Jihad vs. McWorld

Benjamin Barber, a political science professor at Rutgers University wrote a book titled, Jihad vs. McWorld.  It helped me to understand forces at work in the world that I had not even considered.

This book contrasts the western, industrial worldview to lessor developed, substistence based cultures in other parts of the world.  It makes the case that the West has been exploiting primitive cultures since colonial expansion began in the 17th century.  The West consumes the mineral and biological wealth of lesser developed nations and in return exports to them some of the worst aspects of our own culture, like cigarettes, alcohol, and mind-numbing TV sitcoms.

It's no wonder that people in places like Africa and the Middle East envy us and want to live like us at the same time that they hate us and want to lash out at us.  We take what they have of value and give them back little that's useful in return.

Here is a link to the original Atlantic Magazine article,  Jihad vs. McWorld...

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1992/03/jihad-vs-mcworld/3882/