THE EDITOR, Sir:
WHAT IS it about other people's culture that scares the USA so much? One of my colleagues remarked one day about the new Palestinian Prime Minister wearing a western-style suit. Another responded by saying that he was pleased not to see him in the usual bed sheets.
Why is it necessary for different societies to discard their cultural identity and become westernised, in order to be accepted? Americans seem to get a sense of security when the person they are dealing with looks like them, talks like them and acts like them. They do not seem to have the ability to tolerate other cultures, unless those cultures exist within the framework of western civilisation.
This should not be too surprising for a society which has no real culture of its own. It is a society that is made up of different people from many different countries and cultures, which are willing to cast off who they are in order to fit in; in order to get along, one has to tone down whom you are. This might be OK for a multi-cultural society to survive but why should this be extended to the world.
Cultural celebration in America is a one-day affair, for one day out of the year you are allowed to celebrate who you were and on all other days you had better lose it, if you want to fit in and share a piece of the pie.
Let's also examine the Americans concept of travel, of those who travel. They do not travel to experience the different culture, food and surroundings, they expect that the America they left behind must exist in every corner of the globe, they must be able to get their burgers. In many cases apart from the driver and the hotel staff an American would never interact with the outside society, while travellers from other parts of the globe may only travel to places that are not like their homeland, that to them is the real reason for travelling, to learn, to experience, to understand, to respect other societies and to accept other cultures and other ways of life.
So now they have the Afghanistan leader wearing a suit, the new Palestinian Prime Minister wearing a suit and so will the new Iraqi leader, if America has anything to do with it. Slowly but surely, various societies around the world with unique cultures and way of life are learning, that if you want to live and survive in today's world you had better discard your culture and become Americanised.
I am, etc.,
ANDRE A. STEWART
nobody@ns.jamaicagleaner.com
New York, NY
Via Go-Jamaica
