CULTURAL FAILURES THAT ARE DESTROYING THE AMERICAN DREAM!

New book Turns Spotlight on Why Cultural Turmoil Crippling America

Author Boye Lafayette De Mente attributes the cultural failures now crippling the United States to the influence of male dominance and irrational religious dogma.

In a new book, HOW & WHY MALE DOMINANCE PLAGUES HUMANITY! – The Ultimate Challenge for Females!, De Mente, internationally known for his pioneer books on the cultures and languages of China, Japan, Korea and Mexico, says that the negative elements in all of the areas of civilization—from economics and politics to social behavior—can be traced to male dominance, the male lust for power, and irrational religious ideology.

“Males,” he says, “are genetically programmed to exercise as much control as possible over every aspect of their lives, and to use psychological intimidation and physical force to get what they want. This mindset results in males believing they are naturally superior to females and to think and behave in terms of tribal and territorial exclusivity.

De Mente goes on to say: “Adding to this built-in character, male leaders in all societies from day one created spirit or god-based religions to help them control females and deal with the built-in traits of males. Some of these gods were benign and nurturing while others were strict authoritarians who were jealous, vindictive and destructive—all human attributes.”

De Mente says that instead of curbing the destructive and violent instincts of males these man-made religions institutionalized and ritualized both ignorance and willful stupidity, resulting in the failure of mankind to create and sustain positive, humanistic, nurturing cultures.

 ‘Now, instead of a religious-based morality that originally had good intentions we have a money-based morality that brings out the worse in people,” he said.

De Mente describes the book as “a rant, a screed, designed to expose all of the elements of American culture—education, entertainment, manufacturing, marketing, the news media, politics and religions, all of which are now based on the new money morality.”

In addition to identifying and describing the elements of the culture that have failed, De Mente proposes a variety of fixes that could, he says, help the country restore some of the American dream. The book is available in both printed and digital editions from Amazon.com.

The Incredible Power of Serendipity – Highlights of an Uncommon Life

How Serendipity Shaped the Life of Author Boyé Lafayette De Mente

 This is the personal memoir of author Boyé Lafayette De Mente, the 4th of ten children born to poor parents in an isolated valley in the Ozark Hills of southeast Missouri, and raised during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

He went on to have a remarkable life which he attributes to the incredible power of serendipity.

As editor of The IMPORTER magazine in Tokyo in the late 1950s and early 1960s and as the author of numerous pioneer books on the mindset and business practices of the Chinese, Japanese and South Koreans he made  major contributions to the initial rise of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China as economic superpowers.

He played a leading role in helping to launch the career of Thunderbird School of Global Management alumnae brother Merle Hinrichs who became the largest trade magazine publisher in Asia, a major financial donor to Thunderbird and member of the board of directors.

And he launched the publishing career of Kentucky hillbilly Larry Flynt who achieved great wealth and notoriety as the publisher of HUSTLER magazine and champion of freedom of speech.  [On the day De Mente met Flynt he told his wife that he had just met a 26-year old man who had the intelligence and drive to become president of the United States by the time he was old enough to qualify for the office.]

De Mente’s encounters and relationships with such extraordinary individuals as Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, America’s ranking naval officer during World War II; Akio Morita, co-founder and leading light of what was to become the Sony empire; Toshio Karita, former protocol officer for the Imperial Family of Japan; and Daisetzu Suzuki, Japan’s leading Zen master, plus many more, were experiences he could not have even dreamed about before they happened.

His story is an example of the potential of ordinary individuals to achieve significant things when life presents opportunities and they follow up on them.

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To see a full list of the author’s books go to Amazon.com

Doing Business with China

Presents Major Challenges

China has emerged on the world scene as a major economic and political force that appears destined to surpass the United States—a portent of the future that goes well beyond anything the U.S. and other Western countries have faced in modern times.

    It is therefore vital that the United States and other countries become familiar with present-day Chinese culture—from their social morality and etiquette to their business practices and political policies.

    Boyé Lafayette De Mente, known for his pioneer books on the business practices, cultures and languages of China, Japan and Korea, has addressed aspects of the unique way business is done in China in a new book, CHINA: Understanding & Dealing with the Chinese Way of Doing Business.

