Of course, we marginally suffer from what we are importing and some students having too much free time on their hand try to argue rather unsuccessfully for intersectional studies but the models used in the USA don't map well on the European context for obvious historical reasons. Our left vs right debate also has nothing to do with the US one.
From where I stand, the cultural gap between the USA and Europe (in so far as Europe can be considered a homogenous area - it clearly can't) has never been that big.
That's wishful thinking. I live in central Europe and the local government here runs woke ads on public transport. They are trying to change the German language to be more woke too. It is everywhere. Nobody takes classical left wing politics seriously anymore so it's all become intersectional now.
I can't speak for the entirety of europe but here in Germany, but the local equivalent of gender pronouns (/-innen) as well as rainbow flags in places where there is no reason for sex stuff at all is definitely a thing. Advertising is also pushing the same brainwashing (check the predominant races for each gender of couples in ads) and the mass import of muslim africans as well as the political refusal to admit when that causes problems (see e.g. discussions around the crime sprees over new year's, police/news reports omitting names when they they point at the cultural identity of the perpretators). It may not be as bad as the US, but that is only a matter of time.
> Advertising is also pushing the same brainwashing (check the predominant races for each gender of couples in ads) and the mass import of muslim africans as well as the political refusal to admit when that causes problems
Yeah, no, I don't think giving more visibility to minorities and not being racist and islamophobic is what I had in mind when talking about my issue with US culture. Thank you for reminding me why this subject can't be discussed.
My issue is more that I strongly disagree with the way the USA frames multiculturalism and races (seriously the way the USA caracterises races is actually deeply racist). I don't believe culture can be owned and don't think cultural appropriation is a thing. Also, I'm ambivalent regarding diversity as a moral imperative and I don't believe that historical discriminations have to be compensated nor do I feel guilty in any way for what people who used to live in the country I'm currently a citizen of have done in the distant past (positions which would definitely be labeled as a form of racism by the most progressive Americans on virtue of me enjoying a privileged position - a fact I frankly don't care about).
Plus, like most French, I believe religion has no place in public life (well, actually, I believe religion is a poison for the mind and the world would be a better place if we could get ride of it but if people want to believe stupid things in private that their problem). Also, obviously, as I'm born in the twentieth century and not the middle-age, I'm favourable to unionisation, publicly founded healthcare, the right to abortion and believe that people should be able to sleep with whoever they please as long as it's consensual.
So, as you can see, I would probably be hated by both the American right and left.
> Yeah, no, I don't think giving more visibility to minorities and not being racist and islamophobic is what I had in mind when talking about my issue with US culture. Thank you for reminding me why this subject can't be discussed.
The only reason for not being able to discuss something is if either participant refuses to discuss it. I don't particular care about discussing this so I am not going to push it but I do feel the need to point out the irony that your reaction re "islamophobia" was about me commenting how the german goverment is unwilling to discuss issues caused by mass immigration (presumably) in part due to fears of being accused of islamophobia.
Believe it or not, but I do agree with most of the other beliefs/opinions in your comment here.
> So, as you can see, I would probably be hated by both the American right and left.
Yes, a major problem with the current culture war is the "with us or against us mentality" that forces people into one of two opposing sides, or rather, assumes that anyone who even slightly disagrees is part of the other side and not worth listening to.
