Blog 3

Jihad vs McWorld

              

         I think the author Benjamin R. Barber wrote this article in a very compelling manner.  I think that the concept of Jihad and McWorld are totally different concepts but they clash in so many ways.  Jihad is considered to be a struggle to find identity, more of a religious standpoint.  Therefore, it attacks interdependence and mutuality, but isn’t that where most cultures find their own identity? Through each other?  But yet it suggests pitting tribes against tribes to start a bigger conflict.  On the other hand, McWorld demands integration and uniformity.  No matter what the definitions are it has contradictions.  For example, Iranian zeabots listen to prayer while watching the Simpsons or a church in Russia tries to renew its faith while making a deal with California bottled water companies or terrorists killing civilians while listening to Madonna and wearing Adidas.  Personally, I think that both of these concepts will always be relevant, there will always be someone opposing one of the two, maybe both.  One thing that I noticed was that Barber was creating an assumption of one must lose and one must win.  If McWorld wins, Jihad loses.  Why is that the case?  I believe that this assumption is completely wrong.  Sometimes this conflict isn’t necessarily bad, but can actually lead to a growth, in this case it is not growing in tribal or global but both.  I posted a picture below, it's a little over the top but I think it gets the point across.  Basically, Jihad and McWorld are two totally different things but at the same time the website I got this picture from said, "After prayers at the Mosque they eat at Wendy's. All over the world they think our coke is sweet, although our policies are poisonous. The Taliban stuff their face with American donuts, spilling the fake chemical cream over those long beards, even though they abhor our clothing and treatment of women."  As much as people argue  one or the other, it's almost hypocritical, because they will always be happening at the same time.