If you thought we were uptight about Janet...

...check out this

Talk about Hipocrasy

This has nothing to do with Janet. It's about YOUR corporations destroying THEIR culture, for the sake of profit.
Indians certainly have nothing against people loving each other, but they are entirely justified in not wanting silly american customs contaminating their country.
You're doing it to us too. A few years ago "halloween" stuff started to appear at the local shopping center.
It sickens me to the hilt, especially because around here, that time of the year is traditionally a solemn one, when we remember our dead, and humbly acknowledge that we too will eventually fade away.
Definitely the wrong time of the year to be prancing about in silly costumes and eating candy.
It hasnt been catching on that much, but you never know. With enough time and marketing any culture can eventually be destroyed.

I know this is somewhat off topic, so I'll try not to respond further, but doesn't this imply that that Americans are justified being upset about the import of other cultures (or languages) into America?

As for the corporate problem, I have some definite sympathy with you there, but I'm not yet sure who is to blame for this problem (which goes much further than "culture export".

But garoad, america has been a melting pot of different cultures since the very beginning. Even before the europeans got there, dozens of different native tribes existed with their own distinguished culture.
In portugal, we are 99% portuguese with 1% of africans. Actually, I have a vague recollection of some study finding the continental portuguese to have the most genetically pure blood of all europe.
We've always been pretty isolated, stuck between the spanish and the sea, and now all this stuff comes pouring in uninvitedly.
I'm not a conservative, or an especially traditional person, but I cant help but feel invaded when some idiotic foreigner who probably can even spell "portuguese" unilaterally decides to try and make a buck out of defiling our culture.
FWIW, I should probably be blaming the french instead, since the local supermarket (jumbo) where I first noticed this happening is actually a former portuguese company who was recently acquired by a french group (auchan).
After some googling it seems that the french even claim that the halloween thing was invented by the gauls? I thought it was nordic in origin. Whatever. Someone's messing with us and I'm not happy about it.

Saying corporations rather than "Americans" (implied by your use of "YOUR"?) is much more accurate, yes. We have alot of corporations that are out of control. Although...many of them are "multinational" so they aren't technically "ours" or "American". They're screwing us over too.

I had a long response here but since I promised not to hijack, I'll just say that I don't think the US is so much of a "melting pot" anymore. Many of the foriegners here don't seem to want to adopt or learn anything about our culture.

The US has historically absorbed many cultures but we're no different from any other country, in that it is also offensive to us to have foreign culture "forced into us", as you are experiencing yourself. If we see something from another culture that we like, we'll adopt it; it's not that big of a deal. Look at how much Asian culture is being imported lately--that's how it's done. Not with laws...and you CERTAINLY don't enforce culture with brutal threats of violence and humiliation. They can't see that this will probably backfire on them?

Back on subject:

This is a consequence of "Free Trade" and "global economic unification"--but really, you can't have it both ways. India wants to be able to essentially take jobs from us, work for our corporations, use our schools, modernize, and apparently adopt our economic model, which is perfectly legal and fine if you're a free trade advocate and all.

But India isn't willing to accept the other consequences of essentially making the world smaller. WTH, they expect to send their students over here and have them return 4-6 years later without having adopted any American culture at all? Huh?

Most of our holidays (well, the really big ones) stem from pagan religions that were around long LONG before America was even "found". The world brought these things to America, not the other way around. That's about as much as I'll let myself get into this conversation (hopefully), as I generally don't get into debates on the boards over serious issues.

Funny I have (had?) the same rule but I break it all the time. rofl grrr

That sucks that people can't freely express themselves. People in free countries are very lucky. It's not like they are being FORCED to celebrate. They want to. It's fun.

Eggy, when western cultural traditions are adopted by people in other countries you have to blame the people who adopt them, not the corporations that offer their holiday wares for sale. If everyone found it so offensive no one would buy the stuff and your culture would never be dilluted. Uhhhh, I didn't *want* to buy the valentines card, but the evil western marketing was simply too powerful! It's not any different than fat people filing lawsuits against McDonald's because the food made them fat.

Judging from the outrageously oppressive bull in that article it's no wonder people adopt new cultural traditions. Some of the old ones really suck.

Off Topic: What Chip said. It's not fair to brush all Americans with the same color -- not all of us are particularly fond of Valentine's day either. And, you have to understand that the shop owners in your country choose to buy from wholesalers the merchandise, choose to put in their stores and choose to sell it. I don't think there's like a big mega corporation out there making shop owners sell anything -- unless they are a franchise.

On Topic: India is pretty well known for having these kinds of conflicts between groups, this doesn't really surprise me.

Z

Really? I would have said it has nothing to do with Janet, but it has everything to do with backward xenophobic small-minded intolerance to different ideas, and forbidding personal expression in favor of mob mentality.

But hey, to each their own.

So it's OK for other cultures to come to America and influence society with customs from their homeland, but it's acceptable for the PURE blooded cultures to condemn any intrusion into their society??

