Why and How Plausibly Did Opponents of the Consumer Society Identify It as a Form of Specifically American Cultural and Economic Imperialism

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HST 120. THE WORLD SINCE 1945. AN AUSTRALIAN PERSPECTIVE ASSESSMENT 01. 42267773 TRACEY MARTIN WHY AND HOW PLAUSIBLY, DID OPPONENTS OF THE CONSUMER SOCIETY IDENTIFY IT AS A FORM OF SPECOFICALLY AMERICAN CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC IMPERIALISM? America for a long time had been considered as a cultural imperialism/hegemony, and a cultural entity. Mostly for their trade and technology influences over the rest of the world. It was not until after “the demise of the Soviet union and the victory over Iraq in the Gulf war, that went towards what the world saw as the global superpower of the American status reinforced.(1) Although for some time, it seemed as though America was a cultural of imperialism, they also were seen as imperfect. One, that is today’s world, that is getting smaller, does not necessarily ‘direct the progress of globalisation on the right path’.(2) After the Gulf war, America found itself in financial trouble, which resulted in the decline of America’s relative economy. It was also a time when America found itself having to defend itself over claims that it was at an end of the American century. It was not until 1995, when one American observer realised that America was changing. Their national identity was changing, and became unsure of what their identity is, or was, and even if there should be one.(3) Opponents of the consumer society, do tend to identify it as a form of the American culture and economic imperialism. However, there are also those societies, outside of America who have benefited from the American high tech, along with media and fast food, who tend to see these as
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