> this is now partially done by multinational corporations, wiping out local traditions.

And it used to be partially done by empires, wiping out local traditions. And powerful warlords would do it, too. Monarchs, etc. Hard to say Western Europe doesn't look the way it does in large part because of this multicontinental, millennia-old institution called the Catholic Church!

Agreed and besides Europe the Catholic Church destroyed much of the history of Mesoamerica. But, part of "culture" is our history as well, it just saddens me though thinking what we are going to leave behind for future generations.

And even language itself changes how we think. We can blame the romans for making english the lingua franca.