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Who Doesn’t Believe in Cultural Supremacy? But what is the “Optimum Culture”?

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posted on Sep, 6 2010 @ 04:06 PM
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The definition of culture I'm using is: “Beliefs, Values, and Ways of Doing Things”
www.communicationandculture.co.uk...

Obviously no belief, value or way of doing things is exactly the same as another. At they’re most similar they’ll have different ways-efficiencies in meeting the same objective, and at the most opposite, they’ll oppose one another, most fundamentally.
Therefore to say one way of doing things is equal to all its variations, and all its opposites (i.e. all possible cultures) really does defy logic. Without an identical outcome, something does not have an identical value.
Subsequently the idea all cultures could be of equal value, is purely ideological, and without foundation in reality.

Xenophobia…
Is a piece of political labelling, that’s frequently used to dismiss the concerns of anyone fearing either a politics, or culture (that’s predominant) with foreigners.
dictionary.reference.com...
However in order to be correctly used it would seem the fear must also be “irrational”. en.wikipedia.org...
Whilst that, makes it near impossible to argue there is nothing wrong with Xenophobia, it also makes it very hard to (fairly) accuse someone of it!

So if Xenophobia is inherently irrational; lets discuss what’s irrational about Cultural Supremacy?

Reason 1… Far From Equal I.Q
Many “truth seekers” will probably be aware that (average) Racial Differences in Intelligence appear to exist (as reported by I.Q tests, assed without knowledge of the candidates ethnicity).
human-stupidity.com...
en.wikipedia.org...
Interestingly; Racial Intelligence data frequently undermines traditional White Supremacy arguments, by frequently showing the Asians-Jewish categories outperforming all other racial categories.
gothamist.com...

The counterargument against racial differences in intelligence, is that they are not racial, but cultural.
In the past there were certainly numerous times where Cultural differences (alone) meant candiates could not understand I.Q test questions. Since this is now actively avoided, and I.Q differences persist, many acedimics argue culture itself governs intelligence.
Debator can use race or culture as explanations; but I’ve yet to hear anyone who uses neither (without ignoring the reality of racisal-cultural intelligence, data!).

(Given the age of tolerance, we live in) most academics will automatically loose their reputations-jobs if they’re caught-publicised defying (our media elites) “Faith” in absolute racial equality. (As recently happened Nobel Prize, winner, Dr James Watson edition.cnn.com... )
So maybe it is unsurprising that most academics prefer to look for evidence that uses culture as the explanation for apparent racial differences in intelligence?
b]In which case: what is the optimum culture for promoting intelligence?

Given that middle income, East Asians are consistently outperforming middle class whites (in both academia and future income scouring) I’d say the Western World has a lot to learn from them. I.e. whatever elements of their culture, give them a supremacy over ours, should be promoted by our governments education system (obviously in the most practical-adjusted way’s possible).
Likewise if there’s anything about Jewish culture that makes theirs, more geared towards wider career choices in adulthood; then I’d argue the mission for academics-sociologists is to isolate these traits, so that well meaning representatives can have our educational system, promote them.

Reason 2… We Need to Fear (some) Foreigners

If advancing mankind’s, cultural, knowledge can have us better understand what makes a good culture (within the context of the Western World 99% of us live in) then it will also help clarify the foreigners least likely to integrate. Given (unless we open our borders completely) there is always a surplus of foreigners wishing to migrate into our Westernised Society; we could use this cultural knowledge to develop an immigration policy, that better respected the interests of a nation’s, residents. After all why give refuge to cultures that don’t integrate well, when there are others that can & do?

Reason 3… Eliminating Grinding Poverty

A better understanding of the merits-downfalls of culture would help other nations better learn how to be like their “counterparts” in the West. Of course I'm not suggesting we force them to adopt our culture (that’s so Victorian!) instead, just for them to learn by our example (where it makes sense for them to do so).

In much of Africa, some of the countries (like Nigeria) have a higher density of mineral resources than the U.S. If we can rule out race as a (significant) cause of their poverty, then culture becomes the next factor. And if African leaders knew which elements of African culture, are most holding development back, then inroads towards a more functional, future, world could surely be made?



posted on Sep, 6 2010 @ 04:40 PM
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Very well written, thank you.

But I do disagree with the idea of modelling my culture in accordance with "Optimum Culture" because it lessens the diversity.

Comparing the world to a Supermarket, if I may, when I enter one, I am seeking diversity. I am not seeking "the Optimum Product" but many different types of products for many different moods and days.

I've come to the Conclusion that strict non-interventionism should allow a Culture to develop to its own ideal form...which does not Emulate other ideals but is an ideal in its own right.

My favourite Culture is Western Europe, but thats not what I want to see when I travel the world.



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