Anybody (Americans) find this offensive?

kobayashi · November 3, 2003, 10:32

@IF
TURN
turn=1
@THEN
TEXT
^
^^ THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD
^
^^ At American troops pulled out of Vietnam in 1973, their strategists began to
^ ponder the reason for their defeat. After detailed scrutiny of the rise and fall
^^ of former empires and the Rape of Nations period during European colonization,
^^ they correctly deduced that any empire built on military might inherently sows the
^^ seeds of its own destruction during its birth. Thus they have come to the inescapable
^^ conclusion that they had to displace the ethnic and cultural distinctiveness of their
^^ enemies in order to taste everlasting victory. This was euphemistically named the
^ Free Trade Doctrine.
^
^^ Thus began the U.S. Global campaign on Lend (you US$), See (our hit movies) and
^^ Air (our Sit-coms).....
^
ENDTEXT
@ENDIF

@IF
TURN
turn=1
@THEN
TEXT
^
^^ THE AMERICAN CENTURY
^
^^ The shipyards of Hollywood run by legendary commanders such as Spielberg,
^^ Coppola and Scorsese continues to christen massive battleships with bizzare
^^ names: Godfather, Rocky, Star Wars. Auxillary shipyards code named ABC, NBC and
^^ CBS churn out Aircraft Carriers such as the $6 Million Man, Laverne+Shirley and
^^ M*A*S*H. The Americans rule the air and sea with charismatic aces like Roger Moore,
^^ John Travolta, Richard Geerand Olivia Newton John.
^
^^ On the ground new shock divisions such as Pepsi, Nike and McDonalds mobilize for
^^ a second wave of landings even as crack U.S. units such as Boeing, IBM, Marlboro
^^ and Coca-Cola entrench themselves in their beachheads. Meanwhile the heartland of
^^ U.S. doctrine known as the Ivy League goes into overdrive, with prophets such as
^^ Modigliani, Friedman, Markowitz and Sharpe spreading free-market ideology to
^^ every corner of the globe.
^
ENDTEXT
@ENDIF

@IF
TURN
turn=25
@THEN
TEXT
^
^^ THE PASSING OF THE TORCH
^
^^ 1976 marks the climax of Europe's final counter-offensive, the supersonic air
^^ liner Concorde jointly developed by France and England. Having gone through
^^ test-flights for five years with much fanfare, the first scheduled flight takes
^^ off on January 21st, taking off in London and landing in Bahrain. Trans-atlantic
^^ flights begin three months later.
^
^^ While it appears to be a resounding victory initially as was the Ardennes
^^ Offensive, it ultimately proves to be a massive strategic failure. Wide-bodied
^^ jets like the B747 make the Concorde uneconomical and it is never used by any
^^ airlines except British Airways, Air France and Singapore Airlines. Europe retreats
^^ inward and an entire generation of global expansion is lost to the Americans.
^
ENDTEXT
PLAYWAVEFILE
THEME.WAV
@ENDIF

Palaiologos · November 3, 2003, 11:34

!

typhoon · November 3, 2003, 11:38

For the new buisness empire scen I presume.

curtsibling · November 3, 2003, 12:50

New World Order, baby!

fairline · November 3, 2003, 13:20

Sums up the current global US cultural and economic dominance quite nicely.

Just one thing though: Roger Moore is a Brit and Olivia Newton John is a Brit brought up in Australia. While we're at it, was Olivia Newton John the best you could come up with? How about Julia Roberts?

Exile · November 3, 2003, 13:30

I'm certainly no patriot, and am practically apolitical, but . . . . .

The USA is waging a cultural war on the rest of the globe, huh?

Nobody is forcing anyone to buy any of this crap. Lame sitcoms, sugary drinks, bombastic flicks, so-called celebrities . . . .

If it didn't SELL, it wouldn't work.

Hey, I'm not buying any of that crap, and I LIVE HERE. Not even the states has a monopoly on STUPIDITY. It seems, frankly, to be a worldwide phenomenon.

America-bashing is soooooooooo popular these days.

