American cultural hegemony

[CJvR]

Hardly surprising that the Africans have negative vibes about Europe when the colonal era is considered.

[PainRack]

they think that unless its American, its not good. Its hard to really say what this attitude is and can only be felt. Its not even a real truth, because the reason why they think that way, is because they don't know anything else better.

By American, I mean what is thought of as American by those who live in countries where free enterprise and democratic government don't exist, and thousands of years of recorded history have shown us that the absence of these values will lead to tyranny and oppression. So yes, what is American in this case, is best, and it has proven itself so.

You miss out on my point. Those of the "free world" don't like America because of the ra ra chanting, but because America doesn't value the input of others.

[BoredShirtless]

If by values you mean values like free enterprise and democratically elected government, then I would say that yes, Americans do think that the rest of world needs to emulate these values if they want to be happy.

Happy like the United States, huh? Are you guys happy that your freedom is getting choked by the Patriat Act? Are you happy that you're public enemy no. 1 in the eyes of roughly 1 in 6 people? Does it make you giggle that terrorists are right now planning to use a WMD in one of your major cities? If only Cuba was so happy....

I think that history vindicates such an opinion, considering that these values are allowed a nation that was laughed at 90 years ago to become the most powerful nation in the world.

The world has no problem with these values, and most people would agree to freedom and democracy because the desire to control our lives is human nature. And being able to have a say in the make up of the required government is an extension of that.

So why does everyone [but yourselves] hate you so much? Why are there Islamic extremists calling for Taliban like governments? Hmmmm?

The absence, or even watering down, of such values are the reason every other government in history has failed in the long run.

Wrong.

The reason people see these values which are universally desired among people as American is becuase we were the first to institute them successfully and we are the living embodiment of the fact that such a system can work, and work better than anyother system.

Are you trying to be funny? You were not the first to institute free trade and democracy. And how do you define "success" in this context?

Ask any oppressed people in the world and those are what they value. Mike you are speaking from the view point of someone who lives under a European sytle government, and I have also noticed that all the people complaining in this fashion also live in European countries, many of whom live in stable countries only because they have adopted American style government.

What a mess. You first said that Mike was looking from a different perspective as he lives under a European style government, then you said European styled governments owe there thanks to the AMERICAN style government....wouldn't that mean Mike is actually looking at things from an AMERICAN perspective too?

I think that many Europeans are angry because they see our success as a point of arrogance,

You think wrongly.

and I'll grant that that would be an easy conclusion to come to every time you see a crowd of Americans chanting "USA, USA, as nausem." The reason we do so is because we are proud of what we have accomplish as a people, not because we want to rub it in peoples faces. The frustrating thing is that every time we try to help anyone else out in the world through aid or what not a bunch European blowhards that conveniently forget that they are living in free societies because of the effort that Americans made in the their past cry foul. It's not the people in these countries that don't want us to help them, they want to have the lifestyle Americans enjoy, it's the one's we've already helped like the Germans and French.

Arrogant. Uninformed. Only in America.

[Spyder]

I can't honestly see how these values should be labeled as American given that the US implementation is extremely...problematic? In the former you've got one-sided tariffs and unrealistic expectations of export partners as well as irreseponsible corporate regulation and in the later you've got a two party system, generated from campaigns based on special interest incentives actively preventing any elected government from not being corrupt, the system escapes the term dictatorship on a technicality.

Once again, I am referring to the ideals of democratic elections and free enterprise, not the system of government. It really doesn't matter what exists in reality, the fact is that many people in the third world view America as the place where these ideals are put into practice and proof that they work.

I'm just a little curious as about what criteria you're using to say that these traits are "American." The concepts weren't developed in the US and as I and others have already pointed out their implimentation within the US isn't that great, and as others have pointed out there are other countries that have implimented the ideals of democracy, freedom ect to a much higher standard. Are you saying that they work because of America's strong economy? If so then did you remember to factor in the trillions in trade debt the US has incurred in the process? Is it because the US has a strong military? If so then will freedom and democracy become New Zealand ideals if I can convince my government to start building lots of nukes?

Did you happen to ask them if they actually sat down and compared American values with the values of other free nations?

