B) Cultural Globalization
In the second part on Globalization, we shall refer to Cultural Globalization. We shall demonstrate that the United States is the major culprit of this “sinister” international scheme, which we refer to as Globalization. Today’s Globalization began in full force after World War II, with the intention of controlling the hearts, the minds and the expectations of human beings around the world, of essentially controlling their lives. The critical motive behind this global historical intervention by the United States and American Transnational Economic Interests is simply the human drive for “enormous” power and profit, leading to “absolute” and “total” American World Hegemony by its elite groups and by those world elites who benefit from this World set up!!!
Before we specify and define the indicators, the dynamics and the data defining this International Conspiracy by the Rich and the Powerful, especially those originating from the United States, but also from other geopolitical power centers, we shall examine some of the formal definitions and semantics provided by various specialized texts, in order to better comprehend the basic components of our analysis.
There are many definitions of “Globalization” in various narratives by various scholars, reflecting their ideological inclinations, whether they be liberal, neo-liberal, socialist or cosmopolitan. Therefore, we shall use a combination of defining parameters as these have been formulated by Wikipedia within its extended text related to Globalization, introducing a more balanced and universal view of this particular term.
It states the following:”…Globalization is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas, and other aspects of culture. Advances in transportation and in telecommunications infrastructure have been major factors in globalization, generating further interdependence of economic and cultural activities….Globalization are all those processes by which the people of the world are incorporated into a single world society…”.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization)
Next, we will present the concept of “Cultural Globalization”, as formulated by James L. Watson, a social scientist, for the Encyclopedia Britannica.
He expresses that ,”…Cultural globalization is a phenomenon by which the experience of everyday life , as influenced by the diffusion of commodities and ideas, reflects a standardization of cultural expressions around the world. Propelled by the efficiency or appeal of wireless communications, electronic commerce, popular culture, and international travel, globalization has been seen as a trend towards homogeneity that will eventually make human experience everywhere essentially the same. This appears, however , to be an overstatement of the phenomenon. Although homogenizing influences do indeed exist, they are far from creating anything akin to a single world culture…”.(https://www.britannica.com/science/cultural-globalization)
Following, I would like to put forward a definition of “culture” which represents best my understanding of what “culture” signifies and which is provided by the ECHOES Bulletin of 1998(an occasional publication of the World Council of Churches), in an extended article written by Ms. Fridah Muyale-Manenji.
Ms. Manenji works for the African Gender Institute in Zimbabwe, and her description of “culture” is the following:”…Culture is such a broad term and when it comes to my mind, I think of values and norms people have which make them live in a particular way. A way of living in a particular community. In other words, the sum total of all things that refer to religion, roots of people, symbols, language, songs, stories, celebrations and all expressions of our way of life. It encompasses food production, technology, architecture, kinship, the way we relate to each other, political and economic systems, and all the social relationships these entail…Culture is a continuous process of change, but in spite of the change, culture continues giving a community, a sense of identity, dignity, continuity, security , and binds society together…”.(https://www.oikoumene.org/)
In the abstract of her article for ECHOES, which is entitled ‘The effects of globalization on culture in Africa in the eyes of an African woman’, Ms. Fridah Muyale-Manenji, clarifies what economic and social development should involve in relation to Globalization today. Her standards reflect to a large degree my moral and social criteria concerning what should entail in any society’s development.
In this abstract, Ms. Manenji takes the following position with respect to what the ideal societal development has to take into account . She says the following:”…Economic growth without social and cultural justice cannot be our idea of development. It is imperative that the development is measured in terms of the quality of human life, which can be reflected in for example, better education, health and life expectancy for every member of society. This is only possible if men and women are equally empowered, in theory and in practice. And the North has a crucial role to play in this process. Anything that falls short of restoring peoples’ dignity, sense of identity, continuity and security, should never be accepted…”.(https://www.oikoumene.org/)
From the above descriptions, first of all, we come to realize the importance of “culture” as a societal institution in any human community, whether large or small, to its social welfare, its political stability and its economic development, on a personal and on a collective level. Similarly, that any human community cannot evolve properly and creatively if there is no “social justice” and “social pluralism”, on a personal and on a collective level. Any type of distortion of this socio-cultural equilibrium from internal or external political forces, whether intentional or unintentional , would be existentially destructive and destabilizing, on a personal and on a collective level within this human community!!!
