Preface - Electronic Poetry Center

From: Tom Mandel
Subject: Re: Universal Blisters/Individual Burns
James Sherry writes:
> …that a single world exists whose cultures are merging and their inter-
> section causes these clashes. The emerging world culture is not better
> or worse than the indigenous cultures that are being infected by each
> other.
Well,…
1. No one occupies a position from where it is possible to see what multiple
cultures are doing on a world scale, esp. not as the pictured fantasy involves the
future, which it is in principle not possible to know.
2. That an emerging world culture (assume it for a moment) is "not better or
worse than the indigenous cultures" is either not an empirical statement (i.e. it
is an anthropologist’s position) or if it is one, where’s the evidence? One could
certainly argue that the culture of the Roman Empire, for example, as it grafted
itself onto and lived off of indigenous cultures all over Europe and the Med.
basin, was a disaster for those cultures, tragedy for their people. I don’t think
James can assure any "indigenous culture" anywhere that the global
transformation he sees will be "not better or worse" for them.
3. Someone somewhere ought to formalize and describe an ailment of the
intellect that he/she might call "the consolation of terms." Apparently, mere
possession of a term like "culture" is sufficient to give its possessor a sense of
having risen above the sombre cthonic clash of undescribed human interests
whose stake and way in the world is being steamrollered. Get thee behind me
terminology.