Beginning with the Magna Carta in 1215 a new concept paralleled the development of the English speaking world, no human being is supreme, not even the king. This concept grew and spread within English culture. In 1588 Sir Walter Drake
Beginning with the Magna Carta in 1215 a new concept paralleled the development of the English speaking world, no human being is supreme, not even the king. This concept grew and spread within English culture. In 1588 Sir Walter Drake defeated the Spanish “Invincible” Armada, ending a century of Spanish domination and gradually English hegemony spread over the entire globe. His sovereign Elizabeth I discouraged religious persecution and in 1689 The English Bill of Rights was enacted: all human beings had certain rights. Kamehameha was exposed to the English from 1779 and declared the Law of the Broken Paddle in 1797. He granted rights to common people.
By 1700 the sun never set on the British Empire. However, in 1775 that empire had begun to fragment. Distant colonies became restless and many separated politically, but not culturally from Mother England. Although England no longer dominates the planet, her collective progeny do. Of the G20 countries, which account for 85 percent of the world’s economy, four are English speaking, seven count English as an official or national language. English is widely spoken in nearly all 20! Of the G7 3, 42 percent are English speaking. English is an official or national language of 53 countries, according to Wikipedia.
English, the most widely spoken language in history, is the predominant language of science, engineering, commerce and navigation. Worldwide air and marine traffic control is conducted in English. More people grow up speaking Mandarin, but they almost all live in China. English language newspapers, the BBC and CNN influence opinion everywhere. Al Jazeera, Le Monde, Der Spiegel and even Pravda have an English edition.
English is inherently egalitarian, without status biased pronouns or verb forms. Basic concepts of personal liberty as embodied in The English Bill of Rights, The Declaration of Independence (1776) and US Bill of rights (1791) are everywhere. They led to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). Internet and cable television bombard the world with English language entertainment, values, and culture such as it is. Although the films may be Nigerian!
Where a language goes the culture goes. Just as the English language is very flexible in absorbing words from other languages, the Anglo-American culture absorbs and redistributes customs: American Saturday Night (Brad Paisley). Fourteen of the G20 countries are multi-ethnic with rights assured in the Anglo-American tradition. Only one lacks a representative government (several do it poorly). In America you can find traces of almost every language or culture from Athabascan to Zulu, and almost every religion from Zoroastrian to atheist. Almost all of them tempered with mainstream American “I don’t agree with you, but I’ll pray for you” attitude.
America, with only 5 percent of the world’s population, produces most of its television programs. Combined with the influence of brands and products such as, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald’s, jeans and Coca-Cola, American culture has permeated the world.
China may rise in many ways, but no matter whose economy may be judged temporarily foremost the cultural values that started in England and flourished in America and other colonies have so pervaded the world that one might say “There will always be an England.” It’s just that the capital Anglo-American culture is no longer political, or a physical location.
China’s ultimate limitation is one party rule, oligarchy. Oligarchy leads to excesses that bring down governments. With no opposition, national priorities get skewed and political energy is diverted from the greatest good to someone’s obsession; like the Inquisition, the Holocaust, the Crusades or Fascism. Even in America when one party has had too much control of the government progress stalls and excesses like, the USA Patriot Act or the internment of Japanese Americans happen. The system of checks and balances ultimately works. In democracies the populations have leveled without political coercion and remain gender balanced. In an oligarchy position, not merit, determines who gets what. That has never worked out well.
Ken Obenski is a forensic engineer, now safety and freedom advocate in South Kona. He writes a semi-monthly column for West Hawaii Today. Email obenskik@gmail.com