Actually, they brought it up on their own. Some of them mentioned that they liked Canada about the same as America, but all liked America better than Europe. The Eastern Europeans and Africans I talked to seem to have a rather low opinion of Western Europe, and the Asians no opinion at all. Like I said before, I'm not talking about whether you have a PM or president, but whether it's a democratically free system. When asked what country came to mind when thinking about that they always said America, not France, Spain, England or any other European country.

So in other words, no? I'll rephrase, did they come to their conclusions based on knowledge of what they consider to be 'American ideals' or did they get some books out, look up some numbers and do some comparisons?

Well, personally I don't think the chanting is really what bothers them/us/ect. What bothers European nations are the claims, fairly similar to what you just posted, about American motives being altruistic and or claims of being the holy bastian of peace, democracy and freedom. This is an opinion that is very much vindicated by history. For one thing, American motives are seldom if ever altruistic. In the example you mentioned about having helped the Germans and the French, the US did nothing to aid the allied war effort until it felt that it's own borders were threatened. Now the same can be said about the other European nations, none of them interveined to save the German jews, they only interveined after Germany proved itself to be a threat to the surrounding nations. The crucial difference however is that these European nations don't deny this. The very claim that democracy is an American ideal is another one. Problems with America's internal implimentation aside, there are numerous instances of the US supporting foreign dictators and even in examples such as Iran actually toppling a democratically elected government and installing a pro-US dictator. As for free enterprise, that claim is quite simply a joke. Ask any New Zealand steel worker what they think of US trade policies. The US spokesman will bleat about free trade and how we should drop the unfair an unneccessary import duties while in the meantime Bush imposes increased steel tarrifs, crippling the competitiveness of our steel exports.

So you'll find that adverse reactions to the mention of American cultural hegemony is not completely unfounded.

I'm not talking about what exists in fact, but the way that people percieve America. Specifically, that the reactions to America that you see here are not what is the norm in countries where people are not actually free.

So you agree then that democracy/freedom/free trade ect in relation to American ideals is actually hype?

[Crown]

EDIT :: If you were wondering why I didn't 'rebut' anything, its because I asked you to present some evidence, and well you didn't so...

Your inability to see the obvious boogles my mind. Instead of appointing a strong leader who could make Iraq in to America's puppet, we have allowed them to have free elections, appointing people who, from the looks of the people they want, will immediately work to deny that freedom.

THERE HAVE BEEN ELECTIONS IN IRAQ? Please, please tell me you accidently slipped and didn't mean to type that load of tripe.

We aren't forcing them to elect the people we want, we are giving them the choice, even if they make the wrong one.

Oh really?

You poor, poor, sad little man. Hope I didn't pop any bubbles there. Of course we could go through the whole 'list' of US achievements in 'supporting and promoting' democracy if you like?

[BoredShirtless]

Jesus. David is obviously just waking up from a coma. Hey David, news flash buddy: the last news you saw before your accident, your President landing on that ship and declaring the war over? WRONG!

[AniThyng]

The IDEAL of american "freedom" and "democracy" is quite different from the REALITY of american freedom and democracy, isn't it?

has it occured to you that it's implementation in places other then america might be even more flawed then it already is? particularly when it is forced upon that society? and this is somehow a GOOD THING?

and it's not that ideal that is necessarily what we get. in reality, we end up with...Reality Television...Macdonalds....Britney Spears...these are arguably net cultural minuses.

as for tyrants abusing my country's system - who knows. maybe that man will suck up to america and your precious ideals get buried under reality even more, as nothing will be done by your freedom loving government. we've seen it happen in the phillipines, after all.

if my countrymen desire more freedom then what we enjoy, we'd prefer to think we want it for our own sakes, not because America preaches it at every turn and holds itself out as the model.

[Aeolus]

Ask any oppressed people in the world and those are what they value. Mike you are speaking from the view point of someone who lives under a European sytle government, and I have also noticed that all the people complaining in this fashion also live in European countries, many of whom live in stable countries only because they have adopted American style government. Every person, and I mean every single person that I've talked to from south america, sub-saharan africa, asia, or eastern europe who has lived in areas where governments exist that do not function based on these values love America and the values it stands for. They want their countries to be like America because living under a government and with a people who value such things is what makes them happy.

Define American style government. If that just means a president along with elections, a huge number of countries in Africia and South America qualify, but not European countries.

Furthermore, the question isn't about the values of democracy and enterprise. Yes, America did once represent those values, but ever since the materialistic 80s, the perception of America has turned, viewing them as , ahem, capitalistic corporate consumerist dogs, even while America reverts to a more spiritual, religious or philosophical lifestyle.


