JJJJ Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 This is based on my experiences here in Finland, and my observations of media coverage from other western countries. Why is it that every time a person from the west says something positive about something that is unique in "western" culture, other westerners quickly silence him down with multicultural and relativist crap, but if it is done the other way around, this same westerner doesnt mind. If the non-westerner says something positive about something that is unique to that culture, this same multicultural westerner doesnt mind, and gets all riled up if another westerner tells that the non-westerner is wrong. And this isnt just about ideological and philosophical things, but about other more casual things as well, like sports, entertainment or cuisine. It seems as if the hierarchy of the world goes like this: 1. Americans(USA): can't say anything bad about anyone else without being labeled insensitive or ignorant. 2. English-speaking western world(UK&I, AUS, CAN etc.): can't say anything bad about anyone else but americans, without being labeled insensitive or ignorant. 3. non-English speaking western world: can't say anything bad about anyone else but english speaking westerners, especially americans, without being labeled insensitive or ignorant ---------------------- 4. non-western industrialised countries: can bash the west, especially america, but cant say anything bad(in the west at least) about anyone in underdeveloped countries without being labeled insensitive or ignorant. 5. underdeveloped countries: can say whatever they want, with opposers being labeled insensitive or ignorant by westerners If an englishman(2) thinks american football is boring, its ok, if an american(1) doesnt like soccer, he is stupid and ignorant. If a frenchman(3) doesnt like american/english culture, its ok, if an american(1) doesnt like french culture, he is insensitive. If an Algerian(4) thinks that french culture is bad, its ok, if a frenchman(3) thinks that algerian culture is bad, he is insensitive and arrogant. If someone from Singapore(4) thinks that tribal africans are bad, he is insensitive, if a tribal african(5) thinks that living in houses and not hunting your own food is bad, he isnt insensitive and just has a "unique worldview" that is no way better or worse than anyone elses. And i drew the line between groups 3 and 4 because this is where the line goes when deciding who's to blame if a person from one group doesnt feel comfortable living with people from another group. If an englishman(2) or frenchman(3) moves to america and doesnt like it, its not really anyones fault, and he just moves back. If an american(1) moves to England(2) or France(3) and doesnt fit in, the american may be a tad arrogant and insensitive, but its not that bad and he just moves back. But if a person from groups 4 or 5 moves to countries in groups 1,2 and 3 and doesnt fit in, it is the fault of people from groups 1,2 and 3, and instead of asking the person to move back to 4 or 5 if he doesnt like it, the 1,2 and 3's should instead ask "how can i change so that you will fit in better". Now, if someone from 1,2 or 3 moves to countries in 4 or 5, and doesnt fit in, it is not the fault of the people in 4 and 5, but instead the fault lies with the movers from 1,2 or 3 who didnt open their minds enough to cherish and respect the cultures of the country they moved to. In other words: If a non-westerner doesnt fit in in the west, its because westerners are xenophobes/racists/bigots, and if a westerner doesnt fit in in the non-west, its because westerners are xenophobes/racists/bigots. If someone is still with me at this point, i could tell you that i have come up with two possible reasons for this: a ) the multiculturalist westerners actually themselves know that the west is superior, but because just like taunting a disabled person is immoral, they confuse voluntary things(philosophy) with involuntary things(disability), and think that they shouldnt judge lesser cultures. or b ) the multiculturalist westerners actually just hate the west that much, and try to dishonestly "even the score" between cultures because they are so ashamed and dumbfounded that the philosophy they hate is actually working so well. Do you have a third explanation, especially for the non-philosophical things like food, sports etc, because i cant think of a reason... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 It's due to the highly publicised and spread idea that the West, especially America, is imperialist, and became rich through violence, conquest, slavery and many evil forms of exploitation. It's self-hatred in the form of guilt and appeasement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 Jill has it right, it is self hatred. This attitude has been gradually conditioned into Western society through repetition, "The Big Lie," repeated so often and loudly it is accepted as correct. It is the mantra of the political left, who can only repeat trite phrases, rather than observe and come to a decision based on reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 It's not just political it is also religious. Wealth is a sin, pride is a sin, excess is a sin. Being better means that you have to try to be humble, wallow in humility. when the other guy calls you down turn the other cheek and let him do it again. The entirety of accepted mainstream philosophy, either implicit or explicit is designed to destroy what has been built. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Patroller Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 Mostly because this was aloowed to fester instead of the proper measures being taken against the bratty individuals. For instance, when they were children, being corrected verbally, then, if this continued, physically. The only way to deal with a criminal is to crack his skull before he cracks yours. The only way to deal with a brat is a good crack across the face since reason will not suffice, then you up the ante. This evil also tries to cash in on the attraction to "far away places with strange sounding names" that is at the heart of the explorer in all of us. and perverts it to its own ends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aqualyst Posted April 4, 2009 Report Share Posted April 4, 2009 A personal experience on why Westerners hate the West: In Valparaiso, Chile in 1971, a local university student told me that most of her peers hated America. When asked why, she simply stated that it was because America was always number one. This could be deemed a case of what Aussies call the Tall Poppy Syndrome, indicating a resentment of the success of others. Or, in other words, some Westerners hate the West (as others in this thread have stated or implied) because of envy and/or self hatred. Is it possible to find a West-Hater who isn't an altruist/colectivist at heart? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aequalsa Posted April 4, 2009 Report Share Posted April 4, 2009 Another element which I believe to have a large effect is the deification of equality as a cultural virtue. Not equality under the law, of course, but that pernicious, childish belief in equality of position without regard to cause and effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas M. Miovas Jr. Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 I think it comes down to a hatred of reason and its accomplishments that have been taught in school for the past fifty years or so. Once someone hates reason, then he won't try to use reason to better his life, and therefore will be more prone to falling for collectivism and will fall more prone to blaming anyone else for his problems. It's also the idea that free will isn't involved and that those who are better off chose to live a certain way, which is an affront to anyone who didn't decide to use reason to better his own life. I'll give you another example, all those Muslims cheering when the World Trade Center towers collapsed -- and nothing happened to them. Imagine what would have happened if some red blooded real American's stood in Muslim neighborhoods and cheered when we began to bomb Afghanistan. They probably would have been carted off as inciting a riot or something. Hatred of the West comes from hatred of reason and hatred of the necessity of self-responsibility. Once that happens, the lowest common denominator takes over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 I cheered when we bombed Afganistan. I was in my living room though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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