Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (72295)	9/21/2004 11:11:49 AM
From: SBHX	Respond to of 793882

I think in many places the true resentment of the US is the cultural domination by the likes of McDonalds, and especially by hollywood. Most people outside the US don't realize that hollywood has little to do with the real usa, or that the american culture is a amalgamation of various diverse cultures of the world assimilated through immigration, nor do they realize that this culture undergoes constant change. When you're the biggest guy on the block, it is too easy to be seen as the bad guy, and people channel their anger due to various reasons such as israel, trade practices, tough negotiations, loud tourists. But ultimately the US is a lightning rod for anger simply because it is the only superpower left and disadvantaged people need a bogeyman to blame for all their problems in life. And you don't really expect the leaders of each country to just step up and admit what the root causes of the real problems in their societies are, do you? On the other hand, it will not hurt one bit to be more sensitive to others on cultural matters, and this is especially so during travels to other countries.

To: LindyBill who wrote (72295)	9/21/2004 11:50:59 AM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793882

>>"Empire," to most of us, means a geographical position, with physical colonies, from which we get tribute. Not sure who "most of us" is. Take a look at your nearest Borders or amazon.com and you'll see for sale "Colossus: The Price of America's Empire," "After the Empire," "The Folly of Empire," "The Sorrows of Empire," "An Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire," "Imperial Hubris," "Debating Empire," "Empire's New Clothes," etc. I don't think it's accurate to say that empires demand tribute. The British empire did not. What it did do was impose its own ideas about economics, beginning with mercantilism, passing through free trade, and finally ending when it went socialistic (cause and effect can be debated on this last point). I don't think it's accurate to say that empires have physical colonies. The Romans did not. They established Roman civilization in other parts of the world, but the citizens of those outposts were the locals, e.g., in Spain, the Spanish, in England, the English. I just watched Bush's address to the United Nations. It's no coincidence that the UN is situated in Manhattan. It's also worth noting that Bush did not ask the members of the UN for help fighting terrorism, he told them that they must help fight terrorism. It's a bluff, of course, they're sovereign nations and thus our nominal equals so it is worse than herding cats, but still, we don't ever go there with our hat in our hands.