So… this is the topic of my thesis from college. I hate saying that because I think it sounds insanely pompous but anyways. It was an amazing project that brought me on interviews in Brussels, Paris, NYC, and D.C. with some great people. I was also able to retrieve 100+ pages from the U.S. government.
So onto the fun part. I wrote about TV, Movies, CDs and “cultural” products and the impact of European quotas and trade distortions on overall transatlantic trade relations. While I am generally a proponent of free trade, especially as it contributes to development, I found these products to be a special case.
I don’t believe the U.S. should export its cultural hegemony through its media products. Cultural diversity is important and having the entire world conform to one uniform American pop culture should not be encouraged. Having said that, I believe that support for national industries is a more appropriate mechanism to enhance local culture than trade restrictions (quotas, etc.)
There’s a ton of questions that this raises. What can you define as a cultural product (is wine a cultural product of France or California?)… Is there really a threat to national cultures?… Does this stymie one of the few export-oriented industries in the U.S.?
I will leave those open for discussion for now…
