[Powderworks] LMOC: One Country or 51st State of the US?
Virgil Thomas Alexander Morant
v-morant@onu.edu
Thu, 17 Oct 2002 03:44:01 -0400
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_00D9_01C2758F.6EC6F160
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
It has, I am sad to say, been ages since I heard a Peter Garrett rant on =
anything, but I still remember the disturbing parts of American culture =
that were popular in Australia when I was there ten years ago. I'm an =
American, though, and I don't take the blame. I too believe in free =
will.
Does anyone remember a guy named "Snow" who had a song called =
"Informer"? Dear Lord, I must have heard that blasted song ten thousand =
times on the radio in Australia back then. Why, I'm sorry the thought =
even just occured to me, because now that lame tune is going to torment =
my brain for the rest of the night and the coming day. Jeez!
By the way, on a more heartwarming subject, I just want to reiterate =
(this also was discussed about eight months ago on the list, but, what =
can I say, I'm a bit late) that Kosciuszko is still Midnight Oil's best =
song, and Place without a Postcard is their finest record. I'm not very =
fond of Breathe, although I do like a couple of the songs, and I think =
Home is wonderful (one of their five or ten best even, maybe), and I =
listened to Redneck Wonderland once and never again except occasionally =
for the title track, which is fairly entertaining.
Capricornia rocks. That one was a blessed relief to somone who just =
couldn't deal with Redneck Wonderland.
-Virgil.
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Craig Jacobson=20
To: Kathryn Adams=20
Cc: powderworks@cs.colorado.edu=20
Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 7:37 PM
Subject: Re: [Powderworks] LMOC: One Country or 51st State of the US?
Consider the specific items included in PG's rant: grunge, grunge=20
fashion, rap, the Olympics.
First, the Olympics: Australia hosted Melbourne 1956 as well as =
Sydney=20
2000. That's two of the last twelve summer Olympics, the same as the=20
U.S. over this period. (We'll leave the winter Olympics out of this=20
discussion until Bondi Beach freezes over.) So, Australia's =
involvement=20
in the international sports community is hardly new.
The other items, all presented as an American cultural invasion, are=20
choices made by Australian consumers, not something forced upon them.=20
If I can avoid all of the above living a few miles from midtown New=20
York, and also avoid the ubiquitous McDonalds, I'm not sure why those =
in=20
other countries can't as well.
Finally, we have the CNN issue. Ironically, I spent many nights=20
drinking many VBs in that club in Bali that was blown up with =
Australian=20
friends, listening to what a joke they thought CNN was as a news =
source.=20
I've been reading the SMH online for news on the Bali situation. The =
cable news channel I watch is owned by Rupert Murdoch. My favorite =
news=20
magazine is British. The point of this is that news is far more=20
international than it was in the pre-CNN days. Anyone with an =
internet=20
connection who gets all of their news from CNN is doing it by their =
own=20
choice, not by dint of American dominance.
I used to travel overseas often, and it always saddened me to see=20
McDonalds and Coke and Michael Jordan shirts all over the place. I =
wish=20
the rest of the world would chase McDonalds by simply not eating =
there.
Off of my soapbox now...
Kathryn Adams wrote:
> Its always fascinating to see the differences between the rants in =
Oz=20
> and PG ranting that goes on elsewhere, particularly the US.
>
> When Pete rants in Australia, there seems to be a lot of =
declarations=20
> of individuality and the need for cultural autonomy. When Pete =
rants=20
> on North American stages, he seems to wander toward =
internationality,=20
> harmony, and universal respect sorts of themes. The same broad =
brush=20
> generalities may be more or less applied to Rob's comments to the =
press.
>
> Now I recognize that the message gets tailored to the audience, and=20
> there is a strong comfort level factor in the things they say =
abroad. =20
> What I'm trying to get a handle on is this: what distinguishes the=20
> "One Country" internationalist sentiments from "51st (52nd,53rd...)=20
> State" laments voiced in Oz? I know that some important differences =
> lie in the areas of consent and franchise versus domination and=20
> colonization. But how are the impulses toward global unity and=20
> national autonomy reconciled?
