, if I may, with:
'Culture' is really anything other than us. As we lose culture in this country, we move on to other countries. A logical progression seems to indicate that at some point in the future, 'culture' as such will cease to exist. We will all be the same.
Meaning implies a distinction, almost the antithesis of homogeneity. In our homogeneous culture, meaning is leaving. It is being surrendered or even stolen by a conglomerate force that drains the meaning from it, leaving us homogenized, sterile, empty, meaningless. Let me say first that I am not thinking that you are necessarily wrong and I am necessarily right. We are only talking opinions, after all!
But several things came to mind as I read your posts, the first being: are we sure there ARE truly disparate, distinct, cultures? I should think that pretty much any culture that has access to television and now the internet has at least a likelihood of taking on parts* of what they've learned about.
I guess my main difference with your opinion is along the lines of what someone else said, about society and culture constantly changing. Change is pretty much guaranteed, one way or another. (Aside: I happen to be a person who overall does not deal well with change; as I was told recently, "Life goes on, Jackie". Well--it's true, but that doesn't mean I have to like it!) But--just because a culture changes, it doesn't automatically follow that what it has become is
worse--just
different than it used to be. Some individuals may not
like what has happened, but...whatever the changes, there IS still some sort of culture. Homogeneous culture does not necessarily equate to NO culture.
*Another question is: at what point do you decide that "culture" is lost? When some of the people begin to give up their native dress? When some of them begin to speak English (to say nothing of the question of the different
kinds of English)? How many? .001%? 20%? 75%? What about their business practices? When the first McDonald's opened in Moscow, did that mean that Russia had lost or begun to lose its culture? What about now, as they struggle with free enterprise? You mentioned looking alike; what about buildings? Frankly I don't think it's likely that one Wal-mart opening in England (sigh) means that they're going to rebuild everything in modern-warehouse style.
I believe I got the gist of what you were saying; I confess to having a black-cloud sort of worry for several years now that in the not-too-distant future the entire world will be in the hands of just two or three companies; but I believe and hope that we're both wrong on that. There are still quite a few folks all over who are strong advocates of retaining separate (cultural) identities; and, optimist that I am, I think society as a whole will eventually learn to work and live together without insisting that we all be the same.