    De Mente notes that the challenge of understanding and dealing with China can be especially difficult because the Chinese do business in so many different ways.

    “These differences,” he says, “relate to the regions of the huge country, the distance from Beijing, the size of the cities concerned, the political views and clout of government officials on all levels, the age and background of the individuals involved, any international experience they may have had, and so on.”

    He adds that broadly speaking the business practices of today’s China are mixtures of traditional values and customs combined with Western concepts and practices that, despite bumps in the highway, are propelling the country forward at warp speed.  

    In the book De Mente addresses both the traditional and modern-day aspects of how business is generally done in China, and offers insights in how to deal with them effectively.

    The book also covers the political nature of China’s appearance on the international scene and the globalization of its economy. It is available from Amazon.com in both digital and printed formats, and from the Barnes and Noble chain as a Nook ebook.

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Boyé Lafayette De Mente is the author of 50-plus books on the business practices, arts, cultures and languages of China, Japan, Korea and Mexico; on the degradation of American culture, and on the destructive aspects of male dominance in particular.

     He is a graduate of Jōchi University in Tokyo and Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona, and wrote the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business [1959] and How to Do Business in Japan [1961].

 

 

 

CHINA: RETURN OF THE DRAGON!

Prehistoric Chinese civilization dates back to 7,600 B.C. By 4,000 B.C. China had one of the most sophisticated cultures on the planet, with a rudimentary writing system, the cultivation of silk for use in making garments for the well-to-do, and the use of agricultural tools such as the plow.

   By 2,350 B.C. major engineering projects were being undertaken to tame the rivers, and many of the arts and crafts that were to distinguish Chinese culture from then on had become common.

   Over the next millennia China extended its military hegemony far and wide. The government of the leading state was centralized, with the concept of the “Central Kingdom” becoming a major element of the culture. One of the pastimes that became popular was the sophisticated board game of weiqi [way-chee], which later became well known outside of China by its Japanese name: go.

   In 486 B.C. construction was begun on the Grand Canal of China. The diversity and sophistication of Chinese culture virtually exploded from this era on, with remarkable advances in technology, astronomy, literature, mathematics, medicine, music, education of the elite, publishing, shipbuilding, military equipment, exploration, and contact with other countries.

  The history of the Chinese as “the Romans of Asia” continued until the early1500s A.D. when Europeans made their first appearance on the scene. By that time the leaders of China had begun to take the position that China had achieved the epitome of civilization and culture and did not need to change anything, especially learn anything from Western “barbarians.”

   This concept was to eventually bring about the demise of the “Central Kingdom,” as the newly industrialized powers of Europe began to carve the country up into pieces, culminating in the invasion of the country in the early 1930s by Japan.

   China did not begin to recover until the arrival of the great revolutionary Zedong Mao in the early 20th century and his take-over of the country in 1949.

   Mao’s dream of resurrecting and rebuilding the Central Kingdom was flawed by the extremes of his ideology and despite some admirable changes [he gave women the right to vote] he virtually destroyed the country, and it was not until he died in 1976 that Xiaoping Deng, a former ally who had been disgraced and exiled, became the paramount leader and adopted the policy that “To get rich is glorious!”

   Deng established policies that freed the Chinese population for the first time in the history of the country to utilize their incredible motivation to do exactly that…to get as rich as possible—in this case by taking advantage of the profit morality of the West; exactly the same thing the Japanese had done between 1952 and 1970.

   As soon as China opened its doors, American and European businessmen began importing Western products made in China and moving their own production to China. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

   By 2010 China had emerged on the world scene as a major economic and political force that now appears destined to surpass the United States—a portent of the future that goes well beyond anything the U.S. has faced before. 

   The business practices of today’s China are a mixture of traditional values and customs combined with Western concepts and practices that, despite bumps in the highway, are propelling the country forward at warp speed.

   I have attempted to address both the traditional and modern-day aspects of how business is done in China in my new book CHINA: Understanding & Dealing with the Chinese Way of Doing Business.

   In addition to offering insights in how to deal with China’s hybrid [Chinese-Western] cultural and ethical business system, the book also covers aspects of China’s appearance on the international scene and the globalization of its economy that is political in nature and will have an increasingly powerful impact on the rest of the world.

