Quote Originally Posted by marct View Post
Hi Stan,

Well, if I'm reading JDs intent correctly, then he's not talking about stompin' other peoples' beliefs so much as, hmm how to phrase this? - ah - "encouraging them to select a memetic complex that, while part of their culture, is more amenable to western concepts" .

Seriously, memetics isn't really cultural engineering, although it can be used that way (poorly!). Basically, it's looking at specific memes and meme complexes that create effects and replacing them with others that create other effects. BTW, "meme" a self-replicating piece of information; "meme complex" a collection of memes that is symbiotically related and mutually reinforcing.
Thanks Marc. Did a quick read on memes before once again introducing my total ignorance

In my experience, I've tried to stay away from directly selling Western culture or ideologies. Take the Africans for example. Although they basically hated us, they really hated the French. As long as I didn't push too much 'West' and blamed nearly everything on the French, I was gold..Got everything I wanted and as you put it so well, didn't have to stomp on their pride (a slap in the face if you will).

Memetics may have its applications, but seems to me a stone age psycological way of solving problems typically encountered with any other culture.

We can sell the 'West' relatively easy, so long as the recipient is receptive. But, if he/she is a on a camel, hot, PO'd and unstable, you may want to consult RTK and keep the semantics at home

Thanks, Stan