We All Want Money, Because Money Runs the World

"Evil was foreign, and so too was the good life." Pico Iyer

The lands in the East rest in an alluring mystique, a vision of ancient monuments and romance. The same can be said of the West, from the Eastern perspective. The allure of the West abounds, steeped in mystery, connotation, and the lust for money. The reality of globalization and loss of community is much different from our archaic illusions of each other.

In China the separation of the native from the foreigner is most obvious, with strict legal and social factors creating a distinct boundary made even more difficult to cross due to the language barrier. Foreigners equal money, but they bring with them much more. A bastardized, simplified, and plain wrong image of the West has arisen as a result of the equally bastardized and simplified interactions between the Chinese and Western tourists.

The Chinese seem to bring up whatever little facet of the West they have picked up whenever they run in to a rare tourist traveling outside the carefully guided paths, happily repeating what little they know in an attempt to bridge the gap. After all, Westerners anywhere they go are not known for their knowledge - or interest - in the local culture.

Everywhere - China, India, the Philippines - the financial allure of the Western tourist has created an industry for accommodating visitors with grandness. The harsh reality of local life, most often steeped in poverty, lacks a likeness to our romantic visions of the East as much as the garish hotels and chain stores catering to Westerners.

Westerners fall into their role and partake in the offered festivities, perpetuating the undesired but financially productive cycle of satisfying the tourist by selling and commercializing local identity. The Philippines, a long-time partner of the US, is perhaps the clearest example of wasted local culture as the country has turned into a grand brothel for American business and military men.

The exotic vision rests within us, regardless of which side we are on.

Credit: Charlotte McNamara

Copyright: Charlotte McNamara