The title of our written project on Globalization is ‘Today’s Globalization-an International Conspiracy of the World’s Rich and Powerful’. It is therefore appropriate here to provide some formal definitions concerning the concepts of “conspiracy” and “conspiracy theory”, on which I will develop my whole analysis of today’s Globalization.
For the term “conspiracy”, we have chosen two definitions which could cover a wider scope of its meaning.
From http://www.dictionary.com, one of its definitions is , “…an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious plan , formulated in secret by two or more persons…”
From http://www.thefreedictionary.com, one of its definitions is, “…a joining or acting together, as if by sinister design…”
Now for the term “conspiracy theory”, we chose once again definitions from two different sources.
From https://www.google.ca, one of its definitions is, “…a belief that some covert but influential organization is responsible for a circumstance or event…”
From http://www.dictionary.com,one of its definitions is,”… the idea that many important political events or economic and social trends are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public…”
I personally believe, as many objective social scientists do around the world, that today’s Globalization, whether it is cultural, political or economic, is a very well organized and very well thought scheme by powerful transnational corporations and powerful transnational financial centers , mostly Western, and mainly American. They plan to gradually have absolute control over all human activities and developments, under a “globalized market place”, and eventually under a “global government”. These international power players are manipulated and directed by the most powerful and influential “global elite groups” and “global elite organizations”, with very little political interference from the “democratically elected governments” of the countries around the world!!!
There are “specific intentions” forged by these “global elites”. These elites are “mortals” and not “divine” like the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, but like the Pharaohs and the multitude of world hegemons throughout human history, they are personalities who are existentially dysfunctional and alienated from the real “checks and balances” of life . They are exactly like their primitive ancestors, the Neanderthal Man, not the Cro-Magnon Man. The Neanderthals devoured the carcasses of their offspring, to personally survive, being completely indifferent to the welfare and the subsistence of their family or tribe!!!
These very powerful but mentally deranged international elites, are absolutely convinced that through their “international machinations”, they can predefine and decide upon the destiny of all human kind , which will soon be obliged in one way or another, to service “unconditionally” and “passively” their private hegemonic ambitions to the long- term detriment of almost everyone else.
These “human hybrids” and “social pariahs” are truly apathetic about nature’s universal equilibriums, but more importantly they ignore their own “mortality”. In their own “virtual reality” , they are not capable of comprehending practically and pragmatically that this accumulated wealth and power , cannot be hoarded off for their “after life” , if one exists. What they will leave behind, will haunt their families, their relatives and their descendants for a long, long time, like in the Greek Tragedies!!!
I am absolutely certain that these insecure, neurotic, unerotic and cowardly individuals, have been completely drained of their “life force” or of all those human attributes which make Human Life an extraordinary and worthy experience, whether it be human empathy, human wisdom, human eroticism , human friendship, human commonality or human inspiration!!!
It is a grave and detrimental existential error by the general public, especially the politicized and educated human beings, in the 21st century , not to react dynamically and radically against the “inherent destructive madness” of these international elite groups, exposing and undermining their “maligned” and “schizophrenic” schemes to neutralize the mental integrity, the creative potential and the economic welfare of all human beings, including themselves, even though they are not mentally capable of understanding their own final demise!!!
All of this “hegemonic human insanity” expressed and applied by these “immoral” and “amoral” international elites through their various Globalizing ventures and strategies, brings to mind the fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen(1805-1875), during the 19th century in Denmark, ‘The king’s new clothes’!!!
This fairy tale talks about a king who ruled over a “peaceful” and “affluent” kingdom. This king loved luxuries, especially rich clothes for himself , so that he could impress his subjects.
