As I read David Nicholson-Lord’s article "The Politics of Travel", it reminded me of some of the points made by Jonah Goldberg in a little piece he wrote in a recent issue of National Review. In that piece Mr. Goldberg opined that there was an inherent contradiction and tinges of hypocrisy within some of our (western) culture’s conceptions of tourism. We value cosmopolitanism and the sophistication and enlightenment that comes from having visited and absorbed multiple cultures, yet we believe that these foreign cultures should be left in their pristine, traditional form—for the benefit of our enjoyment.
This is an issue we have discussed on occasion in class and many have expressed and sympathized with the concern that the process of globalization is contaminating and eliminating traditional cultures throughout the world.
But in holding this opinion aren’t we applying a different standard to ourselves than we do to the rest of the world’s peoples and societies? We welcome and relish the opportunity to amalgamate with other cultures, but try to prevent the same thing from happening to those cultures. As Mr. Goldberg writes, "The man who wants to see Vietnam stay Vietnamese is enlightened or exotic, but never provincial. The man who wants America to stay American is a boob."1
I do find hypocrisy in this sentiment.
1. Goldberg, Jonah (2007, September 10). Global Village People. National Review, LIX(16), 8.
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