Thomas:
Globalization is not necessarily an American issue - it is a business issue
from a capitalistic viewpoint of ever expanding growth. The fact that it
dovetails with the American myth of the endless frontier and is dramatized
by the most powerful image machine of history as reflected in the media's of
North America seems to point the finger at America.
Historically, one can perhaps state that it is just another form of
expansionist history. From Alexander The Great, to Rome, to the Vikings, to
the British Empire, the Catholic Church, Budda and Mohamed, and many others
in between, there seems to arise in history, movements that strive to
globalize. All have ended up in the dustbin of history - as will
globalization.
What endures is family, sex, the need to eat and have shelter, the desire
for entertainment, happiness and a search for the meaning of life through
philosophy and religion and drugs.
Respectfully,
Thomas Lunde
--
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>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (M.Blackmore)
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: Interesting - anti-Americanism or a point?
>Date: Tue, Aug 17, 1999, 12:00 PM
>
> Copied from a discussion... any comments anyone? Is "globalisation" really
> an American issue?
>
> "Will we permit the future history of the world to become the history of
> America? Of the American Corporation - or more precisely the
> American-dominated financial system? And just how short a history will we
> allow it to be?
>
> For globalisation isn't really a world phenomenon - it is largely American
> organisations with their culture, outlook, strategies and philosophies,
> which define the lives more and more people lead - and the deaths they
> die. It is a phenomenon from a particular place and time imposed upon
> global place and time. At least for now.
>
> This America extends its frontiers into new worlds, and takes over old
> ones. It strides time and space in a simultaneous perversion and
> continuation of its peculiar historical psychology of conquest. It now
> seeks to extend these frontiers into the totality of the human mind (or
> was the American Dream always a conquest of the mind?) Unprecededented
> control of information via corporatly controlled media creates corporately
> made minds, a populace with limited understanding of the real world they
> inhabit, shaped by selected information and mythologies of freedom. An
> engineered world-view to override all other perceived possibilities -
> there can be no alternative, therefore there is no alternative.
>
> Their reality may be hell or an ersatz heaven for those (anxiously) within
> reach of the orbits of privilege. But the reality of possibility that can
> be mentally grasped by the "kept stupid" is filtered through mindsets
> selected, designed, packaged and presented for consumption and for
> specific purposes.
>
> Even in rebellion - for the people are not happy but know not what to do -
> rebellion is channeled into paths that simultaneously emasculate
> possibilities for unravelling power, allows useful release for the
> minority who fail to be passive, and the excuse to suppress those who push
> too hard.
>
> If alternative ways are either inconceivable or, the very act of being
> different can only be dreams without possibility of substance, challenge
> to dominant power becomes impossible.
>
> And that forthcoming history a short history? Indeed. For without turning
> from the current course of environmental and human degradation future
> world history - or the history of civilisation - may be very short".
>
>