One day, two crooked men who were travelling through this quiet kingdom, learned about the king’s weakness for rich clothes, so they devised a dastardly plan. They visited the king and introduced themselves as the finest weavers and tailors in the land. They convinced him that they could produce the most attractive royal garment for the very special public occasions, so that his subjects would become enthused by the beauty of its design and the quality of the fabric. In exchange they asked for a prepayment of a purse of gold coins.
In order to impress the king of their extraordinary workmanship as craftsmen, they informed him that the fabric of this royal garment would be so fine and delicate that it would be invisible to any person who was a social misfit or who was unusually stupid!!!
The royal garment was ready for the royal parade through the town and the crooked tailors showed it to the king. It was an “invisible royal garment” made from an “invisible fine cloth”. The king was so fickle and naïve that he expressed great admiration for their work, feeling afraid that these two scoundrels would call him socially unfit or unusually stupid!!!
When the royal parade began, and the king in his horse carriage moved through the crowded streets , wearing only his undergarments, everyone pretended that he was wearing magnificent clothes and shouted out loud their admiration. In fact, all the people in the kingdom knew what had happened with the crooked tailors, but they also knew that the king had willingly accepted their “tall tale”, and they didn’t want to be identified as socially unfit and stupid.
At a certain moment, a small child in the crowd, shouted spontaneously, again and again, that the king wasn’t wearing any clothes, and then started to laugh out loud. Taking this as a “signal”, the rest of the people took courage and started to express loudly the child’s message. They all started to laugh and ridicule the king, demonstrating to him that he was unfit to be their ruler. The opinion was unanimous , and the king had no other choice but to abdicate.
Today, in every nation of the world, all people, especially the educated ones who are professionals, such as scientists, doctors, lawyers, professors and teachers, engineers and artists, even politicians and students, should accept their personal responsibility concerning the mismanagement, the exploitation and the abuse of our own planet, which we call Earth!!! All people should raise their voices, their human consciousness and their moral standards, and like the child in Andersen’s fairy tale, should reveal and neutralize the “monstrous” schemes which are being implemented by the “monstrous” international elites through Globalization ,tearing apart life itself and leading all of humanity to its “annihilation”!!!
When previously, we provided some of the formal definitions related to the concepts of “conspiracy” and “conspiracy theory”, we took notice of some of the key phrases for these definitions , which are the following: For “conspiracy” we have the phrases a) a surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons, and b) acting together, as if by sinister design. For “conspiracy theory” we have a) a belief that some covert but influential organization is responsible for an event, and b) the idea that many important events are the products of secret plots.
All of these key phrases related to the meaning of “conspiracy”, and more specifically to the meaning of “international conspiracy”, can be closely linked to the different types of Globalization, orchestrated and implemented during the last 80 years around the world, and which are continuously being intensified.
The three most important parameters in an “international conspiracy” are first, a socially influential and all powerful organization of more than one person. The second parameter is the secret or covert strategy of this powerful organization to affect and define world trends( culturally, politically, economically) in order to reinforce the “global power base” of a very small group of “transnational elites”. Finally, the third parameter of an “international conspiracy” is the specific intent to acquire absolute control over all globalizing trends, focusing on “world hegemony”!!!
Many historically Powerful Empires, many Royal Houses and a multitude of Plutocratic Dynasties like the Rothchild clan and the Rockfeller clan, were fashioned through “time and space” under similar historical coordinates. In an “international conspiracy”, the “intent justifies the means”, and in Globalization the “historical intent” is world domination by a very small “transnational elite group”, while the “historical means” are the establishment, the legitimization and the enforcement of cultural, political and economic globalization, almost everywhere around the world!!!
Professor Madalina Calance, presented her analysis of Globalization, on the 2nd Global Conference on Business, Economics, Management and Tourism, held between the 30th and 31st of October 2014,in Prague, in the Czech Republic, justifying indirectly her position that today’s Globalization is essentially an International Conspiracy. The title of her presentation and article is ‘Globalization and The Conspiracy Theory’.
