Today I saw a reader "vigorously" in the message area to express his views on cultural invasion, and he thought it was a false proposition, as shown below:
Indeed, cultural invasion is a complex issue that involves many factors, including political, economic, cultural, and other aspects. However, from some perspectives, we can question whether a cultural invasion really exists.
His message piqued my interest, so I might as well stop by today. I've been wondering if the concept of "cultural invasion" is unique to us. However, upon research, I found out that this is not the case. In fact, many countries, especially those that are relatively backward and barbaric, are particularly wary of the phenomenon of "invasion" of foreign cultures. This phenomenon is prevalent in many countries.
Let me explain. These countries are often suspicious of foreign cultures, and even have strong rejection attitudes. They may think that an alien culture will erode their own culture, or they may fear that an alien culture will clash with their own culture. Therefore, they often take various measures to prevent the "invasion" of foreign cultures in order to protect the uniqueness and integrity of their own culture.
Of course, this does not mean that all countries have such an attitude. There are also countries that are able to accept and appreciate foreign cultures, and even integrate them into their own cultures, thus promoting cultural exchange and integration. However, for those countries that are relatively backward and barbaric, their vigilance and rejection of foreign cultures is a common phenomenon.
So, what exactly does "cultural invasion" mean? It usually refers to an act of cultural aggression, that is, the infiltration of one culture into another country or region through various means and channels, thereby influencing or changing the characteristics and forms of the culture of that country or region. This kind of behavior is usually accompanied by the erosion and destruction of the culture of the country or region, and may even lead to the extinction of the culture. Therefore, we need to be vigilant and prevent this behavior from happening.
The year before last, I encountered a phenomenon in the China-Kazakhstan Border Free Trade Zone, which triggered my deep thinking. In the Chinese malls I visited, the text on the billboards was dominated by Chinese characters, and the same meaning was written in Kazakh underneath. However, when I came to Kazakhstan, I found that only the Kazakh language was preserved in the existing mall, and the Chinese characters had been removed. Although the traces left behind can still be seen as kanji, I was surprised by this change.
My driver told me that the port managers in Kazakhstan are worried about the influence of Chinese culture on their nationals, because China is richer than them. They fear that after a long period of exposure to Chinese culture, the people will be profoundly affected, and may even change their way of thinking. This concern is not unfounded, because the cultural impact is far-reaching and subtle.
However, I have some speculation about why Chinese shopping malls do not eradicate Kazakh writing. First, although China is indeed richer than Kazakhstan, the number of Chinese who immigrate to Kazakhstan is relatively small. Therefore, the managers of Chinese shopping malls have a certain degree of confidence in this, believing that this kind of cultural exchange will not have much impact on the operation of shopping malls.
But at the same time, I understand that this issue is not set in stone. If the Kazakhstan side were replaced by the United States or Germany, the situation might be different. It is not unreasonable to worry that different countries may have conflicting cultural backgrounds and values.
In one country, there was a news event last month that several teenagers were reported for hiding and peeking at a Korean TV series, and were eventually sentenced to 12 years in prison. This country is Nepal, a very unique country. From the first grade, the whole population of Nepal learns English, so everyone from security guards to porters and even businessmen can speak English fluently. This makes Nepal a country with a high level of English proficiency among the entire population.
However, one may wonder if Nepal is afraid of a "cultural invasion". Actually, Nepal is not afraid. As a tourist powerhouse, Nepal receives a large number of foreign tourists, so learning English for all people is very important for their daily life and work. In some cases, however, there have been proposals in Nepal to remove English signs from stop signs and road signs. This makes people feel very sorry. These signs in English provide great convenience for travelers, helping them to communicate and explore more smoothly in Nepal tourism. Of course, everyone's opinions and feelings are different, and the answer to this question is also different from person to person. But in any case, learning a foreign language well has many benefits for people's lives and work.
In our country, there is a phenomenon called "cultural invasion", which refers specifically to some countries with bad intentions to achieve their ulterior motives by promoting their cultural products to us, such as movies, books, goods, etc. These products often contain their cultural values and lifestyles, which subtly influence us.
Among them, Japanese anime, American blockbusters, the feminist movement in the West, and even Coca-Cola, consumer electronics, etc., may be seen as typical examples of "cultural invasion". In addition, some pop culture elements, such as steampunk, cyberpunk, rock**, etc., are also incorporated.
Of course, there is no greater "cultural invasion" than Christmas. Some countries try to influence our traditional culture by promoting Christmas culture and trying to make us accept their values and way of life. Not only is this a threat to our cultural heritage, but it can also lead to a loss of our sense of self-identity.