   After some 500 years of dormancy the Chinese dragon is back. And as I have been saying since the mid-1990s, Americans had better learn how to level the playing field with China or learn how to shine shoes.

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Boyé Lafayette De Mente is the author of 70-plus books on the business practices, arts, culture and language of China, Japan, Korea and Mexico; on the degradation of American culture, and on the destructive nature of male dominance in particular.  His current bestselling books include SPEAK JAPANESE TODAY! – a Little Language Goes a Long Way! and AMERICA’S FAMOUS HOPI INDIANS! – Their Spiritual Way of Life & Incredible Prophecies! To see a full list and synopses of his books go to: BoyeDeMente.com and/or Amazon.com.

De Mente is a graduate of Jōchi University in Tokyo and Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona. He wrote the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business [1959] and How to Do Business with the Japanese [1961].

 

JAPAN: Understanding & Dealing With the New Japanese Way of Doing Business!

When the traditional Japanese way of doing business began to fail in the late 1980s, putting the brakes on the economic juggernaut that had made the country the second largest economy in the world in just 20 years following the end of World War II, Japanese businesspeople began to adopt selected Western practices. This process was speeded up in the 1990s when competition from South Korea, Taiwan and China became an even greater threat, resulting in a hybrid business system that continues to evolve today.

This book explains the rise and fall of Japan as the second largest economy in the world, describes the present-day still evolving system, including steps Japan’s business world is taking to make sure it still has a major role to play in the world economy.

While most of the new changes are taking place below the radar of the world at large they are harbingers of what the global economy is becoming and what other companies and countries must do to stay in the game. The book is available from Amazon.com in both digital [$4.95] and printed [$14.95] editions.

THE MEXICAN MIND! – Understanding & Appreciating Mexican Culture!

This book uses key words in the Mexican language as gateways to the cultural and historical elements that created the unique character and personality of Mexicans—the good and the bad—and made Mexico one of the most fascinating countries in the world, part Western and part Oriental.

The introduction provides a scathing review of the evils perpetrated on the 25 million original Indian inhabitants of Mexico by the Spanish administrators in an unholy alliance with the Catholic Church.

The Spanish government in league with the Church promoted the policy of Spanish men breeding with as many Indian girls and women as possible to produce a new race of people. By the end of the first generation of mixed-bloods resulting from this policy the mixtures were treated as outcasts, forbidden to own or ride horses, to appear in the center of cities or to engage in any profession,

Within the first 100 years following the arrival of the Spaniards in Mexico the Indian population had fallen to around 1 million as a result of European diseases and and harsh slave-labor conditions that disrupted families and killed hundreds of thousands men.  [It is now about 8 million.]

Virtually total discrimination against the growing mixed-blood population of Mexico prevailed for almost 200 years…following which many of the Mixtures moved into the northern regions of the country, becoming cattle ranchers, cowboys and bandits. But by the early 1900s the number of mixed-bloods exceeded that of the Spaniards and they began to come into their own.

Despite the inhumane conditions perpetrated by the Spanish Administrators and the Church for over 300 years on the mixtures and surviving Indians the mainstream culture that finally evolved from this incredible situation included deeply embedded institutions of arts, crafts, dancing, music, singing that have since distinguished the Mexican people and made Mexico unique in the world.  As the Mexicans themselves say, Como Mexico no hay dos! – There is no other place like Mexico!

This is a valuable handbook for businesspeople, educators, students and travelers.  To order a printed copy [$14.95], click on Amazon.com. To order an ebook copy [$4.95], click on this Amazon.com.

Japan’s Business World Still Tongue-Tied!

A headline in Japan’s leading economic newspaper declares that “Japan’s Corporate World Still Found Tongue-Tied When Using English”—an obvious reference to the fact that a significant proportion of business dialogue in Japan takes place in a foreign language; mostly English.

Some schools in Japan have been teaching English since shortly after the end of the samurai-dominated Shogunate era in 1867. One compelling story that dates from the 1930s relates how students in one school were charged with memorizing every English word in a Japanese-English dictionary. When some of the more determined students finished memorizing each page they tore the page out and ate it in the hope that literally digesting the words would help.