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Thats not true. I saw a movie from the early 60's or maybe the 50's about a coward in WW2 who ends up leading the charge (by accident) in Dday. I wish I could remember the name. But anyways, all through the movie the Brits were complaining about how ;capitalistic corporate consumerist the Americans were. At one point the lead character had to point out that Coca-Cola did not start the war European barbarism did. The point of this being Europeans felt this way about Americans LONG before the 80's.

[Aeolus]

If by values you mean values like free enterprise and democratically elected government, then I would say that yes, Americans do think that the rest of world needs to emulate these values if they want to be happy.

Happy like the United States, huh? Are you guys happy that your freedom is getting choked by the Patriat Act? Are you happy that you're public enemy no. 1 in the eyes of roughly 1 in 6 people? Does it make you giggle that terrorists are right now planning to use a WMD in one of your major cities? If only Cuba was so happy....

.

I am so tiered of Europeans bitching about the patriot act;
1st. it will almost certainly be gutted if not thown out by the courts.
2nd. Many European goverments put more restrictions on their citizens than the patriot act does.
3rd. Their have been far more serious breached of freedom in America's past that we managed to overturn and recover from.

[Joe]

as for tyrants abusing my country's system - who knows. maybe that man will suck up to america and your precious ideals get buried under reality even more, as nothing will be done by your freedom loving government. we've seen it happen in the phillipines, after all.

What, like how we left the Phillipines when they asked us to?

[AniThyng]

as for tyrants abusing my country's system - who knows. maybe that man will suck up to america and your precious ideals get buried under reality even more, as nothing will be done by your freedom loving government. we've seen it happen in the phillipines, after all.

What, like how we left the Phillipines when they asked us to?

i'm refering to Marcos, not Subic Bay.

[Sam Or I]

First back on the original topic of culture. Yes the US greatly influnces culture around the world. Art, music, culinary, and fasion, it would be ignorant to say the US has very little influence over these thing. Yes others love these things and do not want to be American, thats all fine and good. But other countries also try to emulate this aspect of American culture, and inspire/influense other cultures. (I will use S. Korea as an example because I lived there a year and a half) When in south Korea, there was a new Korean Fast food chain popping up around the country to compete with McDonalds, which in all reality was not that much different than Micky D's. Does it mean they wanted to be American? No. Did American culture influence Korean Culture? Yes. Thats just one example. Music is not a low example of what culture is, I actually see it as a rather high example. I can say with very good confidence, that the US has a great influence in the music industry. (As does Britian). How many young musicians in Europe (or any first world nation) want to emmulate some US star. The same goes for fashion, alot of local buisness in other countries try to make US clothing look alikes, with thier own touches, but still drastically changed from the native countries traditional fasion.

So bottom line is, other countries like American Products so much, they try and emulate them. Thus changing thier own culture traditions to become more "American".

For Cultural Values, these are not as easliy exported.

[Darth Wong]

"Influence" is not what we're talking about; influence is pervasive and it cuts both ways. Do you consider the worldwide proliferation of Chinese food restaurants to be proof that Chinese culture is taking over the world?

I think SOTS inadvertently hit on the real problem non-Americans have with American culture: its insistence that certain widely accepted values are somehow "American", ie- the common belief that to be "free" is somehow intrinsically American, or that democracy is somehow intrinsically American.

[TheDarkling]

I think SOTS inadvertently hit on the real problem non-Americans have with American culture: its insistence that certain widely accepted values are somehow "American", ie- the common belief that to be "free" is somehow intrinsically American, or that democracy is somehow intrinsically American.

That is exactly right, Americans laying claim to things like Democracy and Freedom is not only insulting to the rest of the world but historically ignorant (not to mention the naiveté some Americans display when they think of their country as being morally superior to others because they supposedly espouse these ideas, although that is less a cultural issue as much as an issue of how America is perceived differently by it own populace and the rest of the world).

