>Contrary to the "Leftwing" fairy tales about the decline of US, US
influence
> >(economic and cultural) has grown enormously in my part of the world in
the
> >last 15 years. Neither the EU nor Japan have a fraction of that
influence.
> Why do you think that is?
Economic and technological dominance needs no explanation, it's obvious. Cultural influence is difficult to explain, but it's partly due to the role English language plays in the world today. Spread of cable TV and internet are other important elements. There is nothing comparable to Discovery or National Geographic channel in German or Japanese.
>Is it purely economic power - the size of
> the Hollywood megaphone - or is it something more?
It's not merely the size of the Hollywood megaphone. Indian film industry (notorious for atrocious films) has not been adversely affected by Hollywood.
> product good?
It is certainly liked by the young, urban middle class segment. Whether it's good or not, is a question of taste. Nobody likes or dislikes things just because they are American. If we consider pop music, people listen to and are willing to listen to music from any part of the world. e.g. Irish bands are quite popular.
>One explanation I heard at a conference in Munich a
> couple of years ago, which was held at America House and included a
> lot of European specialists in American studies, was that American
> pop culture conveys a feeling of freedom that people find
> infectiously appealing. Do you buy that?
No, I don't. Perhaps French TV channels are popular in the former French colonies.
Ulhas