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The American century - the Americanization of the world. Mail Concepts of American Business




In the early 1900's, "Americanization" referred to the movement where immigrants were developed into Americans. Now, in today's world, the term has a different, but similar meaning - the globalization by the U.S. of the world. The American economy is an ever-present force in the world today. Pepsi ads now clutter the streets of every big city in China, Big Macs are being ordered throughout the entire world, and the term "Always Coca-Cola" is being muttered by all of Europe, although they have no idea what the phrase means. Have we gone too far in our economic Americanization of the world? Some will argue that we have - using our advantage of being the world's only superpower in a dangerous way - by interfering and forcing our culture on countries that do not want to be "Americanized." It is my belief that Americanization gives other countries a false sense of the American way of life and, in the end, causes hatred for the U.S. and threats on our power and freedom.

Over the past few decades, American capitalism has rapidly taken over the entire world. Not even the most communist nations of China and Russia are immune to this rapid invasion of American culture. China's youth today can not only watch The X-Files, Baywatch, and the newest films from Tom Cruise for entertainment, but also go to the American Dream Park, an amusement park in Shanghai which duplicates typical American attractions. When they get hungry, the Chinese can eat at any of 130 McDonald's restaurants or get takeout from Boston Chicken and Domino's Pizza (2). Russia, too, has been having its share of American culture. In 1996, a new McDonald's opened across the street from a government building in Minsk. As it happened, the opening coincided with a protest being held to call for a referendum on the president's use of power. Tim Snyder writes, "On my side of the street, militiamen videotaped those brave enough to speak. Across the way, their colleagues kept the hamburger line in order. Here, someone spoke of the eternity of the Belarussian nation. There, someone ordered Always Coca-Cola. I left ill at ease" (4). Canada is also having problems with Americanization. American companies now control most of Canadian industry, causing many people to wonder how long it will take before Canada becomes part of the United States (5). It goes without question that American globalization is very evident in today's world.

Americanization is not only changing the world, but also causing wrong judgments to be made about American life. In a recent French poll of images that come to mind when thinking of America, 67% of those polled said "violence" and 49% "inequality" as opposed to only 20% who said "freedom" and 4% "generosity" (3). In Europe, Americans are stereotyped by globalization as being shallow, spoiled, and shortsighted. Tim Synder writes that only a little more than ten years ago, America was a great model of democracy. "As an American I was asked about Paul Revere, Thomas Jefferson, and the Constitution. In 1998, I'm asked about Paula Jones, William Jefferson Clinton, and the Fifth Amendment" (4). What happened between those ten years that would drastically change the way Europe and the world view American life? Even President Bush isn't exempt from this kind of stereotyping. When asked to describe President Bush in France, the most popular answers are "a ventriloquist's dummy" and "the Forrest Gump of American politics" (3). In Singapore, words like violence, workaholism, and disrespect for authority are all synonyms for the "American Way." "In your movies and your materialism, we don't see the real America," writes Simon Tay, a Harvard grad and lawyer from Singapore trying to explain this misperception (6). When looked at around the world, Americanization seems to have the opposite effect than what was imagined, causing many nations to incorrectly stereotype America.

American globalization not only wrongly stereotypes us, but also causes many nations to hate the "American Way." It may have even caused the terrorist attacks on September 11. Thomas Friedman, in an article published in 1998, warns that Americanization not only creates hatred for the United States, but also allows the people who foster this hatred to do something with it - through technology. Ramzi Yousef, the man behind the first World Trade Center bombing, kept track of all his plans on a Toshiba laptop. Osama bin Laden for a time was running a multinational JOL, Jihad Online (1). Many people blame bin Laden solely for the recent terrorist attacks on the U.S. But is he the only one responsible? Who's really to blame for September 11? Look no further than the clothes you wear, the food you drink. Blame Nike, blame McDonald's, and blame Coca-Cola. These companies are the icons of Americanization - the renewed movement which is taking over the world, destroying traditions, and creating new Osama bin Ladens. Thomas Friedman writes:

The American message particularly tells young people around the world that we have a better way than their fathers. This is why the Osama bin Ladens constantly speak of "American arrogance" and how America is "emasculating" the Muslims. That's why they just want to kill America. And globalization, through its rapid spread of technologies, also super-empowers them to do just that. It makes it much easier to travel, move money or communicate by satellite phones or Internet. (1)

Americans think of their culture as relatively conservative. However, compared to the rest of the world, we are the revolutionary society. This causes a threat to many nations around the world. "For the rest of the world, we are wild, crazy revolutionaries, with rings in our noses and paint on our toes, overturning cultures and traditions wherever we go" (1). Is this the image we want to globalize for the whole world to see? Americanization gives the world the wrong view of America; will it take another September 11 to figure this out? Americanization must be stopped, or else drastically lowered, so not to threaten other nation's traditions and beliefs.

Despite this recent surge in American culture over the world, a few countries like France and Germany are making plans to slow Americanization. By raising taxes and tariffs on foreign companies and investors, these countries are making it harder for American companies to profit overseas. Also, in Israel, a cultural rebellion is taking place. The Israeli government, in an attempt to slow down Americanization, now requires their radio stations to devote half their airtime to Hebrew songs (6). These are only the exceptions to the rule of American globalization, though. Americanization is now in full swing and sees no end in sight, particularly because many Americans perceive it as a great achievement. Charles Krauthammer writes in Time magazine that, "America is no mere international citizen. It is the dominant power in the world, more dominant than any since Rome. Accordingly, America is in a position to re-shape norms, alter expectations and create new realities" (3). Lewis Lapham expresses the same opinion in his "American Rome" essay. He says that it is America's job to help out the world and "cleanse the world of its impurities" (3). Americanization, these people believe, is the answer - the change that the world is looking for. Of course, if the world really does want change, who's to say that America has the answer? What gives us the right to assume that American culture is the way of the future? These questions should have been answered first, before American culture took over the planet. As G. Pascal Zachary writes, "We are all Americans now, like it or not" (6). If he is saying this statement now, what will the world be like if America continues this trend in ten years? How about even twenty years? How far will American globalization go, or more importantly, will it ever end?




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