More on Iran and the US
6.22.2004
Check this article: U.N. Agency Rebukes Iran on Nuclear Activity
and an excerpt below:
Although some Iranian moderates are among the voices calling for Iran to develop a defensive nuclear option, policymakers abroad believe the desire of moderates for a greater opening to the West could deter Iran from building such weapons.
In this view, the best hope may be to slow Iran's program long enough for the hard-line religious leaders who run the country to pass from the scene. There is no indication yet, however, that the moderates are close to a triumph. In fact, their power has been steadily eroding.
Apparently, it is coming across as a dilemma between wanting westernization, and reluctance of the status quo. Such a conflict has happened in the Philippines when the clash between accepting new technology, music, and culture is being introduced by new conquerors of Manila: the Americans, back in the early 20th century. Nicanor Abelardo and his kundiman (Philippine Courtship Music), is a testament to the conflicts of those times, when ragtag, and blue grass if I am not mistaken and the jazz, fox trot, swing and blues are sweeping Manila's music scene. He would press on his piano, and emphasize native elements, hum the tunes and ballads, while on the backdrop the jokes of his fellow men who would dance to a foreign beat.
Although that is not easily comparable to Iran, wherein, new powers may come in, and new economics may trample the who's who, it's very similar. It's conflict that pits what people have been used to versus the argument of what one's people can become.
Is it not that history sways and dances itself in this cycle? When an overlord comes to takeover, or a strong force of will or fad sweeps the fashion scene, the followers of an old rule are divided into two: the rule-breakers, and the old-school. Music and fashion is quite easy to follow. Back then it was Spanish and Tagalog versus English. Tobacco versus Hersheys.
The question therefore which differentiate Manila from Tehran is: will the people want to cling to what they have been used to, or would the powers that be chose to stay where they are and stop any effort to remove them their seats. Back in the American Regime in Manila, the conservatives lost to popular culture. It took the seventies to bring back what was Filipino. More than fifty years later, music playing in Pinoy radio is van-halen riffs and korn-infused screams, matched with hip-hop in Tagalog ponding with a west-coast vibe, and fusion of world music from Europe to US to Latin to Jazz. The wounds of culture clash is slowly healing, but is the conflict over? Right now OPM (Original Pilipino Music) is competing with the Western, and it can't be said that it is lording over the airwaves. It plays a second fiddle to the latter, and despite in certain moments, it gets a big plus and takes the number 1, it can't be said that it has fully won the battle with Western genres.
What more a clash of culture that goes beyond music, religion, and tradition? Like I said, from a previous post, hold it, it will be a bumby ride. Or... more aptly, jazz it up, it's a crazy dance.
Labels: Culture, Iran, Iraq War, Philippines, US Politics
posted by Jdavies @ 6/22/2004,
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The Author
J.Davies
Jdavies lives in Quezon City, Philippines and has been blogging since 2002. A brand manager in a leading technology company and a freelance new media/web strategy consultant, he has refocused his blogging from personal, political & sociological observations, to marketing-related efforts and Internet trends that are relevant to his career and branding advocacies.
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This blog is a depot of thoughts and observations on marketing trends which remain personally relevant to the Author as far as his marketing career is concerned. Having evolved from the personal blog of Jdavies, much of the earlier work contained herein are laced with personal speculation, political views, and similar advocacies. These posts are being kept for posterity's sake and for no other reason. No effort is being made to claim that the author will not contradict himself from his previous positions or that such advocacies are absolute.
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