Global Crossroads
Globalization is being beaten up left right and center. As with most things on which people have unequivocal opinions there are several ways of looking at it. The usual argument against globalization is pretty much an argument against the US and its putative economic and military world hegemony. Often the crowning argument boils down to pointing out McDonald’s golden arches in the middle of an ancient Italian or Greek city.
I’ll be the first one to admit that Mickey D and the Parthenon don’t go together (that’s why I thought municipalities had zoning rules pertaining to construction in historical sites; maybe the Europeans should come here and check out what we’ve done in Cobble Hill and Beacon Hill in that regard). But the problem is not the fact that 20th century yellow plastic doesn’t go with Greco Roman stone. The implication is that somehow, by its very nature, the presence of American fast food, soft drink and garish tourists takes away from the purity of ancient cultures.
In the grand scheme of things I think that while the argument may hold true on occasion, it is highly reactionary. I mean, most cultural development always meant some sort of displacement, some change. Every conqueror was always influenced by those who were vanquished.
But you know what, I don’t think that the analogy holds here. If what America is engaged in is conquest, it’s a pretty lame one. As a matter of fact, if anyone is conquering anyone, from a cultural, or at least the culinary standpoint, we are the ones that should be crying “abuse.” I mean, just think about it, against our rather pathetic McDonalds and Burger Kings, what is the rest of the world doing right here in our back yard? Show me a town, let alone a city, that does not have a large number of Chinese, Greek, Italian, Japanese and Indian restaurants (not to speak of China town and Little Italy)? If we are undermining their cultures by our Golden Arches, then they are undermining ours ten fold – this last is a point my wife made during a conversation the other day.
It’s all very silly, of course. Cultural purity is about as nonsensical as racial purity. One – it does not exist, and two, it can never be maintained. Just as we all are incredible amalgams of genetic material, so are our cultures incredible amalgams of ancient traditions, taboos and an incredible variety of influences. While it is probably true that without a past no one has a future, I think it is equally true that our future does not lie in our past, especially not in an embalmed, mummified sterile past that dreads any breeze of fresh air to stir its dust.
5:30:47 AM 
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