The Cultural/Political Dichotomies between the US and Europe

There is a dissonance between European views of American Politics vs. American culture. Anywhere you go in Europe, you don’t have to venture far to see American influence in Europe. It is everywhere from the products, to the literature, films, etc. Yet if you have not lived in a European country recently you would not know this because the influence does not cut both ways.

Before we moved here we went nuts at the wholesale club purchasing items (mostly for the brand) that we certainly would not find here in Warsaw. What a shock it was to go into a store once we arrived and not only find products that we use, but to also find the very brand we like. We now kick ourselves for having spent all that money on stuff we could have easily found here.

At the local cinema here, 90% of the people purchasing tickets are going to see an American-made film. And unless it is a children’s film (cartoon), the film is played in its original language mostly English with subtitles in the country’s language. Same with cable TV. Unless what is being shown is made in Poland, I can switch from the Polish dubbed version to the original English version with a click of the remote.

Radio Stations may offer commentary in Polish, German, French, etc., but the music they primarily play is American. Yet, in America, if you browse your local radio stations, the closest thing to “European” music you may get is classical music born and bred n Europe. Before moving here, I knew of no European rock bands other than those coming out of the UK or Ireland which to me doesn’t really count since they all speak English. There are European rock bands, of course, just like the Japanese and Latin Americans have their own brand of rock, but the point is that other than Latin Rock (and that is by the mere fact that I am Hispanic), I have never been exposed to Japanese, Western or Eastern European rock bands before now. And even now, access is limited because most of the stuff on the radio is American rock/pop.

There used to be a time in history where most literature, music, and art coming out of Europe was given as much attention and interest as the same coming from the United States appears to be getting from Europeans at this time. In American schools (at least when I was in school) you read European literature, studied economics, physics and math based on principles developed by Europeans and learned to appreciate European musical and artistic genius. However, it is interesting to note that once you hit the 20th century, the focus on the European tends to diminish and is replaced by American philosophy, political thought, economics, literature, music, art, etc. It’s almost as if we appreciate what Europe has to offer historically, but then it stops and the focus shifts to what America has to offer.

In the United States, I have noticed that most Americans express little to no interest in foreign imports (other than food), yet here, foreign imports from America and Japan seem to be consumed in vast quantities. The interest in visiting Europe to an American lies mostly in the rich history and culture that Europe can provide. However, what we mostly seek in Europe is connection to the Old World, history that is inextricably linked to our own development as a nation. After all, Europeans were the ones to conquer America. Europeans were the ones to first establish colonies in America. We forget that there was a time when North America was primarily divided among the French, Spanish and British. Thus, Europe is part of our history and therefore most of us do have an interest in connecting with the past. Some may still have family living in the “old country.”

Being able to experience European culture and values in addition to my own, I feel that it would be valuable for students today to gain that kind of understanding of Europe. Maybe importing news from Europe or products would help expand the next generations world view. Can't hurt!