Simon Robbins wrote in message
...
"tscottme" wrote in message
...
Victor Davis Hanson makes a good point that what threatens the
French
and the radical anti-Americans around the world is the eagerness of
their young to embrace what the US offers while considering their
local
culture as dated.

I think the article came over a bit self-indulgent, but I think
there's some
truth in what he says, (and what you suggest above.) Though in Europe
at
least I don't think it's about the young considering their own
cultures as
dated, but often the American money that comes with the imported
movies/clothing/music/food ensures that local products aren't able to
effectively compete. (Consider that the majority of movie theatres in
the UK
are now owned by Amercan movie distributors, (like WB for example),
it's
damn hard to get an audience for home grown movies without at least US
investment in the production. ) In effect, we're increasingly not
given the
choice of accepting American cultural influence but feel it's being
forced
upon us. Of course there are plenty of fine US
movies/clothes/music/food,
but whoever remembers the good things?


If the locals didn't flock to the McDonalds or Hollywood movies it
wouldn't matter. Everyone on the losing end of these equations says the
same thing, "our product is better but we are losing due to unfair
competition". Detroit auto makers said the same thing when
lower-priced, higher-quality Japanese cars kicked their butts.

--

Scott
--------
"Interestingly, we started to lose this war only after the embedded
reporters pulled out. Back when we got the news directly from Iraq,
there was victory and optimism. Now that the news is filtered through
the mainstream media here in America, all we hear is death and
destruction and quagmire..." Ann Coulter
http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/2003/091703.htm