Chomsky: Why the Rest of the World No Longer Wants to be Like U.S.

[mbewane]

Most of the world has been copying our clothing, music, television, film, news media, military structure, technology and idioms for the better part of the last 70 years now. Where have you been?

In some ways since like, the roaring 20s.

Our media dominance

I've been in the world you guys are talking about. Don't confuse watching your movies with wanting to copy the US. Have a look at how different Europe for example is regarding issues such as death penalty, free education, multiparty political systems, welfare state, gun control, abortion, the place of religion in the public sphere, the reliance on wars as opposed to diplomacy, multilateralism vs unilateralism, the defense if cultural diversity etc. Listening to hip-hop on a Iphone or watching the Lakers doesn't mean "the world wants to be like the US"

 

[Tommy Knocks]

Kobe Bryant is america now?
That nikka gives no fukks about america, he loves Kobe.

 

[villain]

I read Rogue States and he makes some interesting comments on American hypocrisy and intrigue in that book but offers no solutions. I am pretty liberal but he comes across to me as an opportunist. All armchair analysis and no real solutions.

Solutions to what? He's offered a lot of obvious solutions to different conflicts.

Most criticisms/arguments that I see against him have to do with his personality and character rather than the actual substance of his writings.

 

[The 2020 New Member]

I've always viewed the US as a rebellious teenager at a new school. This country's novelty has worn off and now we are just another face in the crowd. It's a hard pill to swallow I know. We're great, we really are, but immature in a lot of ways. We flex and want to come off so much cooler than the rest of the world, in the meantime our home life isn't anything to even speak of.

/rant

*and i think chomsky is brilliant since there seems to be a side conversation going on in here.