The Megaphone (Georgetown, Tex.), Vol. 99, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 24, 2005 Page: 4 of 8
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The Megaphone, March 24, 2005
OPINIONS AND EDITORIALS
Ethnocentrism, yes it is a big word
Why Americans and American culture are not the most exceptional in the whole world
By MARTIN STANBERRY
Megaphone Associate Op/Ed Editor
This article on cultures and
their relativity to one another
is based on a small amount of
something I have studied in my
Studies class. It is something
that I believe is important for
all people to be aware of, and
something that isn’t necessarily
easy to practice. Ethnocentrism
is the idea that a culture (in our
case, American culture) and a
way of life is superior to the way
that other cultures work and live
their lives.
Culture is something that is
not easily delined, but it is con-
sidered to be anything that is
part of our daily lives it is not
something we can point at but
instead includes “everything we
thinks do. feel, and believe.” 1
would go far enough to say that
Americans have more trouble
with ethnocentricity than any
other country on this planet.
My reason for believing this is
because Americans, as a unified
people, see history as extremely
favorable, which leads us to
believe in our superiority as a
culture. -
If you look at examples
from our past you can see that
America has been extremely
successful in economic and mil-
itary ventures. First off, Amcr-
i(-;i r.rr;t) Britain in The
American Revolution and that
paved the way for the idea of
Manifest Destiny (“pwning" the
land from the Atlantic to Pacific
Oceans).
From there Americans were
able to move West and civilize
the savage Native Americans
who were “ignorantly” wasting
resources that were important
for the success of our capitalist
ventures. Later, we defeated
Germany and Japan in World
War II, the communists in the
Cold War, and that is only con-
cerning military risks.
America as a nation is also
an extremely technologically
advanced society. American
technological feats include send-
ing men to the moon, rovers to
Mars, the creation of the Inter-
net, and portable computers, as
well as the formation of the
American economy, which is
one of the strongest markets in
the world.
For many Americans these
few things are enough to make
them confident about the supen-
have weak cultural traditions,
we are definitely not the most
talented in most artistic ventures
such as painting and sculpture,
composittotMJ^la^^
« Courtesy of Google Inioge Search
Even with the world's strongest military we still fail in other cultural aspects
ority of our culture, but there are
many other factors which Amer-
ica fails to consider when think-
ing about important aspects of a
culture.
As a culture America is very
young and fairly inexperienced.
In comparison to many other
cultures, we lack certain aspects
that they consider vital. We
or in culinary skills.
Not only do we fail to
exceed others in artistic ven-
tures. hut America as a nation
and culture fails to provide social
expenditures that many west-
erners consider vital in modern
society. America has yet to
create a comprehensive health-
care plan for all citizens, we
do not have the lowest poverty
rate in the world, or the highest
literacy rates and America cer-
tainly does not attempt to pro-
vide equality for our citizens.
I believe that these “flaws”
in the American system are
ing ourselves to other nations
and cultures. Americans have
such ethnocentric views because
what we focus on (victory in
military and technological/
economic ventures) has been
very successful.
I believe Americans see
these imperfections as less
important because if we fix our
artistic abilities or provide more
to our citizens we still fail to
gain any power or global influ-
ence from their solutions.
It is believed that in order to
help reduce ethnocentrism, we
must remember that culture is
something that is learned it is not
inherent and is always chang-
ing. What Americans consider
to be proper varies from what
other countries believe is proper
or appropriate.
It is suggested that in order
to help reduce ethnocentrism
an individual should “adopt the
perspective of cultural relativ-
ism”. This is the idea that before
we judge a difference between
cultures as negative we should
recognize that cultures are in
fact, different, and we should
attempt to understand that others
may not value the same thing as
we do.
As Americans, a large
majority of us value economic
gain and starting a family, but
many cultures are less concei ned
with earning money. Norwe-
gian culture places an emphasis
on equality for their citizens,
while Japanese culture places
importance on saving face and
protecting the family.
I think it is important to
embrace the cultures ot others
because with the coming ot the
age of technology, globaliza-
tion will cause many of the tra-
ditions and cultures ol the world
to become obsolete. But until
then, we should attempt to make
an effort to understand the cul-
tures of others and to stop
discrimination against what is
different from what we under
stand. ♦
George W. Bush- protector of liberty
By BOZE HERRINGTON
Megaphone Staff Writer
So, it looks like President
Bush was right.