In the abstract of her article she writes the following:”…Even if there is no clear evidence of a major plot to globalize the economy, we can still show that globalization is a process conducted by intention and individual/ group interest- in different time periods, sequentially and systematically- and not by the random choices of unorganized individuals seeking the extension of their profits. This is where the conspiratorial hypothesis is: the intentionality in the economic processes, the need for a causal reasoning and the prevailing private interest in the masse-elites relationship…”.(www.sciencedirect.com)
Our next step in recognizing today’s Globalization as an International Conspiracy is to single
out politically powerful and socially influential international organizations which function as the “architects” of Globalization on behalf of these “transnational elites”. We shall therefore look into and examine two such international non-governmental, non-profit organizations, which could be classified as two of the most powerful “think tanks”* in the world, possessing those elite members, the world status and the strategic international links, to be able to define and activate all of the globalizing trends which we have already specified.(*think tank= a body of experts providing advice and ideas on specific political or economic problems-Oxford Living Dictionaries)
The first one is The Club of Rome and the second one is The Council on Foreign Relations, which is linked indirectly to the American Government and to American Transnational Economic Interests.
The Club of Rome is a major “think tank” of the United Nations and the elite environmental movement internationally. Some of its most important members included and include major proponents of a future New World Order(NWO), such as George Soros, Henry Kissinger, Bill Gates, Zbigniew Brzezinski and former Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.(www.henrymakow.com/club_of_rome.html)
George Soros(1930- ) represents one of the leading money brokers or “money merchants” in the world, responsible for the drastic decline of the British pound in 1992.
Henry Kissinger(1923- ) served as Secretary of State and National Security Adviser under President Nixon(1969-1974) and President Gerald Ford(1974-1977). Henry Kissinger was also very influential in the military coup in Chile in 1973 and in the murder of its Socialist President, Salvador Allende(1908-1973).
Then, we have Bill Gates(1955- ), owner of Microsoft and one of the richest persons in the world. Bill Gates is also a very active and fervent supporter of Cultural Globalization through the Internet.
Next, there is Zbigniew Brzezinski(1928-2017), President Carter’s National Security Adviser(1977-1981) and a permanent member of the Council on Foreign Relations until his death in 2017.
Finally, we count former Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands(1938- ), a major shareholder of Royal Dutch Shell, one of the six largest oil and gas companies in the world, and the sixth richest enterprise in the world, measured by its 2016 revenues.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Dutch_Shell)
The Club of Rome which was founded in 1968, by the Italian industrialist Aurelio Peccei, is a “global think tank” that deals with a variety of international political issues. Since its inception, the three major poles of its strategy and ideology, have been its global perspective, the long –term evolution of mankind and the combination of interrelated problems affecting the quality of life of all of humanity , such as climate change, the rapid increase of the world’s population and also the food crisis affecting the societies of the poorest nations.(https://www.jeremiahproject.com/new-world…/the-club-of-rome)
Quoting directly from its official website, we can attest to the international status of The Club of Rome as a multinational “think tank”, which has the material and human resources to influence the various trends of human evolution, including Globalization.
In their website , they introduce themselves by stating the following: ”…The Club of Rome is an organization of individuals who share a common concern for the future of humanity and strive to make a difference. Our members are notable scientists , economists, businessmen and businesswomen, high level civil servants and former heads of state from around the world. Their efforts are supported by the Secretariat in Winterthur, Switzerland, the European Research Centre registered in Constance, Germany, and National Associations in more than 30 countries. The Club of Rome conducts research and hosts debates, conferences, lectures, high level meetings and events. The Club also publishes a limited number of peer-reviewed ‘Reports to the Club of Rome’, the most famous of which is ‘The Limits to Growth’.
The Club of Rome’s Mission is to promote understanding of the global challenges facing humanity and to propose solutions through scientific analysis, communication and advocacy. Recognizing the interconnectedness of today’s global challenges, our distinct perspective is holistic, systemic and long-term…”.(https://www.clubofrome.org)
If we observe carefully at the various elements and components which they themselves present as being the “essence” and the “ideology” of their organization, we can clearly distinguish a sense of tremendous power, as well as the intrinsic qualities of Globalization, in such key phrases as the “interconnectedness of today’s global challenges” and “our distinct perspective is holistic, systemic and long-term”. Therefore, the solutions proposed for human development are global and all-pervasive, but there is a very “dark” and “diabolical” side to their philanthropic scientific proposals. This dark dimension is openly revealed by one of their limited number of peer-reviewed Reports, entitled ‘The First Global Revolution’, published in 1991, reflecting their “ideological criteria” and their “long-term strategic references”.
