| For those that have not traveled extensively | | | | for they way she was taught, but blamed the |
| outside the borders of our country, the only link | | | | lack of Canadian money and the abundance of |
| we have to the outside world is the media. Media | | | | American. Her vision is not of being conquered by |
| can be books, newspapers, television, and even | | | | force or by religion, but by money. Her claims |
| internet today. Each medium must be studied | | | | that the reason Canadians were able to blend into |
| carefully before taking the information as the | | | | new societies better, was simply that no one |
| "gospel truth". Who is the author, where did they | | | | from her country could afford to bring the whole |
| come from, and have they themselves traveled | | | | country with them, unlike the Americans who |
| outside the borders or are they on the writings of | | | | take all of themselves where ever they go. So is |
| others? Dr. Paul Harrison, Margaret Atwood, and | | | | America the giant to blame for their influence on |
| Postman would have you believe that their way | | | | Canada?Postman identifies entertainment to be |
| of looking at the world is the only way. Before | | | | the downfall of America. By providing movies |
| we can examine a certain view on the United | | | | instead of books, a vacuum that haunted |
| States of America, we must first define a basic | | | | holocaust Germany is forming. By making life so |
| belief of the world. Each of the three authors has | | | | easy with new technologies for themselves, |
| a slightly different view of how America is tearing | | | | Americans have again begun to be lazy. Television |
| itself apart and in turn doing the same for the | | | | is what is ruining the country because it is a |
| rest of the world.In the chapter The | | | | command center for all. Since each American |
| Westernization of the World by Paul Harrison, he | | | | every night tunes in to the exact same ideas, |
| points out the religious aspects of Pauline | | | | they in turn do not have to think and very few |
| Christianity of Europe was the beginning of | | | | disagreements emerge. Debate is the bane that |
| creating sameness throughout the world. Instead | | | | forms new ideas and also new books. So books |
| of settling in to the new worlds and assimilating | | | | are not being read and in a hideous circle, books |
| into the culture as the Dutch or Spanish, the | | | | are not being written. Society is collapsing on itself |
| Europeans squashed the difference of each | | | | and taking the rest of the world with it. Postman |
| people, naming the Bible as the reason, and forced | | | | also points out in irony that the very Bible that |
| a complete new way of life for the "newly | | | | began all these issues is the same that tells us |
| enlightened" tribes. Basically, the missionaries would | | | | television should not exist. As television begins to |
| enter a new land and in turn, blanket the children | | | | influence the rest of the world with satellites, |
| with a new education, give the adults books on | | | | everyone begins to wear blue jeans from the |
| their way of life, and start a new government in | | | | same place, where their hair a certain way and all |
| their likeness. The color of the people's skin is the | | | | becomes one. If television and movies are |
| only difference remaining and some began to be | | | | destroying America, is it America place to stop |
| ashamed of how he/she looked. In turn, they | | | | the spread of this new mind numbing |
| began to want to emulate the Europeans and | | | | pandemic?The answers are simple: no, no and no. |
| force was no longer needed. Harrison believes | | | | Yes Europe is responsible for pushing their way of |
| that racism, arrogance, military superiority, social | | | | life onto other cultures, but it is not now |
| climbing and money, not religion is the real reason | | | | America's responsibility to police the world now. |
| for this behavior towards the new worlds (third | | | | America is being to over extend itself as Canada |
| worlds). He states the results have become a | | | | did in the '40s. And yes a vacuum is forming that |
| world of where traditions and differences are a | | | | needs to be filled with something besides TV. But |
| thing of the past. The question now before us | | | | it is up to each individual to decide for themselves, |
| starts to reason, if others want to be like the | | | | research their own culture and history in |
| American/Europeans template called the European | | | | innovated ways themselves, and then choose the |
| road, are they to blame?Margret Atwood, a | | | | lifestyle they each want to live. In history, there |
| fellow Pantheist also has a negative view of the | | | | have always been Mavericks that decide that the |
| United States. She looks down on the country | | | | way things are going now is not right; I am going |
| and her nose from Canada. She spends time | | | | to do things differently. If America takes on the |
| concentrating on our most recent combined past | | | | responsibility for the rest of the world, it will |
| of post world war II when she was a child. | | | | collapse into itself. The writers that wrote the |
| Americans before that time were viewed as | | | | articles descried above are showing others a |
| clumsy, lazy and ignorant of the land. America's | | | | several different path, it is up to each person to |
| money was welcome at that time in Canada and | | | | turn off the television, open a book by a non |
| since there was great need having over extended | | | | English writer, and book a plane ticket to |
| themselves in the war, many were happy to | | | | somewhere else.Works CitedVerburg, Carol. |
| have it. Then things changed for both the country | | | | Ourselves among Others. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford |
| and the writer. She explains that her schooling, her | | | | St. Martins, 2000.Holly Odom is a freelance writer |
| recreation, and her entertainment began to be | | | | working for - on line Custom Writing/Research |
| American. Her education was pretty much the | | | | company. She specializes in Social sciences, Arts, |
| same as American received at the time. Political, | | | | History and English literature. During 2005, earned |
| military and social leaders were all from England. | | | | became one of 10 best writers at essaymart. |
| Atwood does not blame the Americans outright | | | | |