European and American Cultural Differences

>>>>>>>>>>>Robin Michael Sat Jan 09, 2010 6:25 am GMT
Shuimo as always, says 'what about China'? Vinlander points out that America is a large and wealthy market for art and sport. Vinlander suggests that culture is to a certain extent a numbers game. Well, if it was just a numbers game, then China would win. <<<<<<<<<<

Yes, RM, culture is not to a certain extent, but it is BASICALLY, a figure and number game!

CHINA was the winner in significant portions of the history of humanity, because it was the most prosperious place!

Poverty-striken places never produce pageant culture of any sort!

The US is dominating the world culturally because it is still the NO 1 GDP power the world over (GDP is an exact figure matter, is it?)!
Now it is meeting the real match----- China Dragon is on the horizon!


>>>There is a problem of language with China. People might buy Chinese washing machines, (or at least I do, despite the advice of the lady from Comet). But they do not buy Chinese soap operas. Chinese culture does not travel like Chinese cooking. <<<

Language is never the real issue: If language is a real obstacle, just remove it by making the world follow Chinese-speaking standards!

RM, Chinese cooking is part of Chinese culture, Chinese-made goods is also part of Chinese culture, the next step is the more core ones: Chinese language itself!

Chinese characters in the Japanese language is the hard-core evidence of the soft power of Chinese culture!

Booming of Chinglish in English is the harbinger of Chinese taking over?LOL

If the world speaks Chinese, a whole new vista of enlightement and beauty is opened for humanity!(*^__^*)

Here is some biographical information on Ives:


"For all his singularity, the Yankee maverick Charles Ives is among the most representative of American artists. Optimistic, idealistic, fiercely democratic, he unified the voice of the American people with the forms and traditions of European classical music. The result, in his most far-reaching work, is like nothing ever imagined before him: music at once unique and as familiar as a tune whistled in childhood, music that can conjure up the pandemonium of a small-town Fourth of July or the quiet of a New England church, music of visionary spirituality built from the humblest materials--an old gospel hymn, a patriotic tune, a sentimental parlor song. The way in which Ives pursued his goal of a democratic art, and his career of creating at the highest level of ambition while making a fortune in the life insurance business, perhaps could only have happened in the United States. And perhaps only there could such an isolated, paradoxical figure make himself into a major artist."


"from the ordinary, the profound
Just as importantly, George Ives taught his son to respect the power of vernacular music. As a Civil War band leader he understood how sentimental tunes such as "Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground," "Aura Lee," Stephen Foster songs, and marches and bugle calls were woven into the experience of war and the memories of soldiers. Much as did Gustav Mahler a continent away, Charles Ives came to associate everyday music with profound emotions and spiritual aspirations. One of his father's most resonant pieces of wisdom came when he said of a stonemason's off-key hymn singing: "Look into his face and hear the music of the ages. Don't pay too much attention to the sounds--for if you do, you may miss the music. You won't get a wild, heroic ride to heaven on pretty little sounds."


I think this biographical information says exactly what I was attempting to about the origins of American music and culture as a whole.

Full text can be found here:

http://www.charlesives.org/02bio.htm



"Look into his face and hear the music of the ages. Don't pay too much attention to the sounds--for if you do, you may miss the music. You won't get a wild, heroic ride to heaven on pretty little sounds."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clq01TXQR0s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obs73TqWbog&feature=related

Chinese destroy European culture?


Economy: Wenzhou constant disputes with the Europeans behind the clash of cultures
http://finance.sina.com.cn reporter Cao Haidong correspondent JI

Known as China's most commercially-minded Wenzhou people in Europe have been more and more resistance until the occurrence of Spain Elche burning shoes vicious incidents. Despite the extraordinary Wenzhou Chinese commercial enterprises the ability to defeat their counterparts in Europe, but this thing is caused by conflicts between civilizations would defeat its own

January 1, 2005, the European influential Chinese newspaper "economic Fashion Herald" published a written by President Chen Mountain Home article, "Police kinds of sound at first glance: Spain burning shoe incident has taught us a warning." The article that cheap Chinese goods is based on first-class equipment and management, and above the advantages of cheap labor, it is consistent with the laws of commodity competition, when Spain is also the virtue of low-priced shoes to enter the U.S. market. Now the city of Elche shoe is due to unreasonable business methods and industrial structure, which led to backward. Even if there is no impact on the Chinese people to come, there will be Thai, Vietnamese shock.



