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Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

economist.com

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Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#11
post #3

No country is willingly importing this divisive rhetoric. Aspirational young citizens who repeat the same formula within their home countries and are quickly rewarded with status and power. So the scourge continues. Short-term, this toxic, zero-sum behaviour reaps havoc. Long-term, American culture capital will have been exhausted and the US will have signed its own death warrant.

It's definitely being brought into other countries one way or another. Back in university, I went to study abroad in Japan and there were several American professors at the university. The one's teaching arts courses such as English, Journalism, etc. would definitely sneak America's political rhetoric in their lessons. Now, I work for a Japanese company in the US and often go take business trips to Japan and can definitely see the American influence in the company's culture, namely because management is looking at what American companies are doing in order to be competitive on a world stage.

One of my Japanese friends also noted to me that his peers who studied abroad in the US definitely brought back American style politics with them, and would view their Japanese school / work environment through an American lens, bringing up similar complaints to Americans, which Japanese who haven't studied abroad in the US, would think little of.

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#12
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh, they are definitely willingly importing it. If there is ABC movement from a powerful country, then those in the external country will want to use that to further their agenda to the degree that it is aligned with their own. The CIA used to (and still does) try to push some kinds of narratives aboard, most prominently in the 'flower' revolutions in E. Europe, but much of the pop culture one's just happen 'organica…

Maybe. In Australia the anti lockdown / anti Vax stuff got shut down quite quickly. Same goes for the BLM protests that tried it on without the right permits. Kind of glad I don't have to put up with the same crap here or the media trying to call it peaceful. I think it has a lot to do with the multi party system. I don't have to align myself with one party or the other party, and all its polarising crap along with i…

George Floyd protests in Australia [1]

I'm not saying this is good or bad, but I'm saying all sorts of movements cross the US border in an organic manner.

Edit: if you read the headlines in the Guardian or the Daily Mail, they mirror US issues to a great extent, much more so than they do in Germany or France, for example. Definitely the CBC in Canada. It's natural as the cultures are aligned.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Floyd_protests_in_Austr...

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#13
Living in an expat destination country currently as an American, I regularly get crap from friends, Australian, British, South African, about the perceived madness of American political culture that's now popping up in their work lives and home countries. Slightly reminiscent of living abroad during Bush-Iraq years as an American where you become a target of blame.

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#14
What's a bit ironic to me is that this extension of US cultural hegemony used to be derided as cultural imperialism back a few decades ago before other cultural exports became vogue (Anime, K-Pop, etc.) when it was the US vs everyone else.

But now, many of the people who would have decried this kind of hegemonic influence delight in it.

They delight in the fact we can establish norms for communication and discourse not only in the US, but any place that plays nice and does not censor the services for not abiding by local laws and mores (as typical media would have to). But because these new media carry water for them, this time it's okay.

Can you imagine corporate policy of SF or Menlo Park sets what people in Mumbai or Seoul can discuss regarding SARS-Cov-2? Or any other issue social media issues a diktat for.

I mean, it's quite ironic listening to people on social media talking down "American Imperialism" (for siding with allies in foreign policy basically) and being totally oblivious to the one they are actively participating in.

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#15
post #11
post #3

No country is willingly importing this divisive rhetoric. Aspirational young citizens who repeat the same formula within their home countries and are quickly rewarded with status and power. So the scourge continues. Short-term, this toxic, zero-sum behaviour reaps havoc. Long-term, American culture capital will have been exhausted and the US will have signed its own death warrant.

It's definitely being brought into other countries one way or another. Back in university, I went to study abroad in Japan and there were several American professors at the university. The one's teaching arts courses such as English, Journalism, etc. would definitely sneak America's political rhetoric in their lessons. Now, I work for a Japanese company in the US and often go take business trips to Japan and can defi…

Would you be willing to go into more detail about what sorts of things your friend says that are American in nature? I'm interested for the sake of self awareness.

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#16
post #11
post #3

No country is willingly importing this divisive rhetoric. Aspirational young citizens who repeat the same formula within their home countries and are quickly rewarded with status and power. So the scourge continues. Short-term, this toxic, zero-sum behaviour reaps havoc. Long-term, American culture capital will have been exhausted and the US will have signed its own death warrant.

It's definitely being brought into other countries one way or another. Back in university, I went to study abroad in Japan and there were several American professors at the university. The one's teaching arts courses such as English, Journalism, etc. would definitely sneak America's political rhetoric in their lessons. Now, I work for a Japanese company in the US and often go take business trips to Japan and can defi…

This sounds like the “intellectual matrix” the French education minister wrote about recently: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/09/world/europe/france-threa...

