7.2.2 United States of Borg
Completion requirements
7.2.2 The United States of Borg Discussion
Are people becoming more alike because of globalization?
The following poem was written by a student in response to what he saw as he travelled the world as part of his studies.
Read the poem and think about the author's message. Do you agree with him?
Read the poem and think about the author's message. Do you agree with him?
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We are the United States of Borg.
You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile. We will assimilate your cultural and national distinctiveness into our own. You will be made to serve the process of globalization. You will adopt our values as your own. You will go to work for the global mega-corporations which further the westernization of the world. You will spend your income on our products. You will drink Coca-Cola. You will eat at McDonalds. You will smoke Marlboro cigarettes. You will drive Chevrolets. You will wear western clothing. You will listen to music by western artists. You will watch video entertainment produced in Hollywood. You will worship Mickey Mouse. You will use Microsoft software. Most importantly, you will speak English. Resistance is futile. We will co-opt your culture, so that we may draw off parts of you and make them into our own image. We will adopt your language into the English language. We will adopt foods from your culture and adapt them into our own diets. Your culture will be assimilated. Your culture will be westernized. Those parts of your culture which cannot be westernized will be discarded. You will re-make your economies into market economies. You will remake your governments into democratic republics. Your people will be allowed to retain their own individualities, but only insofar as it furthers the spread of the consumerist values collective. You will be more concerned with individual freedoms than communal values, so as to further the cause of individual consumerism. You will be detached from the natural world. You will remodel your cities into American-style cities. You will live in the suburbs. The process is global. The process is unstoppable. You will be assimilated. You will follow the example of previously assimilated nations. The Borg nations of Europe. BorgJapan. BorgCanada. You will join them. We are the United States of Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile. |
| by Kevyn Jacobs |
Note: The Borg are a fictional race of cyborgs in the Star Trek universe. They are characterized by relentless pursuit of targets for assimilation, adaptability, and the ability to continue functioning properly despite seemingly devastating blows. They have become a powerful symbol in popular culture for any force against which "resistance is futile". (Source:
Wikipedia)
Comment from the poem's author, Kevyn Jacobs: "I wrote this in response to what I saw as I travelled around the world as a Semester at Sea student. In country after country, I saw the globalization process taking place. The Americanization of the world. Traditional cultures are dying out as the world is homogenized into one common culture, a McDonald's culture. It reminded me of the way the Borg operate in Star Trek, and so I wrote this comparison. As is probably obvious, I have very mixed feelings about the process of globalization."
About the poem: What does this author think about the global village? Is the world a place where people are encouraged to have their own values, cultures, and political and economic systems? Or does he think that a force is assimilating people, communities, and nations into western ways and beliefs? The author states clearly that the people of the world are being forced to change and adapt to a global monoculture dominated by the United States. Based on your own experiences, you might have a very different view.
Comment from the poem's author, Kevyn Jacobs: "I wrote this in response to what I saw as I travelled around the world as a Semester at Sea student. In country after country, I saw the globalization process taking place. The Americanization of the world. Traditional cultures are dying out as the world is homogenized into one common culture, a McDonald's culture. It reminded me of the way the Borg operate in Star Trek, and so I wrote this comparison. As is probably obvious, I have very mixed feelings about the process of globalization."
About the poem: What does this author think about the global village? Is the world a place where people are encouraged to have their own values, cultures, and political and economic systems? Or does he think that a force is assimilating people, communities, and nations into western ways and beliefs? The author states clearly that the people of the world are being forced to change and adapt to a global monoculture dominated by the United States. Based on your own experiences, you might have a very different view.
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If you have difficulty understanding the poem, complete the Critical Reading Skills Tutorial
here.
Contact your teacher or read the discussion postings for more help. |
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| Test your understanding of this poem here. | |
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Complete the 7.2.3 Discussion on the next page. After reading the poem on page 7.2.2 ("We are the United States of Borg."), answer the following questions. Provide support for your responses.
Discuss these questions in a paragraph. Your responses will be evaluated according to the discussion rubric. |