I also think the "influence" that has been mentioned is an important factor in undertsnading why semo AMericans think they have spread tehir culture far and wide. Some Americans seem to think that a series of brand names makes up a culture, so when other nations adopt these brands and items they are adopted American culture. Of course this is rubbish, when I eat a Kebab am I showing my wish to be closer culturally to the Turkish? No, I am showing I like Kebabs. If I was to drink a bottle of wine would I be showing my allegiance to French culture, a beer shows I wish to be German and so on..... No because a culture can consume items without having itself become the culture who produced those items, that is the difference that some Americans don't seem to grasp, just because I eat and drink certain things that were thought up in America does not mean I feel any closer to being American than when I eat an any other cultures food and it also doesn't mean I wish to become more apart of that culture either.

[Stravo]

The French certainly seem to think that American culture exists and is a threat to their own.

But I truly wonder whether we as a society built on being consumers can actually HAVE a culture so to speak? America is a patchwork of many ethnicities being born as a nation of immigrants and continue to do just that. Howevre as a person born of immigrants I have seen the pervasive effect of what one can deem to be American culture, my parents' Spanish is liberally sprinkled with english words or as we like to call it "Spanglish"

America assimlates all it can, from different types of ethnic food, to customs and beliefs. Perhaps that is the true cultural phenomenom of America, that we continue to take what we want from the variety of people that come to our shores and make it into something unquely American.

[TheDarkling]

The French certainly seem to think that American culture exists and is a threat to their own.

The French are elitist snobs who think anything none French is a threat to their oh so marvellous culture.

[admiral_danielsben]

The French certainly seem to think that American culture exists and is a threat to their own.

The French are elitist snobs who think anything none French is a threat to their oh so marvellous culture.

I think the French are suffering from cultural downgrading, symptom they're no longer on top anymore of the culture and diplomacy game. From the thirteenth to the nineteenth centuries, the languages of first chivalry and later diplomacy was French. In the nineteenth century, the Czar's court even spoke French primarily. In recent years, English (especially American English, although the British also played a key role vis a vis colonies such as India and Nigeria) has taken that role. It's got the French paranoid. The French language is carefully maintained by a language bureau to keep English words out - this merely results in French 'stagnating' - government control always causes stagnation of some sort. In this case, English is a by and large 'unregulated' language - it's really a bastard language, so much of it comes from Spanish and Latin and German and Japanese and Dutch and yes, even French (especially French - remember the Normans?).

The French have seen themselves decline militarily, as well. The Normans conquered the English back in 1066 - nearly destroying the young language, and heavily introducing such anglized french words like pork, art, royal, emperor, president, and so on. Back in 1700, France was the strongest nation in Europe (possibly excepting distant and then-primitive Russia, only beginning to modernize under Peter the Great), when men like Louis XIV ruled an empire at the time second-largest of the major Western European states (After Spain) - including half the continental US (from around Ohio to Montana, from Alabama to the Canadian border - and half of Canada was French, too). This was when the States - still British colonies nominally ruled by the King - were a tiny band of twelve coastal enclaves stretching only to the Appalachians (the thirteenth colony, Georgia, had yet to be founded). Even 100 years ago, after the Germans humbled them in 1871, France controlled most of west Africa, plus a large number of colonies in the Americas and the Far East, an empire only outmatched in size by the British and the Russians (who were their ally - and the Czars spoke French). They also were the co-founders (with the British and - later - the Americans) of modern democratic ideals (men like Montesqueiu[sp?] and Voltaire).

Today? the French 'Empire' consists of French Guiana, a few caribbean islands, a couple islands off Canada, some south pacific islands (most notably Tahiti), and some limited economic 'influence' over some of their former West African colonies - now independent states. Most of their colonies are independent. While every major empire around in 1900 lost territory (or disintegrated alltogether, as in Austria-Hungary or the Ottoman Empire), the Americans and British have fared best off (Although the British lost much of their territory, they still influence a great deal of it in the commonwealth - and many of the former British colonies copy the Westminister parlimentary model - from Canada to India; America has lost only the Phillipines in that time). in 1940, the French were not only humbled by but occupied by the Germans for five years. Who saved them? Their old allies, the British, Americans, and the Russians - the two former English-speaking. Today, English-speakers exceed French speakers - by a considerable degree, if you count folks who speak English as a second or third language. The US, once a mere protege of Britain and France, exceeds both in power, militarily, politically, and economically.

The French are bitter at English-speakers, the Americans especially, for their fall from the top. That's all there is to it.

[Son of the Suns]

You miss out on my point. Those of the "free world" don't like America because of the ra ra chanting, but because America doesn't value the input of others.