But no, I'm not offended. I find simplistic, mono-causal thinking by laymen amusing.

Mercator · November 3, 2003, 13:47

Lend, See and Air?!

techumseh · November 3, 2003, 13:52

Quote:

Originally posted by Mercator
Lend, See and Air?!

Lend, See and Err!

techumseh · November 3, 2003, 14:04

Quote:

Originally posted by Exile
I'm certainly no patriot, and am practically apolitical, but . . . . .

The USA is waging a cultural war on the rest of the globe, huh?

Nobody is forcing anyone to buy any of this crap. Lame sitcoms, sugary drinks, bombastic flicks, so-called celebrities . . . .

If it didn't SELL, it wouldn't work.

Hey, I'm not buying any of that crap, and I LIVE HERE. Not even the states has a monopoly on STUPIDITY. It seems, frankly, to be a worldwide phenomenon.

America-bashing is soooooooooo popular these days.

But no, I'm not offended. I find simplistic, mono-causal thinking by laymen amusing.

But not by (former) academics?

Harry Tuttle · November 3, 2003, 19:34

Uhhhh, wow. Ok. It won't be offensive if it's done in good fun. If the scenario is made out to be some sort of cultural war then it might become offensive. Now if it was played out as purely capitalistic and on business terms I would find no problem with it. It's just that the whole "America is out to ruin your heritage" thing is getting really old and is really unfair.

Now I don't get upset when some Europeans ask me if I work on a farm, rope cattle, and live in Texas, but I do note that some people don't take the time to fully take in what a country is about. So if you do go through with it Koby, just make it tasteful and very lighthearted.

Some points in history when American "cultural power" was on the ropes:

1. The Early 1990's - Japan's predominance economically led to a lot of fears that the Japanese were going to totally take over the tech industry. In fact, if anyone remembers the 386 - 486 chip war in the early 1990's it took some very tough bargaining and some heavy duty politics to stop NEC from dumping their overstock of 486 chips on the U.S. market. Which, by the way, would have ruined the fledgling Intel company who was pouring their profits from their 386's into research for the Pentium I. If NEC had succeeded the American tech industry might have been severely set back for decades.

2. The British Invasion - Beetles anyone? These guys pretty much took over the music industry during the 60's. Did it make everyone start listening to Brit pop rock? No, but the white album is still influencing the industry....

Zabba149 · November 3, 2003, 19:50

I would have to agree with Exile on this one.

While, I'm not offended by these remarks, I am beaten down by the America bashing that is so prevalent these days. I am guessing that this is suppossed to be taken all in good fun??

POTUS · November 3, 2003, 19:58

Very funny.

FYI, Amando Modigliani was French.

ravagon · November 3, 2003, 20:11

Who's the more foolish - the fool or those who foll, er, buy what the fool produces?

archer_007 · November 3, 2003, 20:22

I dont find it very offensive.

DarkCloud · November 3, 2003, 23:29

It's not very offensive, I took it in good humor

but 1st there are the technical inconsistencies as were already pointed out and 2nd I agree with Exile... the companies just happen to be based in the US. The US isn't necessarily forcing a trade war.

that whole idea seems to have originated from WWII and the rebuilding of Europe and Japan. but without those funds and those companies- europe would not have been rebuilt as quickly!

kobayashi · November 3, 2003, 23:46

yes the scenario will entirely be about corporate deals and the hi-tech race and there aren't any 'cultural' advances or units.

putting the game aside for a while...

I'm actually looking at this project from my point of view which is slated more towards admiration than cultural bashing. Basically I'm already brainwashed and i think america is going to take over the world and america should take over the world. Maybe not in my lifetime but eventually. I love A&W Root Beer and Star Trek (but not NFL).

Why do I say this? America is like the Borg but without the inviseration. They takeover peacefully over many generations and whoever is 'conquered' is always willing and everyone is free to resist as long as they want. As the world becomes more american, america becomes more like the world (think San Francisco) and at some point there won't be any distinction and then we can concentrate on warp drive and finding the Vulcans.

