Cinnabon, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, Burger King “”mdash;
they were all there. How strange, I thought. Here I stand, in the
middle of Amman, Jordan, in the curtly named “Mecca
Mall,” and yet I couldn’t be closer to home. The
Hashemite mall was in fact seemingly more “American”
than most of the malls I have been to in the U.S.
How have we reached this point? When did Bedouins start eating
Burger King? Is this even OK? Some say no. Multiculturalists detest
the fact the West has “infected” the rest of the world
with our presence. They are even more incensed at the mere thought
of Americanism being “imposed” on other nations.
They protest, shout, and cry foul at every turn. Yet there is a
glaring weakness in that which they advocate: It is wholly
disingenuous. The greatest feat of the multiculturalists is that
they succeeded in convincing the world that they represent
downtrodden natives. It is a fallacious lie that they speak for the
interests of the Third World who is otherwise unable to resist the
imperialist West. This sour group imposes their worldview upon
indigenous people instead of respecting the wishes of those very
same people.
Where exactly is the imposition? Before decrying this presumed
cultural smothering, one should ask the natives what they
themselves desire. More often than not, it is precisely the
indigenous people who have welcomed the influence of Western
civilization into their towns and homes. No one forces Jordanians
to open American fast food chains in their malls, let alone nearly
a dozen on one floor. And yet they do. This is because they want
inexpensive, good (arguably), refined American establishments like
Cinnabon and Pizza Hut.
If the Jordanian people collectively decided not to eat there,
these places would go out of business, period. But the fact is that
they do want these food chains. Blame not the West for the
opportunism, acceptance and appetite of foreigners.
History provides ample evidence for such a case. While there is
no need to whitewash the territorial colonialism the Brits forced
upon India, the lasting cultural impact of the British was accepted
and eventually championed by Indians themselves. When the British
left India in 1947, the Indians chose to keep much of the modernity
and civility to which the Brits had introduced them. They
maintained British legal and political systems, clothing
preferences and universities. Even Gandhi and Nehru were educated
at posh Western universities.
Indians could have cast off their western suits and banned
English, yet even Dinesh D’Souza notes they did not. India
understood that the West had much to offer and acted accordingly.
Who today wishes to return to the days in India before the British
banned female infanticide and child marriage? Was humanity not
advanced when the British outlawed the ghastly ancient Indian
custom of sati which stipulated that widows be thrown onto the
pyres of their deceased husbands?
The option to recognize the immense good and modernity that
Western civilization has produced and consequently spread is surely
available. Our cultural dominance is no coincidence; there is no
shame in its promotion.
India’s former prime minister, for example, admitted that
his favorite movie was Disney’s “The Lion King.”
For the leader of a country which produces more movies than
Hollywood, this was a powerful message indeed.
Enormous pride should be taken at the influence of ideals and
culture that the West has developed. A strong belief in individual
rights, the progress of history and capitalism have allowed Western
civilization, and America specifically, to flourish and outlast
other nations and empires.
While the rancorous cacophony of hyper-sensitive
multiculturalists dutifully follows Western expansionism, a total
exchange of ideas across continents and oceans should be resolutely
insisted upon.
The West has learned a great deal from other cultures. It is
time that the favor is reciprocated.
Keyes is a third-year Middle Eastern studies student. E-mail
him at dkeyes@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to
viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.