posted on Aug, 23 2012 @ 07:32 AM
This is a common yet sadly effective tactic. People of the West are lead to believe that their ways of life are the best, and any other culture is
kind of unfortunate or at worst, barbaric. I saw this recently as I met a guy from Israel, and he said "well, look at these Arab cultures - men and
women have not equal status, crimes are punished violently" etc, basically his jusification for Israel was that their culture was "better".
An example which has been all in the news recently is of concerning Russia and Pussy Riot. They broke the law, they pay the price, in accordance with
our laws. Obviously I speak English (well I try to) so I can see Western media, and all of it is condemning Russia, saying how evil Russia is and all
that, and it's because Russia is not the West, yet people cannot seem to comprehend this fact, they think everything must be like it is in the
West in order to be accepted and respected. It seems to be nailed into the mentality of so many people that if another culture, in another country,
differs to what is in the West, then it must be a horrible, backwards society.
I think the word is "ethnocentrism". So many people will say they do not like the US government, yet fall so easily into their trap of demonising
other cultures. Personally I would not like to live in Islamic society, yet never would I seek to change their lifestyles, because their society
belongs to them, and it is not my place to interfere. Not saying that my words are always correct, but I think mine is a good attitude to have.
Ethnocentrism and forcing of global homogeneity of culture needs to be stopped. It's a tool of capitalist imperialisam which snares so many people
unwittingly.