It is commonly observed that as the political hegemony of the West has grown, so has its cultural dominance: Mickey Mouse, Elvis Presley and Big Mac take over the world.
Such perceptions often express political fears. Rock music is viewed as dissident, Madonna and Michael Jackson are seen as destroying native roots, Hollywood films are blamed for dissolving whole cultures.
These fears can be used for nationalistic ends, as when the Myanmar's military junta condemns a wide range of "un-Burmese sounds." Or moral ends, as in Indonesia's accusation that U.S. pop is destroying humanity. Or ideological ends, such as the Chinese government's campaigns against "spiritual pollution" from North America.
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