Literasy Ain't Everythin'

[jmm99]

but my suggestions were based on the relatively simple case of what a national or local government should do in its own balliwick. However, I did not explicitly state that in my post.

I guess all of us should put a disclaimer in all of our posts - THIS POST DOES (DOES NOT) INVOLVE FOREIGN INTERVENTION.

There is a world of difference between that case and one where a foreign power intervenes under one or another of many guises. To do visual agitprop, the agitpropangandist must know what the local visuals are. A foreign power is not likely so educated.

A classic foulup of not using local visuals in Vietnam was the poster aimed at rural villages and hamlets showing two lovely ladies in áo dài costume (an urban, higher class dress not found in the rural areas - example of áo dài).

I found an interesting example of national vs local constructs in your backyard when looking at the Cordillera - Evelyn J. Caballero, Traditional Artisanal Gold Mining Among the Kankana-ey and Their Current Concerns (2004). "Modernization" to and by US standards may cause more harm than good, especially when it ignores local standards which have been around for hundreds or thousands of years.

Regards

Mike