DarthVeda · November 4, 2003, 00:29

And then what will become of our precious racism?

Zabba149 · November 4, 2003, 01:19

Quote:

Originally posted by kobayashi
...and then we can concentrate on warp drive and finding the Vulcans.

excellent!

Case · November 4, 2003, 03:09

I deny all rumors that Olivia Newton John is Australian. She's evil.

Quote:

Basically I'm already brainwashed and i think america is going to take over the world and america should take over the world. Maybe not in my lifetime but eventually. I love A&W Root Beer and Star Trek

kobayashi, I think that the tropical heat is starting to get to you.

Anyway, based on my extensive experiance of Singapore [a total of 4 hours spent jetlagged out of my mind at Changi Airport], Singapore is being taken over by Australians

kobayashi · November 4, 2003, 04:05

Quote:

Originally posted by POTUS
Very funny.

FYI, Amando Modigliani was French.

I'll take him out then. I only thought of him cause I recently saw his obituary and the words Miller and Modigliani came to mind. What was Miller's first name then and was he an Americana?

kobayashi · November 4, 2003, 04:23

Quote:

Originally posted by fairline
Sums up the current global US cultural and economic dominance quite nicely.

Just one thing though: Roger Moore is a Brit and Olivia Newton John is a Brit brought up in Australia. While we're at it, was Olivia Newton John the best you could come up with? How about Julia Roberts?

I didn't really checked where my 'Aces' were from. They were collaboraters anyway and already flying for the enemy. Julia Roberts is too young.

But to satisfy everyone

Are any of these guys Americans?

Karen Carpenter
Barry Manilow
Robert Deniro
Al Pachino
Paul Newman
Steve McQueen
Clint Eastwood
Yul Bryner
Charles Bronson
James Coburn

(this is fast turning out to be a list of the magnificent seven)

curtsibling · November 4, 2003, 05:27

LOL!

I am not offended.

But mighty though she is, America will never rule the world.

And niether will any other nation for that matter.
Humankind cannot tolerate a single leader-country.

Unless that leader is Great Britain, that is!

curtsibling · November 4, 2003, 05:29

I think the scenario will be really fun though, if kobayashi's RON is anything to go by!

DarthVeda · November 4, 2003, 08:57

Charlie Bronson may be American, but he's a corpse now.

techumseh · November 4, 2003, 11:01

Quote:

Originally posted by curtsibling

Humankind cannot tolerate a single leader-country.

Unless that leader is Great Britain, that is!

I think it's "was", Curt.

curtsibling · November 4, 2003, 13:42

*We'll be baaaack!*

Lft Marks · November 5, 2003, 14:32

i dont think americans should be affended by this, sure it's a little anti, but america is the "empire of our times" and people delight in ribbing it out of them because of thier success. Did the same thing with us brits during our empire, it's a part of history.
The reason i believe for all this anti-american sentiment is because american politicians have effectively calculated how they can make sure their empire will never fall, which goes against the course of history and it is bound to happen therefore.....

Catfish · November 5, 2003, 22:13

Quote:

Originally posted by DarthVeda
Charlie Bronson may be American, but he's a corpse now.

There are a few corpses in that list.

William Keenan · November 6, 2003, 00:21

Quote:

Originally posted by kobayashi

putting the game aside for a while...

I'm actually looking at this project from my point of view which is slated more towards admiration ..... they takeover peacefully over many generations and whoever is 'conquered' is always willing and everyone is free to resist as long as they want ....

Freedom of expression is a core American value, so express yourself freely whether it is offensive or not. It's the most American thing you could do.

There is little doubt that American culture is invading the world. Contrary to popular belief however, this cultural invasion it is not premeditated. Americans don't sit around talking about how to usurp the cultural values of other nations. In fact, most Americans are unaware of the existence of other nations.

Technology has given people free time and extra money. American culture is simply the totality of ways to get people to spend their free time, spending their extra money. It was bound to happen somewhere in the world, America just happened to be a good incubator.

Exile · November 6, 2003, 00:37

DAMN! that's a good argument.