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fashioned" ideals. Almos t
overnight all that was swept away
as the youngsters became addicted
'to an instant, no-tbought-required,
counterfeit culture. Parents found
they were unable to pass anything
on, for they had no point of refer–
ence with the new set of values that
their children were absorbing. And
of course, these children will have
nothing to pass on to
their
children
whcn the time comes, for in the
ever-changing world of pop cul–
ture, nothing lasts long enough to
become a heritage.
This story is repeated
many times over through–
out Asia, Africa, South
America and the islands
of the South P acific.
Sorne countries, like
Burma, have tried to pro–
tect themselves by hiding
their faces from the 20th
century. lran opened up
the noodgates for a while,
then made a desperate
leap backward into the
12th century.
Helping Without Hurt ing
the touring group, but breathed a
collective sigh of relief when the
musicians fi naJiy left the cou ntry.
A similar tour by an Australian
group has been "postponed."
Stemming the Tide?
Third World readers may derive
sorne comfort from knowing that
there
is
a debate going on in the
United States over whether the
government should step in to legis–
late against the swelling tide of
explicit violence and perversion.
"1
don't believe that our founding fa-
A mixed blessing: As prosperity grows
in
tbe
cas lo Calcutta, people watch
American lelevision and movies,
listen lo American music, read
American magazines, covet Ameri–
can goods and follow American
fashions. No olher nation ever
wielded lhis kind of cultural clout.
A Oay of Reckoning
It
is no accident that the Anglo–
Saxon people have held a preemi–
nent position in the world. Many
have realized that America and
once-greal Britain bave been un–
usually favored. The chorus of the
robust old anlhem
"America the Beautiful"
lrumpets "God shed His
grace on thee." He cer–
tain ly did, on America
and Britain both.
But with that blessing
should have come a sense
of responsibility. The
thi rd verse continues,
"Confirm thy soul in self–
control, thy liberty in
law.' ' Today the outpour–
ings of sorne American
and British souls are not
tcmpered with self-con–
trol, and the much
o
~
vaunled "liberty" is per-
3
mitting the production of
~
spiritual pollutants, the
The Chinese are opening
their door more cau–
tiously. At first, sorne
purists worried that the
country was going too far
down the "capitalist"
road, but so far the eco–
nomic experiments have
met with success.
new China, a youoger generation begins to feel the
influences of the modem world.
like of which may not
have been seen since the
days of Sodom or Impe-
"Who cares what color the cat is
as long as it catches mice?"
China's pragmatic leader Deng
Xiaoping has said. But even a good
mouse catcher can have neas, and
the Chinese realize that they must
be very careful, if the open-door
policy is not also to Jet in the less
desirable t raits of the Western
world. China is learning that its
people can still be infected by the
"capitalist sins" of greed, dishon–
esty and exploitation, and that their
youths are not immune from the
erosion of decent values.
Last year, for example, the Chi–
nese agreed to allow a tour by a
British rock group. To the utter
astonishment of officials and audi–
ence alike, the performers incited
the concertgoers to disobey the in–
structions of the police. The Chi–
nese tolerated the misbehavior of
6
thers ever intended ... the rigbts
of pornographers [to] take prece–
dence over the r ights of parents,
and the violent and malevolent be
given free rein to prey upon our
children," P resident Ronald Rea–
gan has said.
It isn't quite as easy as that,
though.
In a country that prides itself on
its respect for freedom,
any
legisla–
tion can be labeled unconstitutional
if it Jooks like it might infringe on
the "rights" of an individual-even
when what that individual is doing
is undermining society.
Certainly the United States and
Britain are not the only culprits.
Scandinavia, West Germany and
other European countries must
share tbe guilt. But it is
American
culture that is the dominant influ–
ence in the world today. From
Copenhagen to Cape Town, Cara-
rial Rome.
How can these great nations,
which have so much
good
to offer,
allow thcmselves to be represented
so badly?
We may place elaborate safe–
guards at airporls to separate
would-be hijackers from their
weapons. Bul
cultural
terrorists
are free to distribute their soul-de–
stroying weapons without fear of
prosecution!
l f ever a people are asking for it,
it is the United States and Britain,
when far too many of thei r actors
and actresses portray fornication,
murder and rape across the screens
of the world, and their entertainers
scream in song obscenities from
countless millions of radios and
cassette players.
They are compounding the na–
tional sins of a people who are al–
ready in very deep trouble with
God.
o
The
PlAIN TRUTH