In essence and pragmatically, their long-term motivations are for the establishment of a World Government, their own World Government!!!
In their Report they state the following,”…In searching for a new enemy to unite us, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like, would fit the bill… But in designating them as the enemy, we fall into the trap of mistaking symptoms for causes. All these damages are caused by human intervention and it is only through changed attitudes and behaviour that they can be overcome. The real enemy , then is humanity itself…”.(https://www.jeremiahproject.com/new-world…/the-club-of-rome)
Therefore, according to The Club of Rome’s report, the common enemy of humanity is man in general, his unpredictable and self-defeating nature, but of course for them “it is different” from that of the transnational elites, who control most of the world’s wealth!!!
Using a source from Oxfam/Forbes , the BBC reported that in 2015, the 62 richest people in the world, are worth more than the 50% of the world’s population. In the same frame of reference, Robert Parker, CEO at Holborn Assets, a major international investments firm, commented that in his opinion, “…the biggest threat of globalization is the creation of a world elite that will eventually rule the world. Gradually, there is a world power that is being created instead of compartmentalized power sectors…”.(http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-)
This focus on a premeditated control of world social trends and human evolution by organizations or think tanks of “enlightened individuals”, experts from a wide variety of disciplines, such as academia, religion, government, business, the media, etc. (in order to realize the “schizophrenic dreams” of the most powerful individuals on earth for a World Government or a New World Order ), is shared by another very powerful non-governmental, non-profit organization , which is the Council on Foreign Relations(CFR).
The Council on Foreign Relations was founded in 1921, it is an American non-profit and non-governmental “think tank” which specializes in the foreign policies of the United States and in International Affairs.”…It is headquartered in New York City, with an additional office in Washington, D.C.. Its membership , which numbers 4,900, has included senior politicians, more than a dozen secretaries of state, CIA directors, bankers, lawyers, professors, and senior media figures…”.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council _on_Foreign_ Relations)
In the meetings of the CFR, foreign government officials, international business leaders and prominent members of the intelligence and foreign-policy community are convened regularly to discuss international issues. The CFR through the David Rockfeller Studies Program, makes recommendations to the American administration and the American government’s diplomatic community, interacts with the media frequently and publishes a bi-monthly journal, “Foreign Affairs”.
Richard Nathan Haas has served as president and official spokesman of The Council on Foreign Relations since July 2003. Mr. Haas has served in the past as senior advisor to America’s Department of Defense(1979-1980) and to America’s Department of State(1981-1985). Under the presidency of George H.W. Bush(1989-1993), he was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Near East and South Asian Affairs.
Richard Nathan Haas(1951- ) clearly projects his foreign policy views in his book ‘The Reluctant Sheriff’, published in 1977, where he essentially defines the major components of the political ideology of Globalization of the United States and of course that of The Council on Foreign Relations.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_N._Haas)
In this book, Mr.Haas expresses his firm belief that the United States should function as an “informal empire” and that its foreign policy should be an “imperial foreign policy”. He believes that it is the responsibility of the United States to set the guidelines and the standards for the external policies of almost all of the countries in the world, reflecting its own political preferences and of course its own political interests.
For Mr. Haas and naturally for The Council on Foreign Relations, the United States should play the role of “international sheriff”, always trying to convince other countries to accept and respect its own foreign policy strategy by whatever means or methods.”…what will prove crucial is the ability of the United States to persuade others to adopt and abide by its preferences-and the will and the ability of the United States to act as a sheriff, to mobilize itself and others to insist on them when resistance emerges…”.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_N._Haas)
Going now back to our own “international conspiracy theory”, there are social and political scientists who classify The Council on Foreign Relations(CFR) as one of the most influential elite planning and policy-making organizations in the world, like the Trilateral Commission , the Bilderberg Group and the Committee of 300.