> French politicians, high-profile intellectuals and journalists are warning that progressive American ideas — specifically on race, gender, post-colonialism — are undermining their society. “There’s a battle to wage against an intellectual matrix from American universities,’’ warned Mr. Macron’s education minister.

> Emboldened by these comments, prominent intellectuals have banded together against what they regard as contamination by the out-of-control woke leftism of American campuses and its attendant cancel culture.

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#17
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh, they are definitely willingly importing it. If there is ABC movement from a powerful country, then those in the external country will want to use that to further their agenda to the degree that it is aligned with their own. The CIA used to (and still does) try to push some kinds of narratives aboard, most prominently in the 'flower' revolutions in E. Europe, but much of the pop culture one's just happen 'organica…

Maybe. In Australia the anti lockdown / anti Vax stuff got shut down quite quickly. Same goes for the BLM protests that tried it on without the right permits. Kind of glad I don't have to put up with the same crap here or the media trying to call it peaceful. I think it has a lot to do with the multi party system. I don't have to align myself with one party or the other party, and all its polarising crap along with i…

> I think it has a lot to do with the multi party system.

Is Australia really a multi-party country. Seems like Australia, much like Canada, has two major parties at the federal level who take turns governing the country, and a bunch of smaller ones who have no power and no chance of ever getting into power.

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#18
post #3

No country is willingly importing this divisive rhetoric. Aspirational young citizens who repeat the same formula within their home countries and are quickly rewarded with status and power. So the scourge continues. Short-term, this toxic, zero-sum behaviour reaps havoc. Long-term, American culture capital will have been exhausted and the US will have signed its own death warrant.

We're seeing some pushback both, politically as well as in the corporate/business world. Some companies are starting to detach from social justice issues and politics in general from taking over internal discussions. American society is recognizing the dangers of this and starting to swing the pendulum back to the center politically. More democrats that I know (atleast in SV) are aware of the compliance culture (see Wuhan virus lab origin issues where it was impossible to discuss this in 2020 without being silenced). Here in SV, many are bewildered about: https://www.wsj.com/articles/california-leftists-try-to-canc...

I'd like to see America that takes a solemn look at social justice issues and provides appropriate remediation for them, but at the same time I don't want the entire media sphere taking over the discourse with their wokeness (see NASA's PR channel, Github master branch naming debacle, etc.). Twitter and Instagram are a cesspool of social justice issues without any nuanced and objective discussion. If this continues, 2024 elections are going to see a huge backlash. This is coming from a liberal who voted for the democratic party for all elections so far.

Aside from political power, the thing that worries me the most is the Academia. Universities have become so deeply entrenched in issues that professors and academic professionals are afraid of speaking out, conducting research that could offend someone and constantly in fear of being cancelled, losing their jobs and reputation. This bothers me deeply.

I am curious how this is viewed internationally, especially in Europe. Most countries in Europe were in lock-step with US during the BLM protests.

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#19
post #11
post #3

No country is willingly importing this divisive rhetoric. Aspirational young citizens who repeat the same formula within their home countries and are quickly rewarded with status and power. So the scourge continues. Short-term, this toxic, zero-sum behaviour reaps havoc. Long-term, American culture capital will have been exhausted and the US will have signed its own death warrant.

It's definitely being brought into other countries one way or another. Back in university, I went to study abroad in Japan and there were several American professors at the university. The one's teaching arts courses such as English, Journalism, etc. would definitely sneak America's political rhetoric in their lessons. Now, I work for a Japanese company in the US and often go take business trips to Japan and can defi…

It's happening on TikTok probably to a greater extent than by 'Professors'. TikTokers have 10000x the audience and they make powerful, emotional appeals to whatever their cause.

Edit: when you want to change behaviour, do you hire professors? Or Influencers? Regular people do what Footballers and Pop Stars say to do, not what they read in journals.

Re: Social media are turbocharging the export of America’s political culture

#20
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's definitely being brought into other countries one way or another. Back in university, I went to study abroad in Japan and there were several American professors at the university. The one's teaching arts courses such as English, Journalism, etc. would definitely sneak America's political rhetoric in their lessons. Now, I work for a Japanese company in the US and often go take business trips to Japan and can defi…

This sounds like the “intellectual matrix” the French education minister wrote about recently: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/09/world/europe/france-threa... > French politicians, high-profile intellectuals and journalists are warning that progressive American ideas — specifically on race, gender, post-colonialism — are undermining their society. “There’s a battle to wage against an intellectual matrix from American…

Wait, the American woke leftists are too far out for the French? (But it sounds like the problem isn't their position, but their actions or method.)
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