Vision of the Future: The Rest of the West

Thesis: Domination by the West in military, economic, political, and intellectual spheres during the past 200 years

"Western populations have been subjects of world history while the rest of the world have been objects."

Q: According to the author, the influence of the West is mos visible to someone who has traveled between cultures. Are we taking such domination for granted?

Anti-thesis: Globalization (interdependence -- economic, environmental, and demographic); the end of Western domination (not civilization)

Q: Is this sad?

Q: According to the author, the Third World should welcome globalization. What's your attitude toward globalization?

Synthesis: "Western ideas and technology will enable other societies to accumulate enough affluence and luxury to rediscover thier own cultural roots."

Non-westerners will have to decide which layers of influence to retain and which to abandon; the West will become a cosmopolitan society (like London)

Q: Under what circumstances would this come true? Are there alternative predictions?


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Q: What has changed since this article was written in 2000?

The use of military force by the U.S.


The rise of China
http://www.theonion.com/articles/report-china-to-overtake-us-as-worlds-biggest-assh,17277/

The emergence of Al Jazeera English
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Jazeera_English

http://www.aljazeera.com/