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Today, a popular movement is growing in the United States, among travelers and others interested in foreign cultures.
This now-widespread sentiment states that America's global hegemony (military, economic and cultural) is misguided, socially unjust and
also quite dangerous. Thus a certain overlap between the "ethical traveler" and the environmentalists, anti-globalization crowd, and
others who would generally describe themselves as being on the Left.
Today, both conservatives and liberals believe that it is good and righteous for American democracy to reign supreme
— the former, as a guarantor of security against terrorism, the latter as a cure-all for social and economic ills in developing
countries.
The nation-building enterprise itself, however, is rife with inconsistencies and problems. At what point does one safely
say that "democracy" has arrived? And what if it fails — as it has in Kosovo, the new black hole of Europe?
While Iraq has greater resources than Kosovo, it is unlikely that colonial rule will achieve better results. The scary
thing about the rhetoric of both the Bush administration and its challengers is that empire is now presupposed as a necessity — as
if America had no other course than to impose its political and social system worldwide.
Second, equating the United States with an evil globalization process is not tenable. Protesters outside World Trade
Organization meetings forget that the WTO often rules against the US — as it recently did over steel tariffs and agricultural
subsidies. In fact, populists on the right (Pat Buchanan) and on the left (Howard Dean) both blame American economic losses on the last
decade's pro-global trade agreements.
What, then, should characterize America's involvement with the outside world? This question is of special interest to
the ethical traveler, however he or she chooses to define the appellation. But can a definitive consensus be reached among travelers?
And would one even be desirable?
Travelers should retain their independence of mind and of speech. They should embrace cultural difference, even if they
don't always agree with specific examples of it. The world is big and operates under mysterious rules of its own devising. From our
limited, individual viewpoint, it is often hard to see why things happen. Acting without serious prior contemplation often worsens
problems. Doing so on a group level, whether through an organization or a government, increases this danger exponentially.
Understanding difference means accepting that the world is filled with a variety of people, practices and intellectual
values, all of which can only be preferred or disdained on a subjective basis.
The globalizing world is simultaneously becoming a bigger place and a smaller one. While we are bombarded with
information and voices from all over the globe, the wonders of technology and economy also mean that transportation can be extremely
affordable, and that worldwide communications are instantaneous and powerful. Despite the many complaints against the perceived social
injustices of the global economy, the truth is that globalization is not all bad. Travelers should exploit the communication and travel
technologies available, so as to travel more and travel smarter.
We should not achieve too much consensus regarding what is "ethical," considering that this is a loaded and subjective
question. Perhaps the best thing is to simply provoke an awareness of the issue, provide a context for its discussion, and to generate a
debate. Independence of mind goes naturally with independence of travel.
Simply by traveling, observing and making personal connections, the independent, ethical traveler can help improve the
perception of America abroad. This because the ethical traveler, unlike government diplomats constrained by protocol and damage control
necessities, are able to enjoy the basic freedoms of speech and movement, and the independence of mind that have historically made
America a great country. In a time when the government has despaired of it, they can set an example of what Americans truly value.
Finally, we must consider the word 'ethical.' How should it be defined in this context? Perhaps it's best to say that the
ethical traveler is one who understands that enjoying such freedoms necessarily brings with it social responsibilities — no matter
how these are understood by each individual. This might be as good a basis as any to start from for those who consider themselves to be
ethical travelers.
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