What do the Beatles, the Iron Curtain and Global Trade Today Have in Common?
You may remember a little rock band from the 60s called The Beatles (if you haven’t, then you’ve been living under a rock)
Anyways, the Beatles wrote more prolific songs than you can count on your fingers and toes, which is why their music influenced their generation along with generations to follow- so I’ll leave up to them to tell you…
The Beatles said it best: “All you need is love”, “I get by with a little help from my friends”. These lyrics speak to some of the fundamental principles that us human beings live by. Now you may be asking yourself… This is nice, but how does this relate to global trade?
Let me tell you why…
When talking about global trade, most of us typically think about goods being traded. But global trade is far more than products being exchanged. For example:
It facilitates the spread of ideas, be it through culture or academia
It allows for collaboration and communication between different cultures
It brings people together, and it forms bonds between individuals and countries
It’s also the reason why there is either a sushi or ramen restaurant on every street corner in Vancouver
So back to the Beatles…
The Beatles are said to have influenced some of the first tears in the iron curtain. For young people living in the Soviet Union, listening to their music evoked ideas such as democracy and freedom.
Although this was a small part of communism’s unraveling in this part of the world, it makes for a great example of how impactful global trade can be. How else could a British band’s songs influence people’s thoughts and feelings across a continent.
Written by: Tatjana Raison