As I was reading Robbins' article I couldn't help thinking of Hotel World and its setting of the Global Hotel. There was such an emphasis on the posh look of the lobby and rooms, and how each one feels like home. I was thinking that these hotels are truly a global effort. Where was each piece of construction manufactured? Who worked in the factory where the pillow cases were made? Who were the people that actual constructed the buildings?Add that to the international staff, many working labor intensive jobs, and the Global Hotel is truly made up of the world.
However, each hotel is supposed to feel the same. You aren't supposed to walk in and keep experiencing your visit in Dubai, you're supposed to be transported to the last time you stayed at a Global Hotel. The making of the whole doesn't matter, it is merely the whole. This is the way we look at products. I grew up with a mom who always looked at the "Made in..." labels, so I've always been aware of poor work conditions and child labor. Sometimes I don't buy a product, but ultimately, I support the system because the majority of the time, I do purchase it. (Does anyone else have this weird perception of an idea that certain countries are "worse" than others, or is that just me?) It's really because it's hard to find companies that do entirely produce in the U.S., so it's the lazy way out. How it affects me more is in situations where I DO buy something made in the U.S - then I'm thrilled about it and feel good about that product and that I purchased it - way to go, ego!
Robbins quotes Kant's description of the sublime being "a feeling of the inadequacy of [the] imagination for presenting the ideas of a whole, wherein the imagination reaches its maximum..." (85) which is exactly how I relate myself and general society to this issue. My imagination cannot comprehend the issue, let alone a solution. And although right now I feel very aware, just like the New Yorker cartoon says, I sadly will most likely forget.
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