Chirac warns of 'catastrophe' of world 'choked' by US values

[alva]

People are simply saying they don't want to be carbon-copies of the US

Why not?

Not all of us are aspiring to become fat ignorant gun crazed money chasing religious nationalistic zealots, that's why.

diversity

[DanS]

more posturing for French imperialism

The story is dripping with irony.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Albert Speer
i love how the Islamic world (and now France, apparently) hates us because of our decadence and disregard for traditional morality exhibited in our film industry...

Uh, are you aware that almost all French movies feature naked people or people having sex? It's not the moral decadence of the American culture that we hate (actually, we criticize the US culture on its "puritanism" as the word goes here).

What we oppose is the overwhelmingness of the American culture, which spreads over the world at an excessive pae, indeedly chocking many local cultures.

I don't agree with Chirac on the means he chose to express his concern. What he did is useless, as it won't change anything. Besides, I doubt it'll help him becoming more popular in the third yorld (which seems to be his main international motivation these days), and I don't think it'll bring anything more than a shalloy and extremely short-term popularity boost at home.

[DanS]

Not all of us are aspiring to become fat ignorant gun crazed money chasing religious nationalistic zealots, that's why.

Then don't. The forces arrayed against you are much less than you realize.

What we oppose is the overwhelmingness of the American culture, which spreads over the world at an excessive pae, indeedly chocking many local cultures.

Choking? Overwhelming? That seems like hysteria to me.

[Imran Siddiqui]

What we oppose is the overwhelmingness of the American culture, which spreads over the world at an excessive pae, indeedly chocking many local cultures.

That's funny, because sometimes it seems that is what France wants to do... at least the Algerians will tell you that .

[DanS]

Uh, are you aware that almost all French movies feature naked people or people having sex?

Actually, in all seriousness, this is why Hollywood movies sell better in most overseas areas than do French movies. It's not about the overwhelming nature of the marketing or the culture.

[alva]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

What we oppose is the overwhelmingness of the American culture, which spreads over the world at an excessive pae, indeedly chocking many local cultures.

That's funny, because sometimes it seems that is what France wants to do... at least the Algerians will tell you that .

Well, of course it hypocritical of Chirac.
To give an example, a couple of year ago the French very much against the idea of supporting/protecting the small countrys/languages in Europe as far a culture is concerned.
Now that all the countries have joined and all predominantly English minded, France is starting to make a full U-turn.
-

You can't argue that having a starbucks or mcDonald on every **** streetcorner in the world is, now can you.

[Shogun Gunner]

Originally posted by Flip McWho


Culture victory here we come.

Yeah, we had to give up on the UN victory. Thank God we built it!!!

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
That's funny, because sometimes it seems that is what France wants to do... at least the Algerians will tell you that .

This comment actually reflects a serious matter. Like many of our criticisms toward US dominance, the criticism of the US cultural dominance partly comes from our nostalgy of empire, back when we were the dominant culture in the world.

The cultural arrogance of our past is a reality: we destroyed almost all local languages within France, and united a very diverse people (with many different ethnicities) under the banner of the Parisian culture and the Parisian language. We attempted to do the same in our colonies, and succeeded to a large extent.

(Actually, a common foreign misconception is the belief that France is ethnically homogenous - it's not, on the contrary, it's one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Europe, after the late Ottoman empire and Austria-Hungary)

This cultural arrogance is still alive today, as we restrict the re-appearance of regional languages.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Well, Spiffor, a great numbers of times, people vociferious criticize people for doing something that they are doing themselves (albeit in an opposite direction). Such as Republicans and Democrats in the US that yell and scream that the other side is doing negative advertising while they are doing it all the while as well.

[GePap]

Actually, on the idea that people are free to conduct business in any language in the US- not so: many local governments have laws saying business signs MUST have english on them-they can be biliguial, or monolingual in english, but NOT monolingual non-englis.

2. Many Americans in the backwoods do see "hollywood" as a foreign culture- if the Chirac speech were changed , with US replaced by Hollywood, some republican in Texas or Missouri could be giving it.

[Spiffor]

However, even though I oppose the Napoleon syndrome which seems to be driving Chirac's criticism of American cultural dominance, I agree that the overyhelmingness of American culture is an actual danger for cultural diversity in the world.

My comment would be the same if it was about Japanese, French or Indian culture btw.

Cultural diversity is IMO the proudest feat of mankind. That we managed to create viable cultures that are so different, so varied, is a homage to human creativity, and is also a vector for our creativity in the future.

Language is a great example. Some languages can express concepts that some others can't, or at least not naturally. I don't think there is any translation for the German word "gemühtlich" for example (something like a comfortable feeling of being at home). Language is what we base our thoughts and feelings upon; so with different languages, we can have thoughts and feelings that we couldn't have if the world was united under one language.

And language is but one part of culture. Thanks to cultural diversity, we can have widely different viewpoints, and can hope to progress from the confrontation of those (cultural exchange is actually the main reason why I enjoy 'poly so much, and why I post this way).

Should cultural diversity be destroyed -or terribly weakened- by the emergence of an amalgamous "world culture" based on the smallest common denominator, this fantastic tool of human creativity would be wrecked. And indeed, the yord "catastrophe" does apply.

[DinoDoc]

Sounds like someone hasn't experienced the joy of assimilating cities via culture in Civ 3.

[Spiffor]

It sucks being neither religious nor scientific. I wish I was a Babylonian

[DinoDoc]

America pwnz France!