Cultural Imperialism, a Must Read!

[loveProphet]

Wow, from 1997 and the govt has implemented their plans to a shockingly successful degree:

It is in the general interest of the United States to encourage the development of a world in which the fault lines separating nations are bridged by shared interests. And it is in the economic and political interests of the United States to ensure that if the world is moving toward a common language, it be English; that if the world is moving toward common telecommunications, safety, and quality standards, they be American; that if the world is becoming linked by television, radio, and music, the programming be American; and that if common values are being developed, they be values with which Americans are comfortable.

Indeed, just as the United States is the world's sole remaining military superpower, so is it the world's only information superpower.

Many observers contend that it is distasteful to use the opportunities created by the global information revolution to promote American culture over others, but that kind of relativism is as dangerous as it is wrong. American culture is fundamentally different from indigenous cultures in so many other locales. American culture is an amalgam of influences and approaches from around the world. It is melded--consciously in many cases--into a social medium that allows individual freedoms and cultures to thrive. Recognizing this, Americans should not shy away from doing that which is so clearly in their economic, political, and security interests-and so clearly in the interests of the world at large. The United States should not hesitate to promote its values. In an effort to be polite or politic, Americans should not deny the fact that of all the nations in the history of the world, theirs is the most just, the most tolerant, the most willing to constantly reassess and improve itself, and the best model for the future. At the same time, Americans should not fall under the spell of those like Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew and Malaysia's Mahathir bin-Mohamad, who argue that there is "an Asian way," one that non-Asians should not judge and that should be allowed to dictate the course of events for all those operating in that corner of the world. This argument amounts to self-interested political rhetoric. Good and evil, better and worse coexist in this world. There are absolutes, and there are political, economic, and moral costs associated with failing to recognize this fact.

And since it is not likely to be an initiative that is widely liked or admired or enhanced through explicit promotion, it is not an approach that should be part of American public diplomacy efforts.)

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel.../rothkopf.html
David Rothkopf, "In Praise of Cultural Imperialism?" Foreign Policy, Number 107, Summer 1997, pp. 38-53

[Um Selma AlHilaliyah]

Wow, from 1997 and the govt has implemented their plans to a shockingly successful degree:

Do you think it is a deliberate plan being implemented? or is it just the way things have been naturally evolving as a result of America being a superpower in a telecommunication's age? We recall that they tried to promote and improve America's image around the world aggressively after the Iraq war erupted. They allocated huge amounts of money and resources for that purpose, but it was a complete failure.

[Ma'ruf]

Do you think it is a deliberate plan being implemented? or is it just the way things have been naturally evolving as a result of America being a superpower in a telecommunication's age? We recall that they tried to promote and improve America's image around the world aggressively after the Iraq war erupted. They allocated huge amounts of money and resources for that purpose, but it was a complete failure.

People will still oppose the U.S.'s actions politically, but will not necessarily be aware of the extent to which their culture is becoming westernised. Ibn Khaldun wrote about this process, where the weaker party is drawn to imitate the tastes and habits of the stronger. About the decline of Muslim Spain, he wrote:

"[A] nation dominated by another, neighbouring nation will show a great deal of assimilation and imitation. At this time, this is the case in Spain. The [Muslim] Spaniards are found to assimilate themselves to the Galician [Christian] nations in their dress, their emblems, and most of their customs and conditions. This goes so far that they even draw pictures on the walls and have them in buildings and houses. The intelligent observer will draw from this the conclusion that it is a sign of being dominated by other."

[Dhul-Qarnayn]

Do you think it is a deliberate plan being implemented? or is it just the way things have been naturally evolving as a result of America being a superpower in a telecommunication's age? We recall that they tried to promote and improve America's image around the world aggressively after the Iraq war erupted. They allocated huge amounts of money and resources for that purpose, but it was a complete failure.

It is completely calculated and deliberate.

[Um Selma AlHilaliyah]

It is completely calculated and deliberate.

But aren't we suppose to take responsibility for letting it happen? Nobody forced us to watch their movies, to dress like them, to talk like them, to adopt their ways,...True that cultural imperialism is far more reaching and effective than political or military one in altering the minds of people, but it can only happen if the latter ones are receptive to it whether consciously or unconsciously.
At the time of Al-Andalus, Spaniards used to write poetry in Arabic instead. There is a famous letter written by one of their religious figures, where he was concerned that his people could no longer speak Spanish correctly because of the Arabic language dominance.

[umar_italy]

People will still oppose the U.S.'s actions politically, but will not necessarily be aware of the extent to which their culture is becoming westernised. Ibn Khaldun wrote about this process, where the weaker party is drawn to imitate the tastes and habits of the stronger. About the decline of Muslim Spain, he wrote:

"[A] nation dominated by another, neighbouring nation will show a great deal of assimilation and imitation. At this time, this is the case in Spain. The [Muslim] Spaniards are found to assimilate themselves to the Galician [Christian] nations in their dress, their emblems, and most of their customs and conditions. This goes so far that they even draw pictures on the walls and have them in buildings and houses. The intelligent observer will draw from this the conclusion that it is a sign of being dominated by other."

Absolutely agreed Sidi.
The subject of cultural imperialism is too often forgotten, people just see the political imperialism but don't realize their own minds are colonized, without the need of armies nor weapons.

[MujahidAbdullah]

I think it is a mixture of intentional and natural way things work.