From the growing number of targeted business to China's anti-dumping case, Elche, Spain until the vicious shoes-burning incident in China, a big step in the process of integration into the global economy will face not only the market, legal, policy areas such as conflict, a deeper, more intense cultural conflicts will be difficult to avoid. And a clash of civilizations is not just occur in a simple business, as more and more Chinese business migrants abroad, embedded in social life, such conflicts will be comprehensive.

Wenzhou Municipal Party School ZHU Kang-right to the "economy", said: The current number of private enterprises in Wenzhou are facing growing obstacles. Growth in order to break through bottlenecks in a number of private enterprises in Wenzhou have through the expansion of commodity exports, strengthen international cooperation, joint ventures and direct foreign investment and so on, embarked on an international road. However, in this internationalization process, they not only suffered a violent conflict of interest, is also faced with the culture of hard to avoid collisions.

Wenzhou She Kelian Vice-Chairman Hong Zhenning worry is this: our traditional and modern has been a pains, but now the new one has arrived is the regionalization and globalization, can survive in globalization, can all corners of the world can not find anything to eat, someone else can not give anything to eat, can live in harmony, constitutes our greatest confusion.

Cultural conflicts

During an interview in Wenzhou, almost all of the people interviewed told reporters that the fire is inevitable in Spain, not sure there will be other parts of Spain.




In this cradle of culture, under the Wenzhou people behave quite different with the Europeans, Europeans are accustomed to rule-based, while the Wenzhou people encountered in the economic behavior of things in mind first of all human beings depends on human effort, there is no set pattern.

Is precisely this point, Wenzhou aspect in the European market dominated by a number of European companies overwhelmed.

Zhejiang Pa Li Wang Yuejin Group President, said, "We Wenzhou copy capability is very strong, and can learn your management style, including the latest fashions. They are simply too much in such a way, we are a factory into his market , he wanted five factories closing down. "

Wang Yuejin to Wenzhou in the footwear industry to expand overseas summed up as a "copy" the beginning of the visit is to learn to buy his technology, equipment, equipment to teach me how to use materials to teach me how to use to buy software to teach me how to design. Then I will examine with the shoe-making machinery related to the chemical industry, with some "inside to be" to let them bring the best of these local shoe leather to me, this way, we can study them and do a good job after the product sold to His market.

"Wenzhou entrepreneurs are smart, and last month in foreign countries are two containers, next month may be increased, but are silent in there to do, as well as to foreigners over the booth to buy or rent over . "Wenzhou Shoes Company Ltd. Dong Yi Chen Guorong said," As long as the market squeeze from his to have a price differential, in the production of our own time has earned, and to the side of more money. "



But the "economy" with a number of European journalists in the course of conversation, was surprised to find that Europeans are the most common impression of the Chinese people do business turned out to be illegal, seems to be the same mafia organizations have been manipulated.

German immigration expert, Professor Epi Zi believes that this view is partly caused by the media reports, some people really intuitive feelings. For example, in the Spanish burn shoes have been reported, most of the European media of the Wenzhou counterfeit luxury goods to be the bad reputation was emphasized. In addition, they also do not respect Chinese businessman patented goods value, profit-making to be a lot of description. Meanwhile, Chinese enterprises in Europe, family management and development model, so that the Europeans felt intuitively difficult to understand and close.


Inevitable conflicts

Mutual lack of understanding and communication, conflict is inevitable.

Wenzhou She Kelian Deputy Hong Zhenning that in Europe, the locals have emerged as a fiery-lane style setting, like in nature, orbital nature, rolling rhythms, such a batch of Wenzhou is to go in such an inertia thing to upset. Wenzhou people dare to make money, walking along in the helpless situation of modifications, is a Chinese cultural tradition shaped by merchants, so that shape business culture with Chinese characteristics, with a mature market economy, the conflict can not be avoided.



Milan, Italy, some people complain Wenzhou businessmen: so many people come here to me to interfere with our store and opened so much of our lives have already been squeezed.

