Sunday Night Community Talk: Should we reject the American way of life? - Aug 30,2010

Summary: With its rise to the position of “hyperpower,” the global reach of the United States of America has become beyond doubt. Everywhere you look, from global politics and trade to local entertainment, cuisine and lifestyle choices, the mark of the United States is evident. But as globalization has hastened the spread of the American way of life, with its particular eating habits, popular culture, lifestyle, system of government, and values, many have begun to question the “cultural imperialism” that has spread “the American way” across the globe. Since 2000 globalisation has been gathering pace, and the Bush administration has made spreading American values and democracy a specific foreign policy aim. This has led many to wonder whether or not the American way of life is the right model towards which the countries and cultures of the world ought to move. As increased communication between people across the globe hurries the evolution of cultures into a uniform whole, the question remains: should the American way of life be embraced as a grand template for the world’s globalizing cultures, or should it be rejected as a harmful and even dangerous influence?