| For those that have not traveled extensively | | | | taught, but blamed the lack of Canadian money |
| outside the borders of our country, the only | | | | and the abundance of American. Her vision is |
| link we have to the outside world is the | | | | not of being conquered by force or by |
| media. Media can be books, newspapers, | | | | religion, but by money. Her claims that the |
| television, and even internet today. Each | | | | reason Canadians were able to blend into new |
| medium must be studied carefully before | | | | societies better, was simply that no one from |
| taking the information as the "gospel truth". | | | | her country could afford to bring the whole |
| Who is the author, where did they come from, | | | | country with them, unlike the Americans who |
| and have they themselves traveled outside the | | | | take all of themselves where ever they go. |
| borders or are they on the writings of | | | | So is America the giant to blame for their |
| others? Dr. Paul Harrison, Margaret Atwood, | | | | influence on Canada?Postman identifies |
| and Postman would have you believe that their | | | | entertainment to be the downfall of America. |
| way of looking at the world is the only way. | | | | By providing movies instead of books, a |
| Before we can examine a certain view on the | | | | vacuum that haunted holocaust Germany is |
| United States of America, we must first | | | | forming. By making life so easy with new |
| define a basic belief of the world. Each of | | | | technologies for themselves, Americans have |
| the three authors has a slightly different | | | | again begun to be lazy. Television is what |
| view of how America is tearing itself apart | | | | is ruining the country because it is a |
| and in turn doing the same for the rest of | | | | command center for all. Since each American |
| the world.In the chapter The Westernization | | | | every night tunes in to the exact same ideas, |
| of the World by Paul Harrison, he points out | | | | they in turn do not have to think and very |
| the religious aspects of Pauline Christianity | | | | few disagreements emerge. Debate is the |
| of Europe was the beginning of creating | | | | bane that forms new ideas and also new books. |
| sameness throughout the world. Instead of | | | | So books are not being read and in a hideous |
| settling in to the new worlds and | | | | circle, books are not being written. Society |
| assimilating into the culture as the Dutch or | | | | is collapsing on itself and taking the rest |
| Spanish, the Europeans squashed the | | | | of the world with it. Postman also points |
| difference of each people, naming the Bible | | | | out in irony that the very Bible that began |
| as the reason, and forced a complete new way | | | | all these issues is the same that tells us |
| of life for the "newly enlightened" tribes. | | | | television should not exist. As television |
| Basically, the missionaries would enter a new | | | | begins to influence the rest of the world |
| land and in turn, blanket the children with a | | | | with satellites, everyone begins to wear blue |
| new education, give the adults books on their | | | | jeans from the same place, where their hair a |
| way of life, and start a new government in | | | | certain way and all becomes one. If |
| their likeness. The color of the people's | | | | television and movies are destroying America, |
| skin is the only difference remaining and | | | | is it America place to stop the spread of |
| some began to be ashamed of how he/she | | | | this new mind numbing pandemic?The answers |
| looked. In turn, they began to want to | | | | are simple: no, no and no. Yes Europe is |
| emulate the Europeans and force was no longer | | | | responsible for pushing their way of life |
| needed. Harrison believes that racism, | | | | onto other cultures, but it is not now |
| arrogance, military superiority, social | | | | America's responsibility to police the world |
| climbing and money, not religion is the real | | | | now. America is being to over extend itself |
| reason for this behavior towards the new | | | | as Canada did in the '40s. And yes a vacuum |
| worlds (third worlds). He states the results | | | | is forming that needs to be filled with |
| have become a world of where traditions and | | | | something besides TV. But it is up to each |
| differences are a thing of the past. The | | | | individual to decide for themselves, research |
| question now before us starts to reason, if | | | | their own culture and history in innovated |
| others want to be like the American/Europeans | | | | ways themselves, and then choose the |
| template called the European road, are they | | | | lifestyle they each want to live. In |
| to blame?Margret Atwood, a fellow Pantheist | | | | history, there have always been Mavericks |
| also has a negative view of the United | | | | that decide that the way things are going now |
| States. She looks down on the country and | | | | is not right; I am going to do things |
| her nose from Canada. She spends time | | | | differently. If America takes on the |
| concentrating on our most recent combined | | | | responsibility for the rest of the world, it |
| past of post world war II when she was a | | | | will collapse into itself. The writers that |
| child. Americans before that time were | | | | wrote the articles descried above are showing |
| viewed as clumsy, lazy and ignorant of the | | | | others a several different path, it is up to |
| land. America's money was welcome at that | | | | each person to turn off the television, open |
| time in Canada and since there was great need | | | | a book by a non English writer, and book a |
| having over extended themselves in the war, | | | | plane ticket to somewhere else.Works |
| many were happy to have it. Then things | | | | CitedVerburg, Carol. Ourselves among Others. |
| changed for both the country and the writer. | | | | 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martins, |
| She explains that her schooling, her | | | | 2000.Holly Odom is a freelance writer working |
| recreation, and her entertainment began to be | | | | for - on line Custom Writing/Research |
| American. Her education was pretty much the | | | | company. She specializes in Social sciences, |
| same as American received at the time. | | | | Arts, History and English literature. During |
| Political, military and social leaders were | | | | 2005, earned became one of 10 best writers at |
| all from England. Atwood does not blame the | | | | essaymart. |
| Americans outright for they way she was | | | | |