No, I got your point. I was using the "ra ra chanting" as an example of why non Americans may see Americans as arrogant. Not valuing the opinions of others is usually the product of being arrogant. I am mearly pointing out that the perceptions of people who do not live in the free world are different from those who do.


P.S. It might take me awhile to get to each person's answer.

[Son of the Suns]

If by values you mean values like free enterprise and democratically elected government, then I would say that yes, Americans do think that the rest of world needs to emulate these values if they want to be happy.

Happy like the United States, huh? Are you guys happy that your freedom is getting choked by the Patriat Act? Are you happy that you're public enemy no. 1 in the eyes of roughly 1 in 6 people? Does it make you giggle that terrorists are right now planning to use a WMD in one of your major cities? If only Cuba was so happy....

I've already talked about the Patriot Act and such in one of my posts BS. I'm talking about the use of values in any society that makes it's people happy, and unless your individual desires are those of your ruling government then a society where democratic elections, free enterprise, etc. is the only kind in which you can be happy because it is the only kind where the minority has any kind of protection from the tyranny of the majority. The current policies of the government which have created the situation which you describe have no bearing on the system of government which America employs.

I think that history vindicates such an opinion, considering that these values are allowed a nation that was laughed at 90 years ago to become the most powerful nation in the world.

The world has no problem with these values, and most people would agree to freedom and democracy because the desire to control our lives is human nature. And being able to have a say in the make up of the required government is an extension of that.

So why does everyone [but yourselves] hate you so much? Why are there Islamic extremists calling for Taliban like governments? Hmmmm?

Because Islamic extremists are the ones who would stand to benefit from a system of government in which the only ones in power are the ones that they choose. If those same fundamentalists lived in America they would probably want a democracy because without it they could have their rights and probably their lives taken from them if the majority of America, which is not Muslum, decided to deny them those rights. If you define happiness by having total power over a people then of course you won't be happy in a democracy, but if you want to have your rights protected even when you don't have power democracy is the best and only solution.

The absence, or even watering down, of such values are the reason every other government in history has failed in the long run.

Wrong.

Show me a current government that is over 100 years old which tramples on the lives and rights of those who do not support the current power of the country. Every single government that is not based on the values I have described has failed.

The reason people see these values which are universally desired among people as American is becuase we were the first to institute them successfully and we are the living embodiment of the fact that such a system can work, and work better than anyother system.

Are you trying to be funny? You were not the first to institute free trade and democracy. And how do you define "success" in this context?

On the scale that America exists it is, and I would call having a nation which currently lives under the world's oldest government a success.

Ask any oppressed people in the world and those are what they value. Mike you are speaking from the view point of someone who lives under a European sytle government, and I have also noticed that all the people complaining in this fashion also live in European countries, many of whom live in stable countries only because they have adopted American style government.

What a mess. You first said that Mike was looking from a different perspective as he lives under a European style government, then you said European styled governments owe there thanks to the AMERICAN style government....wouldn't that mean Mike is actually looking at things from an AMERICAN perspective too?

No, it doesn't mean that at all, because as he pointed out he lives in a different culture, one that closely resembles the cultural outlook of the people of Europe. Most Western Europeans have lived their entire lives in a free society, and therefore have a different outlook on what America represents than a person who has not lived in a free society for much of their lives.

I think that many Europeans are angry because they see our success as a point of arrogance,

You think wrongly.

I'm sorry, let me rephrase, every European I have talked to personally has said that they dislike America because they think it's people are arrogant and that that arrogance is caused by our success in becoming a world power.

and I'll grant that that would be an easy conclusion to come to every time you see a crowd of Americans chanting "USA, USA, as nausem." The reason we do so is because we are proud of what we have accomplish as a people, not because we want to rub it in peoples faces. The frustrating thing is that every time we try to help anyone else out in the world through aid or what not a bunch European blowhards that conveniently forget that they are living in free societies because of the effort that Americans made in the their past cry foul. It's not the people in these countries that don't want us to help them, they want to have the lifestyle Americans enjoy, it's the one's we've already helped like the Germans and French.

Arrogant. Uninformed. Only in America.

Stupid, blind, typical BS.