These well recognized scientists, consider that all of these “international elite organizations” work in unison with other powerful world entities, across capitalist societies in pursuit of common interests.”…Political scientist William Aviles, for example, includes the CFR among a class of ‘transnational policy-making institutions’ that he contends have worked in tandem with Western governments and international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund(IMF) and the World Bank(WB) to expand free trade, reduce regulations upon investments of transnational corporations, and accelerate the integration of markets through economic blocks such as the North American Free Trade Association or the European Union…”. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_on_Foreign_Relations)
The “practical” or the “pragmatic” goal of Globalization is “pure power” in all its forms, including Cultural Globalization.”…in the final analysis, globalization does not represent the intermingling of a plurality of cultures or a harmonious synthesis of a single global culture, but rather a struggle for power. In this respect, globalization is clearly a political as well as a cultural phenomenon, and part of the political impact of globalization relates to the issue of homogenization…”.(http://www.un.org/esa/socder/unyin/)
The most dynamic and effective instrument of “cultural globalization” is Mass Media, which can infiltrate almost all societies and impose in a subtle way through an “aesthetics propaganda” and “brain washing” its own Everyday Virtual Reality of a homogenized and gullible consumer.”…There is no question that all these globalizing trends are made possible with the help of mass media at both the domestic and international level…”.(http://www.eurojournal.com/ejsr.htm)
The Mass Media Outlets around the world, like those ones which control the Internet, Cable and Satellite TV, Music, Cinema and printed material, are mostly American, promoting the American view of life, the American consumer and social standards, and American “virtual reality” of human existential passivity and human social uniformity.”…Western agencies produce and transmit 90% of the world’s news , and it is estimated that products of the American mass media, account for 75% of broadcast and cable television revenues worldwide and the American books make up 35% of the world market. Serge Latouche argues that the global media propagate a very American-centric vision of the world that fails to acknowledge the existence and importance of linguistic and cultural diversity and of the multitude of perspectives that exist worldwide…”.(http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/)
We have therefore established that “international mass media” is the foremost tool for Cultural Globalization. Now, in order to put into effect this type of Cultural Globalization, there has to be a concerted strategy between the individuals who own and control the means of mass media, such as satellite television, the Internet, computers, mobile phones, etc. They have to arrive at a final consensus what this Globalized Culture should involve with respect to socio-cultural criteria and socio-economic purposes within a particular society or within a group of particular societies.
First of all, there has to be created and established those socio-cultural, economic and political preconditions, whereby the dissemination, the concentration and the propagation of the dominance of Western popular culture can be achieved. Second, all symbols, images, metaphors, everyday concepts and ideas transmitted , should be stereotyped and look similar. Third, there should be socio-cultural incentives and a political flexibility, so that Western perceptions of entertainment and human satisfaction can be accepted as universal, with emphasis put on idealizing “consumerism” as an absolute necessity for a “normal” and “well-balanced” everyday existence.
Finally, traditional culture as a potential obstacle to a “homogenized globalized culture”, should be gradually replaced by the “virtual culture” of uniformity, consumerism and materialism, which means replacing socio-cultural pluralism with a socio-cultural framework of Human Universalism.(www.omicsonline.org/mass-communication-journalism.php)
In order to produce a unitary and uniform Globalized Culture through the transnational mass media, there has to also be a “silent agreement”, both economic but also ideological, by the enterprises which control to a large degree the transnational diffusion of information, entertainment and living standards. If that common strategy is to be achieved successfully and effectively, there must only be few and very powerful entrepreneurial players or “market protagonists”, which translates into an “oligopoly” of transnational media firms, able to dominate the transnational media spectrum!!!
