Wanna talk about materialism - why just "Western" materialism?

Firstly I feel that materialism is also a part of the human condition, and there's a small but growing movement who are against this tendency to blame everything on the West.
Ironically a lot of anti-Western thought (or occidentalism) actually originates in the West.
But since the West has developed democracy and freedom of speech, that critique is welcome.
I wouldn't try such social critique in communist countries, Sharia-controlled regions, or African monarchies and dictatorships.
Most of these non-Western systems also don't allow much, or any freedom of religion.
Try spreading Taoism or Krishna Consciousness on the streets of Saudi Arabia, or the Islamic Sate (as you could do in any Western city) and see what happens.
Critique should come from all sides, before we promote something really evil in the name of being "anti-Western".

At least speaking from Southern Africa, I'm seeing our rhinos stripped for consumption in non-Western countries, like Vietnam, for traditional Eastern medicines.
Same with the pangolin for Asian foods, lion bones for medicine, and live big cats for the exotic pet craze amongst multi-millionaires in the Islamic Gulf States.
Never even mind the fish, the poor sharks (harvested for their fins for Asian cooking), our abalone - all done by non-Western countries.
Meanwhile, in "horrible" old Western Europe, the forests are growing back, and I've seen debates on native species like boars and bears moving back close to towns.
www.washingtonpost.com...

No, the West has got many things right, it's the non-Western world that needs severe criticism.

I've seen Western people standing and dancing in the streets from dawn till dusk to collect money for their non-Western gurus.
Meanwhile many of these gurus are literally sitting on golden thrones, and have collected huge personal wealth.
Then I see African monarchs and dictators ripping-off their countries and people, and in South Africa the corruption of the ruling ANC is legendary, all while they keep up an anti-Western discourse as a smoke-screen.

I see how hundreds of thousands have fled fighting between Sunnis and Shiites (non-Western sects).
I see how hundreds of thousands have fled Eritrea, where the population is forced into gulags under the pretense of "national service".
Eritrea is part of the African Union and an observer in the Arab League, but where do people flee to? - that "horrible" old Western Europe (not the closer Arab countries).

And Europe tries to save them and take them in, out of sheer human kindness, while non-Western smugglers traffic them.
Slavery (which the British empire stopped in Africa) is still rife in Islamic parts of the world, and there are millions of slaves, and while the majority of Muslims are not in any in favor of slavery, there are Islamic clerics who support it.
Name me one Western church that endorses slavery today?

The world has gone topsy-turvy, and the biggest polluters and human rights abusers are enabled with anti-Western sentiments that are complete nonsense.
Where do the green movements, modern conservation and pressure groups for indigenous peoples (like Survival International) come from?
That horrible old West of course.
Where do pensioners get begging letters to fight starvation in far off lands, because they are known to be caring and generous?
Definitely in Europe.

Not to generalize about all Chinese people (especially not our local, historic community) but the Chinese are often called the "new colonists" in Africa.
I've seen an influx of Fujien Province Chinese since 2006, and if ever there was a greedy, money-grabbing culture who abuse their workers, sell rubbish goods (at no refund), and corrupt everything it is them.

So don't tell me about "Western materialism", when non-Western greed is destroying us.

No, I've been so disappointed by anti-Western movements who bear nothing but bad fruit.
I'd rather go back to the gods of my European ancestors (that's Odin on my avatar), which is also a bit romantic and pre-modern, but I'm no longer ashamed to be Western, and nobody can convince me we are worse than any other part of the planet, or people from other parts of the planet.
That's a joke compared to what is actually happening right now.

In fact, that's occidentalist cultural chauvinism, and even racism against the indigenous people of Europe, or people from Europe.
Sure discuss materialism, but not just "Western materialism".

a reply to: halfoldman

Too logical=no rebuttals....

a reply to: nwtrucker
Oh dear, well maybe it can inspire others when they see the usual nonsense on "Western materialism" is the biggest problem on our planet canard.

I've seen it in religious and political groups, as well as academia.

The start of indoctrination is always about how bad, materialistic, or full of voidism the Western world is.
Half the posters with slogans on social media are thinly disguised anti-Westernism.
But what alternative is proposed?
It's mind-control with very little evidence.
I feel it's just one way to guide people to cults and groups like ISIS.
All their indoctrination starts with that.

Sure there's a lot of bad history for individual countries to deal with, but when I hear "Western materialism" today, I immediately think cult alert.
I know where people go for cheap shopping, and it ain't the West.

a reply to: halfoldman

Nice try but western path toward global domination through war sabotage and trickery is well documented

You dance around the elephant in the room

originally posted by: nwtrucker
a reply to: halfoldman

Too logical=no rebuttals....

Yes, I have noticed a trend in that.

I use to be against materialism but later realized that the external reality that you manifest actually does say something about your internal self. You can be a spiritual, philosophical, intellectual, and internally driven type of person and still enjoy the external fruits of your labor. What's wrong with that? Nothing at all. People simply try to reduce that aspect and control it, because it's easier to assume someone's simply an asshole for having a nice car and nice things than to admit to yourself that maybe they've worked hard for it and that it's simply a symbol of their good doings in their eyes.

"Oh, you have a nice car, nice house, nice things? Well, you must be an asshole, right?" I feel that's the type of simple thinking a lot of people have.

Materialism is largely rejected by the religious. They position the argument so that it sounds like the west is raping the world, while ignoring all the damage the non-west is doing (because then the west's atrocities don't look nearly as bad by comparison). That's not to say that the west isn't doing anything bad either, they certainly are, but I do agree with you. The non-west tends to be MUCH worse to the planet and other humans than the west. Just look at China, pollution has gotten so bad in some of their cities that you have to walk around with masks on.