The myth of globalization lives on in the minds of business people only (the economic miracle, open markets etc.) It’s all a bunch of hooey to justify the outsourcing of jobs and screwing the most profit out of a market place as possible.
When the major player in the so called free market is as isolationist minded as the current American Administration it is reflected in the attitudes of their people. With a foreign policy based on our way is the only way it makes it hard for anything new or different to penetrate.
Whether trade goods, raw materials, or intellectual ideas, it makes no difference. Goods and material are subjected to tariffs and other protectionist policies in contradiction of the aims of freer trade. Cultural items either are rejected out of hand or adapted to be more “American.” The case of two foreign authors, one famous and one not so, is a prime example of the cultural isolationism currently existing in the United States.
I recently wrote a review of a wonderful book by the Indian author Ashok Banker. He is in the midst of publishing an adaptation of a 3,000 year old epic Indian saga called the Ramayana. The tale has been used as a teaching tool for countless generations through the exemplary attitudes and behaviour of the central character Prince Rama. Through him concepts and philosophies central to "a good person" are explored and described.
In a comment Ashok posted on his web site in response to my review, he said that he was glad that I, a westerner, was able to understand the precepts espoused in the story. He had already lost one publisher in America who, after publishing the first book of the series, refused the rest on the grounds that the public would be unwilling to try and understand the ideas expressed in his books. His British publisher has recently taken on the responsibility for publishing the rest of the series.
This didn't come as too much of a surprise to me. He is not the first author whose work has either been rejected, or been considered too "foreign" for an American audience.
Article comments
1 - Dave Nalle
We seem to have an explosion of gypsyman posts.
You know when the beacon of liberty shines brightest? When it shines all alone in the darkness.
Dave
2 - gonzo marx
Mr Nalle sez...
*You know when the beacon of liberty shines brightest? When it shines all alone in the darkness.*
one woudl think the Goal would be for that Beacon to be drowned out in total Light of Liberty being universal rather than standing by itself
just me, i guess
Excelsior!
3 - Dave Nalle
When the beacon is apparently too hot for anyone else to pick up, what can you do, gonzo?
Dave
4 - Dave Nalle
>>J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books have to be translated into American. All of those “difficult” to understand British figures of speech and sayings! Instead of a character "doing her nut" she gets angry, or being "barking" their crazy. <<
I wasn't aware this was going on. We've bought our copies from amazon.co.uk. We didn't have any problem reading them, btw. Even my daughter who has been raised entirely in the US found them perfectly easy to read.
>>Now that may not seem like much, but to me it's indicative of a culture that refuses to make the effort to understand the differences that give distinctiveness to a people.<<
How about it being indicative of a book publisher who wants to remove every possible barrier for the reader so that they can sell as many copies of the book as possible?
Do you think readers went to the publisher and said 'doooh we can't understand these words, change them for us'? Not likely. The publisher initiated these changes on their own because they saw it as being to their advantage.
You can't blame Americans for being ignorant or inflexible in a situation where they were given no choice. I would think the popularity of programs like 'Blood in the Wire' and 'Mystery' and all the British sitcoms which come over direct from the UK without translation would demonstrate that Americans have no great qualms about British idioms.
But if you want to find something to rail on americans about I'm sure you can always make something else up.
Dave
5 - gonzo marx
ummm..i can disagree with your "too hot" statement
plenty of Nations that enjoy Liberty...
the UK, Canada, Australia/New Zealand Norway, Sweden, Finland, Holland, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg to name just a few from the top of my head
and how many more are working on it, kindling that Spark?
the old Eastern European nations now working on democracy
Taiwan, South Korea...more in Asia making their way day by day
on and on...
i think there are many more "Lights" out there than just our single Beacon...it does neither U.S. nor them any service to discount or disparage that fact
i love my Nation enough to have given my 4 years in it's defense...but i do NOT think we are the "only Game in town" when it comes to Liberty of the Rights of the Individual...
objects in the mirror may be closer than they appear...
Excelsior!
6 - D L Ennis
gypsyman, maybe you could explain to me why most Canadian publications will not publish work from writers outside of Canada.
D L
7 - gypsyman
If they can watch t.v. they can read books surely.
Canadian publications are protectionest idiots sometimes. we can be just as bad as anybody else.
8 - D L Ennis
I do not own a TV. I read constantly. And thank you for answering the Canadian publication question honestly.
Have a great day!
D L
9 - gypsyman
D.L
Me neither and me too.
I know no other way.
gypsyman
10 - D L Ennis
Maybe all of us on this planet have more in common than we choose to believe...
D L
11 - Dave Nalle
>>In a comment Ashok posted on his web site in response to my review he said that he was glad that I, a westerner, was able to understand the precepts espoused in the story. He had already lost one publisher in America. Who, after publishing the first book of the series, refused the rest on the grounds that the public were unwilling to try and understand the ideas expressed in his books<<
An excellent excuse for the publisher who might have just decided that adding another translation to the 100 plus English language editions already in circulation (check Amazon), plus adaptations for children, books on tape, DVD movie versions, Ramayana based games, comic books, collectible items, etc - well maybe they just decided his translation was redundent and not going to make any money.
But by all means go with the 'Americans are too stupid' to read hundu myths and philosophy angle. Of course that doesn't explain why so many Ramayana products seem to be available and commercially viable here in the US. All 3 non-stupid people must be buying a lot of copies.
Dave
12 - Dave Nalle
BTW, wrong thread gonzo.
Dave
13 - Temple Stark
>>J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books have to be translated into American. All of those “difficult” to understand British figures of speech and sayings! Instead of a character "doing her nut" she gets angry, or being "barking" their crazy. Now that may not seem like much, but to me it's indicative of a culture that refuses to make the effort to understand the differences that give distinctiveness to a people.
I did not know that. That is quite sad. I've yet to read any of them. Books or films first?
14 - Dave Nalle
Read the first two books and then see the third one on film.
Dave