Alien Invasion!

[Murthy Yenamandra]

Steven Maas writes:
> While it is very tempting to decry the "pollution" of native peoples by
> modern technology (whether in the polar regions or tropical rain forests
> or wherever), and while I often fall prey to that temptation, the fact is
> that generally these peoples _want_ TVs and t-shirts and computers when
> they see them.  Who are we to tell them no, you shouldn't have them,
> because we like you just the way you are?

In the same vein, it's also tempting to think that generally everyone
else wants the same things (TVs, computers and cosmetics) that we not
only want, but also want everyone else to want and are prepared to shove
down their throats.  Which doesn't necessarily make it a fact.  The real
fact is that we don't like them just the way they are and want them to
be more like us.  Whether they want it or not we keep pushing the coke
until they accept and then, of course, it's too late to change anything
because it's the way things are and who are we indeed to deny people
(who are now the all-powerful consumers and whose wishes suddenly are
God's own will) what they want.

Let's compare mythologies...

Murthy

-- 
Murthy Yenamandra, Dept of CompSci, U of Minnesota. mailto:yenamand at cs.umn.edu
    "I'm stubborn as those garbage bags that time can not decay
     I'm junk, but I'm holding up this little wild bouquet
     Democracy is coming to the USA" - Leonard Cohen