[thechat] 103 Pak prisoners return from US - PakTribune

[Drew Shiel]

At 13:22 18/03/2003 -0800, Erika Meyer wrote:
>Syed, there is NO SUCH THING as an average American.  To assert that there 
>is would be telling a lie.  We are such a diverse mix of cultures, you 
>cannot categorize us, not culturally, not racially.

   I take your point, and I know what you mean. It's almost fair to say 
that there's a lack of an American culture, and sometimes a lack of 
understanding of the notion of cultural behaviour. I discovered this some 
years ago on a mailing list when I posted a rather rant-laden mail, and was 
challenged on a part of it. I explained by saying it was exaggeration, 
rhetorical, and that I was Irish, and therefore that's normal communication 
for me. I was attacked in no uncertain terms, by people calling me racist 
and saying there was "no such thing as culture", only individual behaviour.

   But I think there IS an American culture. It's part of the core of 
Western culture. If culture is composed of memes, I think it can be said 
that American culture contains the following, among others:

   Democracy is the best form of government.
   Money is good, more money is better.
   Freedom of speech is the most important right, after life.
   Television is the normal form of entertainment.

  Naturally, not all of those are going to be accepted by *everybody* - and 
some of them may be decried as bad things. But I think they're elements of 
American culture.

   Whaddya think?

   Drew.


Drew Shiel                               webmaster at swiftpay.com
                                                     +353-1-2365701
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