Musk's writings, Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, Shakespeare's works, Arabic numerals, staves, Hanyu Pinyin, etc., all come from different cultural backgrounds. Although these are not foreign cultures, they all have a strong cultural flavor. In contrast, jeans, suits, wedding dresses, etc., are products based on different cultural backgrounds, showing the characteristics of different regions.
Children's Day, May Day, Women's Day, Father's Day, Mother's Day and other festivals are also celebrated by each region according to its own cultural background. Similarly, the words "ism", "class", "cadre", "police station", and "economy" in Japanese are indeed imported from other languages or cultures, so they can be considered part of foreign cultures.
Color televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, computers, automobiles, airplanes, ships, and the Internet are the products of modern industrial civilization and foreign culture. However, these foreign cultural products do not mean that we should completely abandon the traditions of our own culture, but we need to treat these foreign cultural products with hospitality.
Finally, a large number of smartphones that use foreign technology and foreign parts, to some extent, it cannot be considered an alien culture. Rather, it reflects a global trend and our shared pursuit of technological development. In the face of those who hold a view of resistance to the invasion of foreign cultures, we need to re-examine our position.
Really, we can't be proud of some people's opinions. Today, the reason why China's modern scientific and technological civilization has been able to reach such a high level is largely because we have absorbed the essence of foreign culture and integrated it into our development. The emancipation of the productive forces brought about by scientific and technological progress has greatly promoted our material development, and this cannot be overlooked.
With the abundance of materials and the improvement of the material living standards of the country and the people, people's pursuit of the spiritual level is becoming more and more intense. This is our common pursuit, the pursuit of all mankind, and it is not unique to the West. Values such as freedom, democracy, fairness, justice, the spirit of contract, the spirit of science, the supremacy of human rights, and the sanctity of private property are in fact the inevitable products of the progress of human civilization.
And our country has long integrated these beautiful elements into the core values of socialism. Therefore, we should cherish and promote our own excellent cultural traditions, while also respecting and learning from the excellent achievements of other cultures. This is not only an open and inclusive attitude, but also a respect and acceptance of multiculturalism.
In Western culture, we can't ignore the dross, and there are many excellent ingredients in our traditional culture. However, from the long river of history, we can see an obvious truth: if any country wants to build a modern civilized society, it must face a reality: it is impossible to be backward, closed, conservative, and reject foreign cultures.
We must realize that the development process of human civilization is a process of learning from others' strengths and integrating and refining. The purpose of this process is to make our culture richer and more beneficial to our people. The underlying logic of this process is that a culture that enhances national intelligence, wealth, and happiness is valuable.
Let's take a look at those cultures that can enhance the wisdom of the people, such as science, education, art, etc., which undoubtedly have a huge role in promoting a country's economic development and scientific and technological progress. Another example is those cultures that can increase wealth, such as commerce, finance, manufacturing, etc., which play an important role in the growth of the country's economy and the improvement of people's living standards. Similarly, those cultures that can enhance happiness, such as charity, public welfare, and interpersonal relationships, also play a non-negligible role in social harmony and stability.
In any country, if you close the door, then it will be extremely difficult for foreign cultures to exchange and collide. However, as soon as the door is opened, all kinds of foreign cultures will pour in. It is this kind of exchange and collision that can give birth to the spark of cultural innovation.
Culture, like air, is formless and intangible, and it is impossible to dictate what style must be worn by clothes. A person's preferences are often difficult to change. Even if he is pressured to say it, his true love for culture cannot be turned back. Culture is like a river, flowing endlessly. It not only affects people's way of thinking and behavior, but also shapes the image and values of the country.
In the context of globalization, cultural exchanges between countries are becoming more and more frequent. We should actively embrace such exchanges, respect each other's cultural differences, and be open to accepting and learning from the excellent cultures of other countries. In this way, we can not only enrich our own cultural connotation, but also promote friendly relations between countries and promote the diversified development of world culture.
In contrast to the closed nature of the Soviet Union, the degree of openness of the United States stands out, almost to the point of stupidity. We see that the United States allows people to move freely, to migrate freely, and this cultural phenomenon of free movement is incomparable to that of the Soviet Union. At the same time, the United States also allows people to freely read newspapers from all over the world, and this free flow of information has always kept the United States keen.
However, although the Soviet Union did import a large amount of culture to the United States and launched a fierce and powerful cultural offensive, the Soviet Union eventually collapsed. So why is the United States still standing? This can perhaps be summed up in one sentence: for a desert of culture, every drop of rain is a cultural invasion.
Now, let's take a look at this**: the scene on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York to welcome the Chinese New Year. From this photo, we can see that the American people accept and welcome Chinese culture. Dressed in red and with joyful smiles on their faces, they are celebrating the new year. This makes me think that the United States has become a complete fan of our culture. So, guys, what do you think?