Quote:
Originally Posted by dreadgeek
Actually, it doesn’t seem worse to me. As a matter of fact, one of the things that caused me to have an epiphany regarding the moral danger of cultural relativism was a discussion the 'dash' site a few years ago where feminists--in the name of not being culturally imperialist--excused the stoning of a woman who was raped on the basis that women in America were still not paid equal money for equal work and therefore we had no room to be exercised about the punishment of women who were raped. At that point I realized something had gone seriously, deeply wrong.
Here is why I am skeptical of this idea that IF the United States were a better example then other nations would behave differently: look at the experience of the civil rights movement. The United States, despite what we might think, is not unique in having a sizable ethnic minority population. However, after the Civil Rights movement showed great success in the U.S. did it substantially change the way that, for instance, the fate of the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka? Nope, not at all. I'm not sure that we can find an example of a foreign national government deciding to broaden the circle of inclusion in their nation to include an ethnic minority *because* of the civil rights movement.
Firstly, while not all of them are brown or yellow the vast majority of them are. Most of those nations I would not consider part of the West (in this usage, the West isn't a geographical term but a cultural one. If your nation does not draw its roots from Greco-Roman civilization with a line connecting the European Renaissance to the present day your nation isn't a Western one. I'm not saying 'get over it', I'm saying---well, let me put it this way. I am one generation removed from Jim Crow segregation and no more than three generations (because of the generational gulf between my parents and I) from bondage. Does that excuse me from acting right? If I were a racial bigot and homophobic ass would you excuse my behavior as the legacy of slavery? Would you excuse that behavior as I beat you and/or your loved ones to a pulp? I think you wouldn't excuse it. I am saying that no matter WHAT history of colonization or imperial subjection a nation has gone through, it does not let that nation off the moral hook.
I, for one, do not think rights should be up for a vote that's why they are rights. Rights are not negotiable, in my book. Either they exist or they do not exist and if they exist they transcend local culture, political history or democratic voting.
My examples were chosen very deliberately. Is there ANYONE here who would argue that setting off a 10 kiloton tactical nuclear device in the middle of New York City would be a heinous act? Is there ANYONE here would debate that releasing back into the wild the only virus medical science has ever actually defeated would be a heinous act? Keep in mind that smallpox killed fully a third of the people who encountered in Europe where people had *immunity*. Here in the Western Hemisphere where people hadn't evolved defenses against the virus that number jumps into the 80% range.
No. That is not a large scale crime against the species.
No, because that is not a large scale crime against the species.
Cheers
Aj
|
OK OK, I understand better now what you are saying and agree. Thank you for explaining yet more...I am just on cup of coffee #1 for some reason.
I get what you are saying about the death penalty and get that my own beliefs about how our judicial system is run get in the way of who does and does not deserve to die. Yes, if I saw and knew 100% solidly that someone spread smallpox all over, or detonated a bomb that took out a major city, it would be difficult to to argue against execution, though I still could not make that decision myself.
And you are right, while I wish the US acted better, I agree that Sri Lanka likely cares less what we do, as long as we don't invade them.
I would say we agree that not getting paid equally in the US or having full Civil Rights in the US does not equate being stoned to death anywhere.
What I do need to work on, is that in my head and in my experience, if someone were beating me to a pulp, I would assume they would be white based on how I was treated when we first moved to TN from South America. But that is another thread.
I do think looking at who did not vote or even show up will be interesting.
As always, much to think about and digest! Thank you!