José Marti’s argument on European and American influence on
Latin America is still relevant today. Through better means of communication, globalization has been an inevitable by-product amongst cultures. Martí proposes a sort of communist and isolationist stand point that can in some way protect the Latin American culture from western influence. Isolationist standpoints have never managed to survive for long in history so far. The United States,
Japan, and others have had to succumb to the pressure of opening borders to foreigners whom insist on trade, economic and logistical assistance.
The exportation of foreign culture and ideas has been extremely dominated by the European continent and the
U.S. This of course, especially at the time of Martí, can be argued only effects a specific few with the monetary and intellectual means to come about this information. The class distinction is significant when dealing with the subject of foreign culture saturation. Nowadays things have changed as the cultural mediums of the middle and lower classes are now being filled by foreign exportations as well. Before it was only through books and foreign travel that these influences could be found. “Lower class” mediums of exposure such as television, movies and music now seem to make these foreign ideas more accessible to the lower classes. This raises an interesting question, would Martí’s
America actually go against the imperialist regimes that influence and threaten Latin American culture?
There does exists worldwide protest against
U.S. politics but at the same time an acceptance and desire for American culture. American movies and music can be found all over the world. The internet has created an expansive means of communication that takes globalization to an individual level. Do most people feel a sufficient national or cultural pride that they would refuse to be exposed to an exported means of culture? At this point I believe that the creation of a mutually universal community is being created. Instead of stifling and doing away with cultural traditions and local customs, they can now be exported to other parts of the world where they can be valued and appreciated. This fear of foreign cultural domination is understandable but in very many ways naïve in my opinion. Cultures all over the world have come to adopt foreign customs and apply them to their own without losing site of who they are as a culture or a people. Instead of the destruction of a culture a new one is being created, a global community. Does this means political thought can be exported too? With the creation of international organizations the possibility has become more plausible. Foreign models of thought I believe are more easily applicable to foreign nations now then during Martí. Of course changes would be made but understandings and procedures have been expanded such that it seems very likely that things could succeed. Even though monetary influence is a major factor in the power scale in these international organizations, countries that may not have had a voice, now do. Do you remember U.S. support for the
Iraq war? The league of the willing was not as large as one would of expected perhaps at other times. I may be a capitalism and global community proponent but just tell me your point of view. Must countries protect themselves from foreign influence?
