America’s True Power

I have recently used my ten year USA visa to visit New York City. I spent four days in Manhattan going to fancy restaurants and seeing various sites. And what struck me most was how dirty and how unimpressive the city was. I was happy to see my sister who was visiting there, but I aside from moderately better weather I couldn't see why it might make sense to leave a much cleaner and cheaper (in terms of living expenses) Montreal to go live there. Over a decade ago I would have given anything to go live in New York City.

As many Lebanese and third world citizens, I have grown up with this fantasy image of America. This shining city on the hill where everything was possible. Growing up during in war thorn Lebanon in the 1980s I would look through my Television screen to see those skyscrapers and those cities where everyone was happy, where things were happening, where life was interesting.

Even today, despite Donald Trump, millions around the world line up in front of American embassies to get a visa to go to the US of A. People around the world watch American movies. The Success of the latest Avengers is an example of that. And people around the globe learn American English.

I was reminded of a 90s song by German Band Ramstein called "Amerika." It goes something like "We're all living in Amerika,  Amerika ist Wunderbar" (America is wonderful). It shows how millions of Gen-Xers and Late Millennials were born into the American culture. Coming to Canada was to me: coming to a lighter version of America. And I was surprised how people here try to accentuate the differences they have with their southern more famous neighbor.

Don't get me wrong. I love my adopted country. But my first love is and will always be the US of A. And so when reading about the decline of America and how China is going to rule the world, I can't help but notice how little interest the world has in Chinese culture. Aside from the occasional Chinese food, how many people are watching Chinese movies. Listening to Chinese music or reading Chinese history. How many people get educated in Chinese universities. Yes, Aspiring Masters of the Universe are learning some Mandarin to get into the stock market or some import-export business. But these are those who put their efforts into learning Japanese in the 80s, the successful type who would learn more than a language and earn graduate degrees. Go around the world and take a taxi, your driver is likely to know some English and a lot about American culture. He did not need the effort to acquire either. He did it through entertainment by watching movies and today going on the internet.

As much as TV was an is a force for spreading American culture, so is the internet. The symbols of Americana dominate Facebook and social media. It is no wonder New York city gets so many visitors and despite being so expensive and polluted. In the Middle East, some pundits would argue that American power is due to its military. Some economists would assert that it's due to its Dollar. But the truth is, America's real power comes from its culture. A culture that has weaved a divided world together and made its people version of Americans. Indeed, we are all living in America. America is Wonderful.