Until recent times Japanese English language students—in private schools as well as in-house corporate settings—were handicapped by the fact that their teachers themselves could not speak the language fluently; although they could read it well. Another factor that had traditionally played a role in keeping most Japanese “tongue-tied” was a sincere disinterest in studying English and a cultural bias against it.

All of that began to change in mid-1900s, and the more global Japan’s economy became the more need and pressure there was for a continuously increasing number of Japanese to learn how to communicate in English with adequate skill.

By the 1990s this pressure had become so compelling that the need for more Japanese to learn English had become a national priority—and yet still today the Japanese are far behind the South Koreans, Chinese and other Asian nationalities in their efforts to make English a second language for  the younger generations.

In South Korea this effort became so powerful, so demanding, that a national law was passed to prevent after-hours private English language tutoring schools from staying open after 10pm so their students could go home and get some sleep!

By the middle of the first decade of the 21st century the need for more English speakers in Japan had become so compelling that some companies took extraordinary steps to achieve that goal—with the huge online shopping company Rakuten taking the lead by making it a policy that  business in the company would be conducted in English, and that  new hires would already speak English or take steps to learn it quickly once they joined the company.

Prior to this other companies in Japan had already initiated emergency programs to deal with the language problem. As early as 2001 Accenture Japan initiated a policy that all management meetings would be conducted in English. The attempt failed, resulting in the company bringing in simultaneous interpreters to make sure their meetings went smoothly.

However, the company continued to hold meetings in English when the majority of the participants were English-speaking foreigners.

One of the fundamental problems that the Japanese face in doing business in English is that there is a significant difference in the cultural nuances and uses of key Japanese words and their equivalents in English. This difference ranges from subtle to dramatic in both the meaning and the spirit that is incorporated in the two languages. To speak English “fluently”—that is to be culturally correct—the Japanese [and any other foreigners involved] must know how to “think” in English, with all of the cultural overtones this implies.

That ability requires a profound shift in the mindset of the Japanese that generally comes only after several years of living in and functioning in an English speaking culture—meaning that “English-speaking” Japanese who have not lived abroad are still handicapped in dealing with native English speakers.

Another side of this factor is that generally speaking older Japanese in particular do not want to give up their cultural essence in order to communicate with foreigners. They understandably value the “spirit” that is inherent in the Japanese language.

And yet, there is growing awareness that as long as the Japanese are linguistically and culturally tongue-tied Japan will not be able to compete in the global economy on an equal footing.

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Copyright © 2012 by Boyé Lafayette De Mente

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Boyé Lafayette De Mente is the author of 70-plus books on the business practices, arts, cultures and languages of China, Japan, Korea and Mexico; on the degradation of American culture, and on the destructive nature of male dominance in particular.

     De Mente is a graduate of Jōchi University in Tokyo and Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona, and wrote the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business [1959] and How to Do Business with the Japanese [1961].

     His current bestselling books include SPEAK JAPANESE TODAY! – a Little Language Goes a Long Way! and AMERICA’S FAMOUS HOPI INDIANS! – Their Spiritual Way of Life & Incredible Prophecies! To see a full list and synopses of his books go to: BoyeDeMente.com and/or Amazon.com.

 

MEXICO’S CULTURAL CODE WORDS: Indios [IN-de-ohss]

MEXICO’S CULTURAL CODE WORDS: Indios [IN-de-ohss].

MEXICO’S CULTURAL CODE WORDS: Mujeres [Muu-HAYR-ehs]

MEXICO’S CULTURAL CODE WORDS: Mujeres [Muu-HAYR-ehs].

MEXICO’S CULTURAL CODE WORDS: Personalismo [Pehr-so-nah-LEES-moh]

MEXICO’S CULTURAL CODE WORDS: Personalismo [Pehr-so-nah-LEES-moh].

MEXICO’S CULTURAL CODE WORDS: Feminidad (Fay-me-nee-DAD]

MEXICO’S CULTURAL CODE WORDS: Feminidad (Fay-me-nee-DAD].

An insightful discourse on the extreme sexuality of Mexican girls and women and how they use it to “burn” men. One of over 100 key terms in the author’s new book, THE MEXICAN MIND – Understanding & Appreciating Mexican Culture.