I say this because, unless
you haven’t been on earth in the
past few weeks, or you’d rather
not be at the moment, events
in the Middle East haveqxroven
Presid<|iti Bush to be right. In
case you missed it, or wanted
to miss it, we are currently wit-
nessing one of the most remark-
able flowerings of democracy in
the history of man.
In only the first two months
following the Iraqi elections
- not so much, not two -
the president of Egypt, Hosni
Mubarak, has promised to allow
another candidate in his coun-
try's next election. Saudi Arabia
has agreed to allow women to
vote after allowing municipal
elections, the first in its history.
Hundreds of demonstrators
marched in Kuwait demanding
equal suffrage for women. In
Lebanon demonstrators brought
about the collapse of the
pro-Syrian government. Thou-
sands more then marched in
Lebanon demanding complete
withdrawal of Syrian troops.
When a pro-Syrian rally staged
by Hezbollah looked really big,
the Lebanese staged one that
was really bigger... half a mil-
lion people in Beirut.
In the words of Wordsworth,
obstinate critics have had a dif- Soderbcrg: The truth always
fietrit time denying the obvious. ‘ helps in these things. I have to
Some of them have even admit- say. But I think there is also
ted it. i going on in the Middle East
“Der Spiegel” ran a column peace process - they may well
just know it.
Alt Fade I. the former pro-
vincial council chairman in Iraq,
was more to the point: “We will
build a statue for Bush. He is
These Iraqis are pTacficing their democratic rights by protesting against the American occupation
on the French Revolution: “Bliss
was it in that^ dawn to be
alive, but to be young was very*
heaven!”
For those w ho expected this
to happen and supported the
flowering of democracy and the
march of human rights from the
beginning - w'ho wouldn’t, and
why did anyone oppose it? -
it has been heavenly to see the
disgruntled pessimists and nay-
sayers in a virtual panic, flum-
moxed by the failure of events
to remain chaotic and virulent.
When millions of Iraqis risk
death to vote and when people
all over the Middle East take
to the streets-demanding free-
dom and when violence in Iraq
escalates into control, all within
a month of the event that was
supposed to make or break the
Bush administration.
Even the most pugnacious.
entitled “Could George W. be
Right?” France’s “La Figaro”
ran a column entitled, “And
if Bush was Right?” London’s
“Independent”, on page one:
“Was Bush Right After All?”
Left-leaning “Newsweek", on
its cover: “People Power: What
Bush Got Right.” Macleans
of Canada- “Mayhe Ru*-h
have a chance to do a historic
deal with the Israelis and the
Palestinians. These guys could
really pull off a w hole
Stewart: This could be
unbelievable'
Soderberg: ...series of Nobel
peace prizes here which, it
Right.’; * ,
Richard Gwyn of the
“Toronto Star” wrote, “It is time
to set down in type the most
difficult sentence in the English
language. That sentence is short
anci simple: Bush was right.”
Back in the states, people
are still struggling with this
reality. Three weeks ago. Jon
Stewart, who has made a career
of Bush-bashing, invited Nancy
Soderberg onto his show. The
stated purpose was the discus-
sion of her new book, The
Superpower Myth: The Use and
Misuse of American Might, but
the conversation didn’t go as
planned:
Stewart: Do you think
they’re [the Bush administra-
tion) - do you think they
understand what they’ve
unleashed?...
“President George
W. Bush is the
new symbol
of freedom,
empowerment,
and human rights
in the world. ”
may well work. I think that. um.
it's Stewart |burying his head
in his hands|: Oh my God! He’s
got. you know, here’s...
Soderberg: It’s scary lor
Democrats, I have to say\
Stewart: He’s gonna be a
great - pretty soon Republicans
arc gonna say. ‘Reagan was
nothing compared to this guv.’
Like, my kid’s gonna go to a
high school named after him. I
the symbol ol freedom.”