[Son of the Suns]

I'm just a little curious as about what criteria you're using to say that these traits are "American." The concepts weren't developed in the US and as I and others have already pointed out their implimentation within the US isn't that great, and as others have pointed out there are other countries that have implimented the ideals of democracy, freedom ect to a much higher standard. Are you saying that they work because of America's strong economy? If so then did you remember to factor in the trillions in trade debt the US has incurred in the process? Is it because the US has a strong military? If so then will freedom and democracy become New Zealand ideals if I can convince my government to start building lots of nukes?

You are completely missing the point. It wouldn't matter if America was a fascist dictatorship that was in the process of wiping out everyone with a certain body type, the fact is that people in countries that cannot by any standard be considered free have a concept of what "American" is and that concept is that to be "American" is to be free in a society where you pick the people that make policy by democratic election. That is their concept, whether it reflects reality or not is irrelevent.

Actually, they brought it up on their own. Some of them mentioned that they liked Canada about the same as America, but all liked America better than Europe. The Eastern Europeans and Africans I talked to seem to have a rather low opinion of Western Europe, and the Asians no opinion at all. Like I said before, I'm not talking about whether you have a PM or president, but whether it's a democratically free system. When asked what country came to mind when thinking about that they always said America, not France, Spain, England or any other European country.

So in other words, no? I'll rephrase, did they come to their conclusions based on knowledge of what they consider to be 'American ideals' or did they get some books out, look up some numbers and do some comparisons?

Several of the people are professors or international politics students at the university that I go to, so I would assume so. Once again, reality is irrelevent, what matters is their perception of America.

This goes beyond my point, but the economic state of a nation and it's dealings with other nations has absolutely no bearing on the freedom of the people who live inside it.

I'm not talking about what exists in fact, but the way that people percieve America. Specifically, that the reactions to America that you see here are not what is the norm in countries where people are not actually free.

So you agree then that democracy/freedom/free trade ect in relation to American ideals is actually hype?

No, I'm simply pointing out that what exists in reality, that is whether or not America actually reflects the ideals that are associated with it, is irrelevent to the disscussion.

[Son of the Suns]

THERE HAVE BEEN ELECTIONS IN IRAQ? Please, please tell me you accidently slipped and didn't mean to type that load of tripe.

Sorry I meant to use future tense, not past. We are going to allow them to have free elections (in January I believe) and are in the process of setting up a system that will allow them to do so, at great cost to our own soldiers. We are not picking the people that will be on the ballot, and by the looks of it the people who will be elected due to the number of fanatics in the country will work to move the country away from a democracy and towards a theocracy, denying the people of the country the freedom that will probably put these fanatics into power, which I would consider to be a wrong choice.

[Crown]

I posted more than that one line David.

[Son of the Suns]

Jesus. David is obviously just waking up from a coma. Hey David, news flash buddy: the last news you saw before your accident, your President landing on that ship and declaring the war over? WRONG!

Oh I'm sorry, did I miss where Bush said Iraq is now the permanent domain of America and that the plans for them electing their own government was cancelled? Last I heard the Iraqi's interum government is in charge of the country and they're having elections next year. I would call that promoting democracy in Iraq, to bad you can't see past the blinders your own stupidity and bias have placed on you.

[Son of the Suns]

I posted more than that one line David.

Just a sec, I'm getting to it. I'm trying to stay on my main point.

[Crown]

I posted more than that one line David.

Just a sec, I'm getting to it. I'm trying to stay on my main point.

By avoiding contradictory evidence? Look, if you had said America stands for the free market economy and individual capitalism I would have, on the whole, agreed.

But your almost GOP line about 'freedom and democracy' is so full of shit, you might as well be a septic tank. America's willingness -- no almost enthusiastic desire to -- tople democratic governments and place puppet regimes in place have been well documented and thoroughly established. No one in their right mind can even deny it.

What most do, is attempt to rationalise it; we were fighting the cold war, and we toppeled democracies to save themselves, from themselves and promote democracy and freedom under dictatorships ( ). Or like Axis (at least the guy is honest); might makes right.

America, like every nation, is interested in promoting its national interests and buissness concerns. Most of everybody else can admit this, for some reason Americans have to hide behind the bullshit of 'promoting democracy' or some such to sell it to the ignorant American masses. The fact that most of the rest of the world calls a spade a spade is where the problem arises. Oh, point of fact; I am a non-American, so I think I am qualified to discuss what bothers me about America, its 'exportation of values' and the real reason behind it.