Today, this “oligopoly” of media companies are almost all Western based, while most of these are American.”…A handful of firms dominate the globalized part of the media system. The six largest are AOL(U.S.), Time Warner(U.S.), Disney(U.S.), Vivendi-Universal(French), Bertelsmann(German), Viacom(U.S.), and Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation(Australian). The other main global firms are AT&T(U.S.), Microsoft(U.S.) and two media groups that are part of much larger industrial corporations: General Electric/NBC(U.S.) and Sony/Columbia/Tri Star(Japanese). Of the top 10 global media firms, then, six are American(counting News Corporation as Australian), which mostly produce, distribute, and regulate almost all media outlets…”.(http://www.eurojournals.com/ejsr.htm)
The international financial and political clout of this “oligopoly” of transnational media enterprises, permit them to determine, to define and to develop the infrastructure, the technology and the logistics of this global electronic network of transmission of information, sound and visual content. These powerful mass media firms also possess extensive parallel means and channels related to the providers involved in the maintenance , the activation and the modernization of this global media network, therefore, maximizing their profits when entering foreign markets.
These transnational media enterprises have the financial and technological tools to enter relatively easily in foreign countries and in foreign markets. They are overpowering in a forceful way, confronting dynamically and weakening the market position of local media firms, which manage the dissemination of information, entertainment, and of course advertising , reflecting the society’s particular socio-cultural and socio-economic realities and priorities.
This is a very effective globalized policy and strategy that transnational media corporations are able to pursue , challenging and undermining directly, not only the local , privately owned or government controlled media companies, but also the cultural identity and the socio-economic integrity of the country or of a specific geopolitical region.
The cultural unity, the socio-political stability and the degree of politicization of a society, are all three major social obstacles for the globalizing schemes of the transnational media enterprises. As a consequence, it is to the interest of the transnational media enterprises to be able to infiltrate and disrupt a chosen country or region, culturally, socio-economically and politically.
As we have previously pointed out, these “transnational media corporations”, utilizing their financial, political and of course technological leverage, can prescribe and energize indirectly the whole of the “international electronic matrix” ,which supports their globalizing media activities.”…Global instructions and companies also have major impact. Global standard bodies such as the International Telecommunications Union(ITU), allocate satellite orbits, determine broadcast frequencies, and define the standards for telephones, mobile phones, faxes, and Internet connections. Global telecom companies, like Cable and Wireless, run much of the world’s communications infrastructure of optical fiber cables, satellite, and high-speed lines. Global media also force competitors to react to them. When Murdoch’s Star TV started broadcasting in India, the state television broadcast had to respond with more competitive entertainment or lose its audience…”.(http://www.eurojournals.com/ejsr.htm)
Previously, we mentioned that due to the financial , technological and political resources of giant transnational media corporations like Disney, Time Warner, CNN and Microsoft through the Internet, they can supervise and dominate to a large extent the dissemination of information, services and cultural products around the world, especially the American media corporations. In this cultural exchange, Western transnational media corporations, especially those owned by American economic interests, literally “invade” traditional cultures through their entertainment providers(TV programs, films, cartoons, music, international news) and through their “refined advertising”, promoting a predefined package of goods and services, which Western, and especially American transnational corporations produce and distribute around the world.
The narrower the spectrum or the choices of goods and services in the global market place, the more economical and naturally the more profitable would be the production and the marketing of these specific goods and services by these Western transnational companies. As a consequence, Western transnational corporations , whether they produce goods or services, or disseminate information, in their strategy for “cultural globalization”, they are creating a more “homogenized” global culture, even within the Western developed countries. They are “intentionally” weakening and undermining the societal inputs of traditional culture in protecting and maintaining a society’s historical identity, its societal cohesion and its popular habits and traditions.