Listen to the words of the
Lebanese freedom fighters,
many of whom vowed to camp
in the streets until Syria left
their country. Note the deep-
seated longing for liberty, which
seeks a home in every human
breast:
-“We him nothing to lose
process of change started with
the American Invasion of Iraq.
1 was cynical about Iraq.
But when 1 saw the Iraqi people
voting three weeks ago, eight
million of them, it was the start
of a new Arab world.
The Syrian people, the
Egyptian people, all say that
something is changing. The
Berlin Wall has fallen. We can
see it."
President George W. Bush
is the new symbol of freedom,
empowerment, and human rights
in the world. America is fulfill-
ing its destiny and living up to
the calling it was given by God.
In this age, those who sup-
ported the War on Terrorism and
those who now support what is
happening in the Middle East
are the ideological descendants
of the men and women who
fought for the American Revo-
lution. the abolition of slavery,
and the equality of rights for all
citizens in our glorious history.
Those who oppose our efforts
now, for any reason, are friends
of the enemy and adversaries
of the true ‘course of human
events.’
There is a battle between
good and evil, right and wrong,
freedom and oppression, and
the lines have never been more
clear.
Five months ago in this
column, on the eve of the elec
tion, I predicted that those who
withstood the march of liberty
were liberals in name only and
that they would soon find them
selves on the wrong side ol Ins
tory. It is not too late to seek a
better world.
In the words of former
Prime Minister of Pakistan Ben
zahir Bhutto, when she spoke
at Southwestern University on
the II th of March: “When the
world turns against democracy,
it turns against itself. We light,
not just against terror; we fight,
too, against the bigotry and|inlol
erancc that will confine and eon
strain in the generation ahead.
Freedom is under assault. Ulti-
mately. the forces of justice shall
prevail. The words of George
W. Bush on January 20. 2005,
resonate: Oppression is always
wrong, and freedom is eternally
right. All 1 can say is. 'We agree
with you. Mr. President.’" +
anymore. We want freedom
or death." says Jndra Hage.Jt
young Lebanese Christian.
Agrees Uadi Abi Almouna.
a Lebanese Muslim, “We re
going to stay here even if sol-
diers attack us Freedom needs
sacrifices, and we are ready to
give them.”
Say s Samir Franjieh, one of
the leaders of the movement; “It
is the beginning of a new Arab
revolution. It’s the first time a
whole Arab society is seeking
change Christians and Mus-
lims. men and women, rich and
poor.'
f inally, the leader of the
movement for Lebanese nation-
alism. and a leader of the Dru/e
Muslims. Walid Jumhlutt. a man
who until recently was radically
and vocally anti-American: “It’s
strange for me to sav it. but this
Dear Editor, the 3.6% from the UK.
I am writing in response (http://www.eia.doe.gov/iieic/
to the “Faculty Perspective” tankings/tatimportsby oouniry.htm)
submitted by Dr. Osbaldisfon. Who were the forefathers
While I support parts of his and who are insurgents? What
artfeteri would Hke to address anr their ^oatse what do they
some areas I feel were mis- stand for? The insurgents in
communicated. I appreciate Iraq are the remnants and
that Dr. Osbaldistop refer- supporters of a prior dictator
government documents when
speaking of the history of US
foreign relations. However,
the documents and sources
disappeared when he spoke
on the more debatable issues
such as: war for oil and insur-
gents being equated to Ameri-
can forefathers.
So just how dependent on
Iraqi oil is the United States?
According to the Energy
Administration 17% of US
oil imports are from Canada,
Next in line is Saudi Arabia
Venezuela tit 11%. So where
is Iraq? The 4% of total US
oil imports from Iraq is just
behind the 7% we get from
Nigeria, and slightly ahead of
demise of their former gov
eminent. The American fore
fathers were individuals who
did not want taxation without
representation.
Today, the US is giving
the people of Iraq the ability
to have representation The
Was
best for the aggregate of the
nation; the Iraqi insurgents do
not seek what’s best for the
whole.
Sadly, 1 feel the comments
of Dr. Osbaldiston to be an
all too common occiine-m f
among SU professors.
Sincerely,
Aaron Mutnick, senior
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The Megaphone (Georgetown, Tex.), Vol. 99, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 24, 2005, newspaper, March 24, 2005; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth634297/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Southwestern University.