Quick Summary
- 1The author announces a renewed personal commitment to consume less American culture in the coming year, urging others to follow suit.
- 2This decision is driven by both a lack of personal interest and significant political motivations.
- 3The writer expresses frustration with the pervasive Americanization of the world, arguing that consuming American cultural products actively contributes to the expansion of this global model.Despite acknowledging the difficulty of completely escaping American cultural influence, particularly for parents, the author emphasizes the importance of the effort.
- 4The piece suggests that society has largely abandoned cultural autonomy to the United States and calls for a conscious effort to resist this trend.
Quick Summary
The author announces a renewed personal commitment to consume less American culture in the coming year, urging others to follow suit. This decision is driven by both a lack of personal interest and significant political motivations. The writer expresses frustration with the pervasive Americanization of the world, arguing that consuming American cultural products actively contributes to the expansion of this global model.
Despite acknowledging the difficulty of completely escaping American cultural influence, particularly for parents, the author emphasizes the importance of the effort. The piece suggests that society has largely abandoned cultural autonomy to the United States and calls for a conscious effort to resist this trend. The core message is a plea to stop contributing to the cultural dominance of the American model through daily consumption choices.
The Personal Pledge
The author begins by stating a resolution made at the start of the year: to once again attempt to consume less American culture. This is presented not as a fleeting wish but as a deliberate plan of action. The writer invites the audience to adopt a similar stance, suggesting a collective approach to the issue.
However, the author is realistic about the challenges involved. It is acknowledged that full success is unlikely due to the immense difficulty of escaping this cultural influence. The presence of children in the household is specifically cited as a factor that complicates the effort, implying that family life is deeply intertwined with these cultural products.
"I am fed up with the Americanization of the world around me."— Author
Motivations for Resistance
The decision to avoid American culture is based on two distinct factors. The first is a simple lack of interest; the content produced is described as generally less engaging to the author. The second, more critical reason is political.
The writer expresses being fed up with the Americanization of the surrounding world. There is a strong belief that the personal act of consuming American culture is a direct contribution to the expansion of this specific cultural model. This frames cultural consumption not just as a matter of taste, but as an act with geopolitical and societal consequences.
The State of Cultural Autonomy
The article posits that the broader society has effectively abandoned its own culture into the hands of the United States. This suggests a loss of cultural sovereignty, where local or regional cultural expressions are being replaced or overshadowed by a dominant foreign influence.
The author argues against simply accepting this state of affairs. The piece concludes with a call to action, urging readers not to allow themselves to be coerced or passively molded by this external cultural force. It is a defense of cultural diversity and a rejection of a monolithic global culture.
"We have abandoned culture in the hands of the United States."— Author
Frequently Asked Questions
The author cites two main reasons: a lack of personal interest in the content and a political opposition to the Americanization of the world, which they believe is expanded by consuming its culture.
No, the author acknowledges it is very difficult to escape, especially for those with children, and does not expect to be entirely successful.
