Green Energy
Are you U or non-U? By which I mean, are you a universalist or a relativist? Forget left and right; the defining political divide of the global era is between those who believe that some moral rights and freedoms ought to be universal and those who argue that each culture to its own. This new frontline of contemporary debate runs across issues as diverse as race, faith, multiculturalism, feminism, gay rights, freedom of speech and foreign policy. In each instance, the argument eventually comes down to whether you have a universalist or relativist view of the world.
Universalists argue that certain rights and protections - freedom of speech, democracy, the rule of law - are common or, at least, should be available to all people. Relativists maintain that different cultures have different values and that it's impossible to say that one system or idea is better than another and, moreover, it's racist to try.
What's your feeling about clitoridectomy and the stoning to death of women adulterers? a) misogynistic; b) that's a racist question; c) empowering.
Freedom of speech? a) the basis of all other freedoms; b) you support it but only if you agree with what's being said and there's no such thing as complete freedom of speech, anyway, so what's wrong with even less? c) shut up or I'll cut your head off.
What do you think of secularism? a) the only system that protects all faiths equally without allowing any to dominate; b) Iraq was secular and look what happened to it; c) a disgusting insult to the will of God.
Indefinite detention without trial? a) never acceptable; b) not acceptable when the Americans do it; c) acceptable if the hostages are Westerners.
Should individuals be able to do what they want, as long as it doesn't harm anyone else? a) yes; b) people don't know what they want, they've been brainwashed by the corporate media; c) everything godless is harmful.
Are all cultures equal? a) no, they sanction varying degrees of freedom, equality, opportunity, security and diversity; b) no, Western democracy is by far the worst; c) no, the Jews have all the power.
Gay rights? a) homosexuals should enjoy the same rights and freedoms as heterosexuals; b) gay rights should not be a shibboleth that prevent politically expedient alliances with reactionary homophobes; c) they have the right to be thrown off roofs and crushed under walls.
OK, let's total up your score. If you got six or more As, you are a U, an unapologetic universalist; say after me, there is no race but the human race. If you got six or more Bs, you are non-U, have you thought about joining the Respect party? If you got six or more Cs - U, non-U, what a load of decadent nonsense - you know the Truth.That was taken from Anthony Brown's Comment in The Guardian, via Harry's Place
- Where Do Our Rights Come From - Are They Derived From Truth Or Power?
Culturist John and I once had a beer-sodden, knock-em-down, drag-em-out bar fight over this question. I say our rights exist, because they came from God. I also accept the idea of Natural Law, which Wikipedia defines thusly, Natural law or the law of...
- Feminism, Culturism And Group Rights
The late Susan Moller Okin was an academic who argued that multiculturalism hurts feminism. This was great. In doing so she largely argued against Will Kymlicka’s arguments for legally protecting minority’s cultural rights such as that to have polygamy....
- "human Rights Should Not Be Necessarily In Unison With Particular Western Values And Standards - Muslims Have Their Own Reading Of Human Rights"
From Jihad Watch: Sho nuff, or, Indeed they doAbsolutely: the restrictions on freedom of speech and freedom of conscience, the institutionalized inequality of rights for women and non-Muslims -- it's just a different vision of human rights, you...
- Culturist Perspective: Islam Day
The resolution to make September 24th, ‘Islam Day’ in Hawaii is culturist blashphemy. The Senate is multiculturalist. That means they do not believe the West has a core traditional culture to promote. They think our land is a blank slate without history...
- The Hammer Of Democracy
The Asia Times columnists known as Spengler comes out against the notion that the spread democracy leads to peace. The trouble is that entire peoples frequently find themselves faced with probable or inevitable ruin, such that no peaceful solution can...
Green Energy
U or non-U?
Are you U or non-U? By which I mean, are you a universalist or a relativist? Forget left and right; the defining political divide of the global era is between those who believe that some moral rights and freedoms ought to be universal and those who argue that each culture to its own. This new frontline of contemporary debate runs across issues as diverse as race, faith, multiculturalism, feminism, gay rights, freedom of speech and foreign policy. In each instance, the argument eventually comes down to whether you have a universalist or relativist view of the world.
Universalists argue that certain rights and protections - freedom of speech, democracy, the rule of law - are common or, at least, should be available to all people. Relativists maintain that different cultures have different values and that it's impossible to say that one system or idea is better than another and, moreover, it's racist to try.
What's your feeling about clitoridectomy and the stoning to death of women adulterers? a) misogynistic; b) that's a racist question; c) empowering.
Freedom of speech? a) the basis of all other freedoms; b) you support it but only if you agree with what's being said and there's no such thing as complete freedom of speech, anyway, so what's wrong with even less? c) shut up or I'll cut your head off.
What do you think of secularism? a) the only system that protects all faiths equally without allowing any to dominate; b) Iraq was secular and look what happened to it; c) a disgusting insult to the will of God.
Indefinite detention without trial? a) never acceptable; b) not acceptable when the Americans do it; c) acceptable if the hostages are Westerners.
Should individuals be able to do what they want, as long as it doesn't harm anyone else? a) yes; b) people don't know what they want, they've been brainwashed by the corporate media; c) everything godless is harmful.
Are all cultures equal? a) no, they sanction varying degrees of freedom, equality, opportunity, security and diversity; b) no, Western democracy is by far the worst; c) no, the Jews have all the power.
Gay rights? a) homosexuals should enjoy the same rights and freedoms as heterosexuals; b) gay rights should not be a shibboleth that prevent politically expedient alliances with reactionary homophobes; c) they have the right to be thrown off roofs and crushed under walls.
OK, let's total up your score. If you got six or more As, you are a U, an unapologetic universalist; say after me, there is no race but the human race. If you got six or more Bs, you are non-U, have you thought about joining the Respect party? If you got six or more Cs - U, non-U, what a load of decadent nonsense - you know the Truth.That was taken from Anthony Brown's Comment in The Guardian, via Harry's Place
- Where Do Our Rights Come From - Are They Derived From Truth Or Power?
Culturist John and I once had a beer-sodden, knock-em-down, drag-em-out bar fight over this question. I say our rights exist, because they came from God. I also accept the idea of Natural Law, which Wikipedia defines thusly, Natural law or the law of...
- Feminism, Culturism And Group Rights
The late Susan Moller Okin was an academic who argued that multiculturalism hurts feminism. This was great. In doing so she largely argued against Will Kymlicka’s arguments for legally protecting minority’s cultural rights such as that to have polygamy....
- "human Rights Should Not Be Necessarily In Unison With Particular Western Values And Standards - Muslims Have Their Own Reading Of Human Rights"
From Jihad Watch: Sho nuff, or, Indeed they doAbsolutely: the restrictions on freedom of speech and freedom of conscience, the institutionalized inequality of rights for women and non-Muslims -- it's just a different vision of human rights, you...
- Culturist Perspective: Islam Day
The resolution to make September 24th, ‘Islam Day’ in Hawaii is culturist blashphemy. The Senate is multiculturalist. That means they do not believe the West has a core traditional culture to promote. They think our land is a blank slate without history...
- The Hammer Of Democracy
The Asia Times columnists known as Spengler comes out against the notion that the spread democracy leads to peace. The trouble is that entire peoples frequently find themselves faced with probable or inevitable ruin, such that no peaceful solution can...