>
> Any insights anybody? Stories to tell that would flesh this out a=20
> bit? It would be interesting to get multiple Oily data points from=20
> different spots around the globe.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Powderworks mailing list
> Powderworks@cs.colorado.edu
> http://www.cs.colorado.edu/mailman/listinfo/powderworks
>
_______________________________________________
Powderworks mailing list
Powderworks@cs.colorado.edu
http://www.cs.colorado.edu/mailman/listinfo/powderworks
------=_NextPart_000_00D9_01C2758F.6EC6F160
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2719.2200" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV>It has, I am sad to say, been ages since I heard a Peter Garrett =
rant on=20
anything, but I still remember the disturbing parts of American culture =
that=20
were popular in Australia when I was there ten years ago. I'm an =
American,=20
though, and I don't take the blame. I too believe in free =
will.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Does anyone remember a guy named "Snow" who had a song called=20
"Informer"? Dear Lord, I must have heard that blasted song ten =
thousand=20
times on the radio in Australia back then. Why, I'm sorry the =
thought even=20
just occured to me, because now that lame tune is going to torment my =
brain for=20
the rest of the night and the coming day. Jeez!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>By the way, on a more heartwarming subject, I just want to =
reiterate (this=20
also was discussed about eight months ago on the list, but, what can I =
say, I'm=20
a bit late) that <EM>Kosciuszko</EM> is still Midnight Oil's best song, =
and=20
<EM>Place without a Postcard</EM> is their finest record. I'm=20
not very fond of <EM>Breathe</EM>, although I do like a couple of =
the=20
songs, and I think <EM>Home</EM> is wonderful (one of their five or ten =
best=20
even, maybe), and I listened to <EM>Redneck Wonderland</EM> once and =
never again=20
except occasionally for the title track, which is fairly =
entertaining.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><EM>Capricornia</EM> rocks. That one was a blessed relief to =
somone=20
who just couldn't deal with <EM>Redneck Wonderland</EM>.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>-Virgil.</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dcjake@pipeline.com href=3D"mailto:cjake@pipeline.com">Craig =
Jacobson</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=3Dkate@dnki.net=20
href=3D"mailto:kate@dnki.net">Kathryn Adams</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A =
title=3Dpowderworks@cs.colorado.edu=20
=
href=3D"mailto:powderworks@cs.colorado.edu">powderworks@cs.colorado.edu</=
A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, October 16, =
2002 7:37=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Powderworks] =
LMOC: One=20
Country or 51st State of the US?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Consider the specific items included in PG's =
rant: =20
grunge, grunge <BR>fashion, rap, the Olympics.<BR><BR>First, the=20
Olympics: Australia hosted Melbourne 1956 as well as Sydney=20
<BR>2000. That's two of the last twelve summer Olympics, the =
same as the=20
<BR>U.S. over this period. (We'll leave the winter Olympics out =
of this=20
<BR>discussion until Bondi Beach freezes over.) So, Australia's=20
involvement <BR>in the international sports community is hardly=20
new.<BR><BR>The other items, all presented as an American cultural =
invasion,=20
are <BR>choices made by Australian consumers, not something forced =
upon them.=20
<BR> If I can avoid all of the above living a few miles from =
midtown New=20
<BR>York, and also avoid the ubiquitous McDonalds, I'm not sure why =
those in=20
<BR>other countries can't as well.<BR><BR>Finally, we have the CNN=20
issue. Ironically, I spent many nights <BR>drinking many VBs in =
that=20
club in Bali that was blown up with Australian <BR>friends, listening =
to what=20
a joke they thought CNN was as a news source. <BR> I've been =
reading the=20
SMH online for news on the Bali situation. The <BR>cable news =
channel I=20
watch is owned by Rupert Murdoch. My favorite news <BR>magazine =
is=20
British. The point of this is that news is far more =
<BR>international=20
than it was in the pre-CNN days. Anyone with an internet =
<BR>connection=20
who gets all of their news from CNN is doing it by their own =
<BR>choice, not=20
by dint of American dominance.<BR><BR>I used to travel overseas often, =
and it=20
always saddened me to see <BR>McDonalds and Coke and Michael Jordan =
shirts all=20
over the place. I wish <BR>the rest of the world would chase =
McDonalds=20
by simply not eating there.<BR><BR>Off of my soapbox =
now...<BR><BR>Kathryn=20
Adams wrote:<BR><BR>> Its always fascinating to see the differences =
between=20
the rants in Oz <BR>> and PG ranting that goes on elsewhere, =
particularly=20
the US.<BR>><BR>> When Pete rants in Australia, there seems to =
be a lot=20
of declarations <BR>> of individuality and the need for cultural=20
autonomy. When Pete rants <BR>> on North American stages, he =
seems to=20
wander toward internationality, <BR>> harmony, and universal =
respect sorts=20
of themes. The same broad brush <BR>> generalities may be =
more or=20
less applied to Rob's comments to the press.<BR>><BR>> Now I =
recognize=20
that the message gets tailored to the audience, and <BR>> there is =
a strong=20
comfort level factor in the things they say abroad. <BR>> =
What I'm=20
trying to get a handle on is this: what distinguishes the =
<BR>> "One=20
Country" internationalist sentiments from "51st (52nd,53rd...) =
<BR>> State"=20
laments voiced in Oz? I know that some important differences =
<BR>>=20
lie in the areas of consent and franchise versus domination and =
<BR>>=20
colonization. But how are the impulses toward global unity and =
<BR>>=20
national autonomy reconciled?<BR>><BR>> Any insights =
anybody? =20
Stories to tell that would flesh this out a <BR>> bit? It would be=20
interesting to get multiple Oily data points from <BR>> different =
spots=20
around the globe.<BR>><BR>>=20
_______________________________________________<BR>> Powderworks =
mailing=20
list<BR>> <A=20
=
href=3D"mailto:Powderworks@cs.colorado.edu">Powderworks@cs.colorado.edu</=
A><BR>>=20
<A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.cs.colorado.edu/mailman/listinfo/powderworks">http://w=
ww.cs.colorado.edu/mailman/listinfo/powderworks</A><BR>><BR><BR><BR><B=
R>_______________________________________________<BR>Powderworks=20
mailing list<BR><A=20
=
href=3D"mailto:Powderworks@cs.colorado.edu">Powderworks@cs.colorado.edu</=
A><BR><A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.cs.colorado.edu/mailman/listinfo/powderworks">http://w=
ww.cs.colorado.edu/mailman/listinfo/powderworks</A></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></=
HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_00D9_01C2758F.6EC6F160--