Whoa, hey, you know what? I've heard the same thing being said by some of our fringe groups here in the US .... umm, what were they called again? Oh that's right, fanatical facists, white supremecy groups, many many many right-wing religous groups .. etc.

I do believe that's what we call intolerance, bigotry and predudice.

Unless you're from a PURE blooded old country, in which case it's called protecting their culture from the evil US corps?

I have to chuckle at the idea of Hallmark as an evil, power-mad globe-spanning corporate conspiracy, ruthlessly forcing sappy cards and chalky heart-shaped candy ("I WUV U" on the poor, innocent native peoples of the world. Oh, the horror! Have you ever seen such cruelty!Goody for you.

Jellin,

It's interesting how the same situation can be viewed so differently. I have some sympathy with the aims of those Hindus, if not the methods they use. American culture is very strong, and it is insidiously invading other countries.

Britain is now totally in the thrall of American culture. We listen to American music, have adapted our language to embrace American word-forms and expressions, we watch entertainment from America every day on television. Things are so bad that in some of our TV ads the narrators use fake American accents! This kind of thing gives rise to extreme reactions - certainly I have seen an increase in anti-American sentiment over here in recent years, which I think is due to the slow realisation that our culture has been swamped.

In the same way that Britain is (or was) a strong culture and therefore can absorb influences from the Caribbean, the Indian sub-continent and the far East, so America is quite capable of absorbing cultural influences from elsewhere, and to benefit from them in the same way that Britain has benefited.

But it doesn't benefit any country to be swamped and to have its own natural culture diminished. This, I think, is the danger those Hindus foresee.

Incidentally, Eggy, we never used to celebrate Hallowe'en either - over the last 20 - 30 years it has become more popular, fuelled by the retail market, and now every year we are assailed by all the paraphanalia that goes with it. I'm waiting for Thanksgiving to arrive next!

What she said. You are all quick to condemn this country as some big land of evil doers out to conquer the universe. Thats why people from all over the world are giving up everything they have to try to get into this country, legally or not. It's really easy for you all to stan on your high-horse and point fingers. There is no BETTER place to be in this world right now than here. ... OK.. I'm done. You zealots feel free to flame me now, but as for this country. if you arent here, dont judge it. I have had family DIE trying to get here from CUBA. I have family who want to come, but cannot. I could add tons of other comments in here but am leaving them out for the sake of not targeting directly. HIGHLY UPSET.

Like it or not, the entire world is a melting pot in the 21st century. The entire world is just around the corner. Instant communication, rapid travel, globelization, it's just too big to stop and worry about what your greeting card says or if your kid wears a costume and begs for candy one night of the year.

Frankly I think there's about a BILLION things that are better to worry about.

Eggy you might as well make a sig saying 'I'm a fat pure bred portugese' since you bring that up every other post you make.

I was tempted to type alot of what Jellin and Chip later mentioned, but deleted it.

But...even though I'm a total Eagle Scout or maybe a Nanny for saying this: ow my eyes... no more public forum lynchings please..

What aboot Canada eh!

OK, You got me there! I LOVE Canada! I used to spend six months out of the year up in your country!

CANADA! It's a great place to be! And so much cleaner!

EDIT:

I Had to add this. I was once in Toronto and partying with friends.. We left the pub in a druknen stupor. (Young stupid men) and i stepped into the road and a car almost hit me. He swerved to avoid me and wound up doing a 360 due to lost traction. If this were NY where i was raised, the guy woul have gotten out and beat me unconcious. This guy got out ran torwards me and said "I'm so sorry! Are you ok?. then even offered to drive me to my hotel to make sure i made it back ok." Even though it was my fault. This is when i really started appreciating Canada (Being the nasty NY'er i would have beat the crap outta him had it been the other way around.

And from the article...



Eggy, buddy, I can appreciate how much love you have for your country and it's traditions but it's rather short-sighted to pin blame on one broad thing like a country or corporation. Seems to me, there are good and bad parts in a lot of things besides America or multi-national corporations.

Not to limit my conversation to just Eggy...

How would any of you like living in India and not be able to show affection for your love ones? Perhaps for some that is the way of their culture but it would be very hard for me as a person to follow. Perhaps though that would be different if I was raised in India? Is it better to have the freedom to show affection for a loved one or not?

<<You are all quick to condemn this country as some big land of evil doers>>

Um - Jellin, would you mind showing me where I have done that?

Um - That was me, Not her But as I indicated on that post, I was not targeting anyone directly. That was my little outbreak which was spat out in general. It a general statement aimed torward the common foreign outlook on the American culture. Yes, I'm a patriot. Don't take any offense, none was intended.

It's their county and their deal. Same with France and the head scarf thing. We arent right about everything and its not our place to say they are right or wrong. We need to learn to respect that other cultures are different. Different does not equal wrong.