When Muslims dominated the world, Arabic was the language to learn, the dhimmis abandoned their traditional way of dress for ours and emulated muslims in every way (evident through the "pact of Umar II" which sought to clamp down on this trend).

The difference is the American way is a nafsi way. Their culture encourages people to indulge in all of their lower carnal desires (essentially the same thing santanism teaches). This is much more appealing to people and allows the cultural imperialism to grab a hold faster and have a tighter grasp on those living the life..

If you look the main opposition around the world to American culture comes from the Muslim world ( China, Japan, Korea, S. America all adopt it with ferver) this is because our way of life is in direct oppposittion to their cultuural way of thinking. They preach indulge, indulge, indulge. We preach abstain, abstain, abstain.

This might be the underlying source of our conflicts with America, our way of life is in direct opposition to their money making schemes

[umar_italy]

I think it is a mixture of intentional and natural way things work.

When Muslims dominated the world, Arabic was the language to learn, the dhimmis abandoned their traditional way of dress for ours and emulated muslims in every way (evident through the "pact of Umar II" which sought to clamp down on this trend).

The difference is the American way is a nafsi way. Their culture encourages people to indulge in all of their lower carnal desires (essentially the same thing santanism teaches). This is much more appealing to people and allows the cultural imperialism to grab a hold faster and have a tighter grasp on those living the life..

If you look the main opposition around the world to American culture comes from the Muslim world ( China, Japan, Korea, S. America all adopt it with ferver) this is because our way of life is in direct oppposittion to their cultuural way of thinking. They preach indulge, indulge, indulge. We preach abstain, abstain, abstain.

This might be the underlying source of our conflicts with America, our way of life is in direct opposition to their money making schemes

Sidi.

I completely agree with the first part of your post but I have a different view about the underlined part: in fact, it's the christians who preace COMPLETE ABSTINENCE and call for an "innatural", puritane forcing against natural needs and physiological needs.

Islam is NOT that kind of puritane religion: it recognizes human needs and desires, but limits them in a balanced way of life.
While christianity rather completely negates human desires, and has a puritane imaginary (for christians sex is always a sin, also between married couple, while in Islam in that situation is a sadaqa; we have hur-ul-`ayn in Jannah , we have possibility of divorce, of using contraception methods, and so on)
You can see their abstinence-puritane mentality in the catholics of the past and now in the protestant evangelical sects - who by the way are HARSH enemies of the "american way of life"... American way of life that in reality is not present in the whole USA, but just in main metropolities, and they just use it as a weapon for spreading fasad worldwide.

So, let's don't become just because we have to face the indulging in nafsi desires; rather let's strive to mantain balance, as it has always been in islamic history and heritage.

And Allah knows best!

[MujahidAbdullah]

Sidi.

I completely agree with the first part of your post but I have a different view about the underlined part: in fact, it's the christians who preace COMPLETE ABSTINENCE and call for an "innatural", puritane forcing against natural needs and physiological needs.

Islam is NOT that kind of puritane religion: it recognizes human needs and desires, but limits them in a balanced way of life.
While christianity rather completely negates human desires, and has a puritane imaginary (for christians sex is always a sin, also between married couple, while in Islam in that situation is a sadaqa; we have hur-ul-`ayn in Jannah , we have possibility of divorce, of using contraception methods, and so on)
You can see their abstinence-puritane mentality in the catholics of the past and now in the protestant evangelical sects - who by the way are HARSH enemies of the "american way of life"... American way of life that in reality is not present in the whole USA, but just in main metropolities, and they just use it as a weapon for spreading fasad worldwide.

So, let's don't become just because we have to face the indulging in nafsi desires; rather let's strive to mantain balance, as it has always been in islamic history and heritage.

And Allah knows best!

I agree with maintain a balance.

And when I say we abstain, I am not talking about the big sins, Im talking about the minor things.

I dont know where you live, but I live here and have been raised here, My parents are both non Muslims, and they see things like Hijab, halal meat, and even getting up for fajr as big sacrafices they dont want to make. As a whole the American way of life is nafsi, they like their sexy girls on TV, they drink alchohol like water, and pre marital sex (even for christians) is no big deal.

When I first became Muslim at 16 my parents sent me away to "Jesus camp", while I was there I witnessed the other teen girls and guys getting together and for sex (I didnt physically witness it) and the preechers their just said "Try not to have pre-marital sex". compared to christian Americans, every MUslim looks like a sufi.

[Dhul-Qarnayn]

I think it is a mixture of intentional and natural way things work.

When Muslims dominated the world, Arabic was the language to learn, the dhimmis abandoned their traditional way of dress for ours and emulated muslims in every way (evident through the "pact of Umar II" which sought to clamp down on this trend).

The difference is the American way is a nafsi way. Their culture encourages people to indulge in all of their lower carnal desires (essentially the same thing santanism teaches). This is much more appealing to people and allows the cultural imperialism to grab a hold faster and have a tighter grasp on those living the life..

If you look the main opposition around the world to American culture comes from the Muslim world ( China, Japan, Korea, S. America all adopt it with ferver) this is because our way of life is in direct oppposittion to their cultuural way of thinking. They preach indulge, indulge, indulge. We preach abstain, abstain, abstain.

This might be the underlying source of our conflicts with America, our way of life is in direct opposition to their money making schemes

Very well said. I've been drawing the same comparison between the unleashing of the animal Nafs and satanic qualities.