Maybe what cultures worry about most when worrying about other cultures is projection of their own worst fears about themselves onto the other.
Americans are violent and militaristic, it's true. Should not be surprising since the majority of Americans are descended from English, Germans, Scots, Irish, Scandinavians, Western Europeans - all cultures in which fighting is a strong meme. We prize strong fighters, we love strong competitors, e.g., Special Forces, Navy SEALS, we revere. Our heroes have always been cowboys. OTOH, we don't like to march around in jackboots because we aren't into conformity. That's a German meme.
I don't think of Chinese as militaristic, but I do respect Chinese as good fighters, both individually (like Jackie Chan) and militarily. My impression is that most Chinese have something better to do, and the same thing is true for most Americans. Wonder who would win in a fight between Jackie Chan and Jean-Claude van Damme (yes, I know he's from Brussels, but that's Western European)-g-
Chinese people here in the US work hard for respect, honor and material progress. They know how to delay gratification, which is an important meme, maybe the most important meme - the ability to see into the future and see that better rewards are there - if and only if - you hang on and keep working.
How we got the jump on you guys, IMO, is the brilliant showering cross-fire of exchange of ideas between the bright boys and girls in our open society. People are motivated to formulate and develop ideas when they know that it may pay off for them. Doesn't have to be getting rich from an invention, could be getting tenure in a university or a promotion in an organization. Many will be motivated by the goal of making their own job easier, coming up with a better way to do what they have to do anyway. A few may be motivated by altruism. Doesn't matter what the motivation is, but the reward must be there. |
