, it *will* be China. Money buys most anything, including Super Power status.

And I think your question is revealing: I don't think we're heading for a "lead power" situation so much as a situation where countries that learn to build synergy and share common success and respect will prosper together. Those that maintain extreme positions of being "right" and resort to wars and car bombs will be marginalized.

Again, I think the U.S. will respond to this trend slowly but surely, though some awfully hard years of American re-thinking (learning foreign languages, being more aware of other cultures' values, etc.) is simply going to have to take place. Oh, and we'll have to actually encourage foreigners to continue studying in our country instead of treating them like criminals. Already other markets for study abroad besides the U.S. are filling this void (Canada, U.K., Australia), and in the process we our losing the best advertisement for loving this country that we have ever had or ever will have.