Our society is characterized by the ongoing conflict between tradition and progress. The former presents a conservative future in which globalization and modernity are rejected in favor of retribalization of cultures into and mutual exclusion. The latter presents a future with only one culture, artificially fabricated from the mesmerizing forces of the commercial and the popular.
Barber points to the presence of both forces in paradox: Jihad and McWorld operate in the same places at the same time, in opposite directions. Yet both are alike in that they "both make war on the sovereign nation-state and thus undermine the nation-state's democratic institutions".
Jihad reigns as groups struggle to establish their identity, cultures seek to differentiate themselves from other cultures, and people divide themselves into smaller, more isolated categories and denounce the universalism of modernity. McWorld dominates as mass consuption and popular culture seep deep into the fabric of society and try to meld everyone into one broad category of cultural sameness. Our world sits between them, being torn apart by both impetuses for social change.
This article is postmodern, which I do not endorse. It's nebulous and speaks only to broad, general social movement without any thought given to the forces' origins, and this theory is completely idealist. Barber has the right focus but doesn't say anything.
Relevance: 2/5 (irrelevant)
Salience: 2/5 (trivial)
References:
- William Butler Yeats. - as an example.
- Felix Rohatyn. - quoted. "There is a brutal Darwinian logic to these markets. They are nervous and greedy. They look for stability and transparency, but what they reward is not always our preferred form of democracy."
- George Steiner. - quoted. "The new temples to liberty will be McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken."
No comments:
Post a Comment