[atlarge-discuss] RE: [atlarge-panel] RE: [atlarge-discuss] Some Simple Facts...

["Bruce Young" <bruce@barelyadequate.info>]

Jefsey Morfin wrote:

|  But I suppose that you would be surprised
|  at the way - sometimes very sophisticated - they are analyzed.

Not really.  I've been following this issue for years.

|  My point is cultural.

I understand.  In some respects the US itself has more in common with your
European Union than with any single nation.  As our name implies, we are in
fact made up of 50 truely sovereign states, each with its own sometimes very
different laws, customs, traditions and idiosyncracies.  The primacy of the
states to be unique is written into our Constitution: remember that when the
US was formed, although the colonies were predominantly British, there were
already strong French, Dutch and German influences in several of the
colonies, and although all the colonies were predominantly Protestant
Christian, numerous denominations were represented, as well as a strong
Catholic presence in several major cities.  So we started out being very
diverse.  Which is not to say that we always got it right, as the sad
history of race relations in this country shows.  But most of us,
particularly those in a large urban setting, grow up assuming that everyone
around us has different roots, and do things differently than us, and we
accept that difference as normal.  This give us a great advantage when
dealing with others.  But as you point out it is also a weakness: it's easy
to forget that others often act out of long-held, narrow parochial interests
they are less likely to compromise on.

|  Many feel that the success of your
|  culture is  simplism (KISS), what is poor if you take it to the first
|  degree and what is important to us all if you build on it.

Actually, what outsiders view as "American culture" is really just the thin
verneer that overlays our own individual cultures and religions learned from
out parents, added to the cultures of the region where we are raised.  That
verneer of "American culture" (most of which stems from our Declaration of
Independence and Constitution) *is* fairly simple.  But the amalgam
underneath it can get *very* complex.  For example, a second-generation
Chinese American (whose parents came from China), who is born and raised in
California, has inherited a certian degree of Chinese culture from his or
her parents.  But he or she has also absorbed a great deal of regional
culture unique to California.  By comparison, other than the Chinese
cultural influences, and the overlay of American "culture" we all have in
common, that person might have very little in common culturally with a
second-generation Chinese American born in Georgia (Deep South culture) or
Minnesota (Midwest culture), or Pennsylvania (Northeast culture).  Now,
throw into the mix cultural influences rooted in thousands of other national
and regional cultures from around the world, brought in by people making a
new life here (many of whom marry across cultural lines!) and you can
imagine how very complex things can get!  And as I said above, this
incredible cultural diversity breeds tolerance and acceptance of other
people's ways to varying degrees within our population.

However, I alluded to a weakness above, and this is it: from my many travels
overseas, I realized that the concept of the "Ugly American" is based on a
misunderstanding. This term is often used to describe a tourist from the US
that is intolerant of another county's customs.  But in actual fact, his
behavior is not driven by a disregard for the county's culture.  Rather, the
opposite is at work. The American, who has learned to tolerate and
accomodate many other cultures all his life, can't understand why the people
where he's at don't accommodate *his* differences: he is assuming a level of
cultural tolerance that does not ofen exist outside of North America.  In
his world, culture is an *individual* choice, not a national imperative, and
everyone is free to adopt, adhere to and practice the tenants of any culture
they wish, even if they aren't born into it!  So while he respects the
rights of the people he's visiting to be different, he feels no cultural
imperative to conform to *their* norms himself!  This failure to conform is
often perceived as arrogance or insensitivity, and maybe it is when viewed
within the context of the culture he's moving through.  But from his point
of view, *they* are being arrogant and intolerant for not being equally
accepting of *his* ways, because that's how it works at home!

When this state of mind moves into the realm of international relations, you
can see where it is both a blessing and a curse.  The blessing is the
ability to understand and emphathize with others' points of view.  The curse
is expecting understanding and empathy in return, and our disappointment
when we don't get it.


Bruce Young
Portland, Oregon USA
bruce@barelyadequate.info
http://www.barelyadequate.info
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