Re:Japan was the future but it's stuck in the past (2023)
by inglor_cz on Friday August 30, 2024 @05:03PM
(#41404403)
Even separate cultures have converged to a massive degree.
For example, most people in the world, nowadays, send their kids to school and use smartphones. And even though Putin, Xi and Western leaders may not be friends, they wear basically the same professional attire.
200 years ago, there would be much fewer common cultural traits.
I think what makes it different this time is that we are using science to find the best culture. "How should we behave towards each other for the best possible outcome?" If a certain culture is clearly and demonstrably better, then that will lead to everyone adopting it.
Democracy might also be part of it, as in authoritarian states the person in power wield such a an outsized influence that their personal whims and fancies can turn into culture.