In essence, the “globalizing strategy” of these mostly American transnational corporations is to create dysfunctional societies, whether by homogenisation or by hybridisation, so that they can become “easy prey” to their “scavenging”.”…While the global media system disseminates capitalist consumer culture globally and uniformly, having a homogenizing effect, it simultaneously has the effect of creating new hybrid cultures as a result of global flows of people and the interpretation of media flows. However, neither homogenisation nor hybridisation attempt the preservation of traditional cultures; homogenisation attempts to suppress them whilst hybridisation may subvert by incorporating them into new hybrid cultures. It is the future of traditional cultures to which the proliferation of media globalisation poses the greatest threat and how such cultures can be preserved will be an important question for future theory on media globalisation…”.(https://www.omicsonline.org/mass-communication-journalism.php)
Similarly, through their neo-liberal capitalist ideology, those Western transnational corporations promoting “cultural” but also “economic” globalization, go even further in disrupting and subverting the social cohesion and the political integrity of a country, by opposing forcefully any state intervention in their global strategies, which like the societal institution of culture may obstruct their “globalizing schemes” of total control!!!
As in the case of the European Union, democratically elected state governments have checked and neutralized the “hegemonic plans” of transnational corporations, whose main focus is to supervise the minds, the hearts and “the pockets” of the general public. Nevertheless, there are many examples where the state apparatus of a country has supported and facilitated their globalizing initiatives, especially in the underdeveloped and developing nations, as their elected and non-elected state representatives have either been “bought off”, “bribed” or “black-mailed” in cooperating with them(transnational corporations), this against the general welfare of their own citizens.”…The rejection of state intervention in the economy, one of the basic liberal principles, remains in place -when that intervention takes the form of the welfare state. But state intervention is allowed to promote the effective functioning of the market mechanism and the related maximization of profits…”.(https://www.omicsonline.org/mass-communication-journalism.php)
The most important economic indicator which specifies and confirms the very close cooperation between the transnational media corporations and the transnational corporations producing goods and services, are the amounts of money being spent on advertising internationally and also the firms which dominate the advertising market. Transnational advertising through mostly Western transnational media corporations is critical in promoting the goods and services generated by mostly Western transnational corporations, especially American transnational corporations.
Their joint and complementary economic activities, ensure their steady profits, but above all, their success in their globalizing ambitions.”…The volume of advertising in the context of globalization is close to 350-400 billion dollars, the financial volume of the whole media business is much greater. Now, the advertising market is at the same time controlled by only a few “superad agency-owning companies”(an oligopoly). New media contents and formats are being produced and they are the face of this commercialization(reality shows, series and movie production). The primary principle is to produce a successful product aimed at a large audience…”.(https://www.omicsonline.org/mass-communication-journalism.php)
Therefore, we see the youth, high consumers and the economically active population of tomorrow, being bombarded daily by a continuous and permanent flow of American television, magazines, books, films and music, dominated by the American consumer culture and by the American English language, whether translated or not(symbols, concepts, metaphors), especially through the Internet. All these dynamic factors of Cultural Globalization, undermine all cultures, especially traditional cultures, which are based on a “learned system” of existential meanings and symbolisms through time, defining the uniqueness of a peoples, a society or a nation.
The “globalized culture” which Western transnational corporations, especially American transnational corporations, aim to establish , is a culture of “virtual reality” with “no historical memory”, where all human participants live and evolve as “homogenized”, “gullible” and “passive” recipients and consumers. These people will be the recipients and consumers not only of goods and services which are being advertised by an “oligopoly” of mainly American transnational media corporations , and being produced by an “oligopoly” of mainly American transnational corporations, but also the new consumer symbols, the new socio-economic priorities and the new moral standards of “modern” American Virtual Reality!!!
Modern Everyday Reality is an American Virtual Reality which has subjugated the everyday lives of all Americans, young or old, rich or poor, for more than 100 years. This, since the socio-cultural omnipotence of Hollywood Cinema in American popular entertainment and the all -pervasive consumer status of Coca Cola, as the main soft-drink beverage of all Americans , soon to become the main soft-drink of almost all of humanity!!!
There lies the real economic success or the real “economic deception”(virtual reality) of American Capitalism and American Cultural Globalization. The means and the power of American transnational enterprises to produce and disseminate a product all over the world, which carries very little intellectual benefit(Hollywood films) or very little nutritional content(Coca Cola soft drink), and “metamorphosing” it into an essential element and a vital component in a person’s everyday wellbeing and everyday pleasure!!!
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| MacDonald’s | Disney | Bill Gates Microsoft (From South Park) |