Have occurred in Europe, such a thing: a centuries-old coffee shop, the final Wenzhou see a very good location, it will be their rent over, converted clothing store. This European view, is the Chinese people destroyed their culture

***about as popular as Indian food in the UK***

And very popular it is here, too - in fact, I prefer it to Chinese - as you say, there is is much wider choice on the menus, as Indian food varies widely on a regional basis. Some restaurants here in Edinburh specifically serve up dishes from the southern part of the Sub Continent.

I was just making a point about the one aspect of Chinese culture I can really take to - the food. The rest can be very debatable, and yes, Shuimo, I do plead guilty to being a "Britisher", a term not actually used here in the UK - we leave it to "outsiders" to refer to us in that that way.

I look forward to the day when China, super power or not, becomes a truly "open society", as we in the West know it. China may well be advised to avoid any of the less palatable aspects of a Western democracy - but at least it should try to occupy a kind of "middle ground" and hopefully it'll be fine.

I never tire of shuimo talking about brainwashing and evil governments. The irony is truly sublime.

And peaking of "progression" didnt China just sentence 16 people to labour camps without trial?
Seen a calender lately guys?

↑ The irony is that Shuimo detests some of the same behavior that he (and by extension, China) exhibits himself.

For example, Shuimo has discussed Western imperialism at some length, but seems to be OK with Chinese imperialism. He spouts the benefits of Chinese Communism, while in the same breath admiring the Chinese capitalistic marketing practices (such as piracy) that are bringing ruin to Western nations.

Doesn't he realize that if our economies tank, no one will be able to buy Chinese goods?

China is a country that has become perilously too dependent upon exports.

<<I look forward to the day when China, super power or not, becomes a truly "open society", as we in the West know it. China may well be advised to avoid any of the less palatable aspects of a Western democracy - but at least it should try to occupy a kind of "middle ground" and hopefully it'll be fine. >>


I look forward to the day when the West, super power or not, becomes a truly "closed society", as we in China know it. The West may well be advised to avoid any of the less palatable aspects of a Chinese authoritarian - but at least it should try to occupy a kind of "middle ground" and hopefully it'll be fine.

Um, so how does China figure in a discussion of the differences between European and American culture? Oh yeah, it doesn't.

As a European with little time spent in the US, it's hard for me to be impartial. But I believe that in the UK, we are more strngly influenced by American culture these days than by culture flowing in from Britain's ties with countries of its former Empire and trading partners. I wouldn't be surprised if the same applied to France, the Nehterlands, Spain and Portugal.

Sure, we get a wide variety of food in the UK from all over the world (including the US). But our everyday experiences are more influenced by television, music, fashion: things that affect average people's aspirations most strongly: the latest look, the latest catchphrase, the coolest (sickest?) sounds.

We do hold our own in Europe in generating cutting edge films, music and fashion, but I get the impression that the European product is generally more niche, due to lesser financial clout in each of our many small nations.

Check it out. 24 million Chinese men are set to be without a wife by 2020. You know what that means don't you?


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8451289.stm


I sure am glad I'm not a young Westerner. Maybe I'll have a proper burial yet...

Chinese gils don't like chinese guys very much anyway.

Mostly due to the fact that they are about as romantic as cerebral palsy.

Although having tiny peckers doesnt help much either.

↑ I've wondered about that for many years.

It's not at all uncommon to see American men married to Asian girls. Of course all of the girls aren't Chinese, but it does make you wonder?

Funny thing is, these marriages seem to be very long-lived. I've seen Americanmen/Asianwoman couples in their 60s...

In Swedens we ares mosts brutals in metal musics.

<<Check it out. 24 million Chinese men are set to be without a wife by 2020. You know what that means don't you?


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8451289.stm


I sure am glad I'm not a young Westerner. Maybe I'll have a proper burial yet... >>

It looks like I've become famous enough to have imposters now. :)

< Check it out. 24 million Chinese men are set to be without a wife by 2020. You know what that means don't you? >

It means natural selection of a very interesting kind.

How can we Westerners possible fight 24 million "spare" men? It's impossible! For them human life will mean even less than it did for the Soviets in WWII! O Lord Father, have mercy on thy slaves, save us from this incommensurable Wrath that doth loom nigh!