Stupid Arrogance
Cultures never exist in a vacuum. Never. Every human culture draws upon habits, beliefs, and truths which, consciously or unconsciously, reflect a particular world-and-life view. For many, if not most, particular cultural beliefs and practices have no more foundation than habit. We do this or that (for example, female genital mutilation, or drinking in the pub on a Friday night) because we "have always done it".
But if one starts to think further Big Questions immediately come into play. Is female genital mutilation right or wrong? Is drinking at the pub right or wrong? If both are moral actions, by what standard are they justified? And upon what standard does the standard justifying female genital mutilation and pub-drinking rest in turn? Whence does its authority come and upon what or whom does it rest? And so forth. Every culture will have embedded, tacit answers to these questions.
Cultures are not absolute. They must be assessed by the wider ethical and philosophical wombs in which they have their being. Every culture is thus rightly subject to critique and analysis. Critical evaluation of a particular culture's values, practices and traditions is necessary. Just to shrug one's shoulders and say, "Well, its their (or our) culture and such things must be tolerated, if not respected" is galactically vacuous. Sadly, these days it seems to pass for wisdom.
One way of shutting down critical analysis is to charge the cultural critic with raaaacism. This word has become nothing more than a slogan useful for abuse and nothing more. These days every time we hear the accusation being levelled we turn away. It signifies the end of discussion about cultures and peoples. Yet without such discussion and debate, no modern society can cohere. Because we live in a global village, because we are daily exposed to cultural beliefs and practices radically different from our own, and because globalisation has led to immigration and a mixing of cultures the questions must be faced.
Today, in the West, we are faced with the worst of all possible worlds. We are increasingly forced into admitting people with radically different cultural beliefs and practices and the received wisdom is that each of these cultures must be respected for their traditional beliefs and practices. Critical judgment, therefore, must be suspended. Because many cultures are also racially contained, to criticise a particular culture becomes an indictable offence. And the offence is raaaaacism. Indictment for "hate-crime" is a fast follower.
One consequence of the refusal to criticise cultures is the eventual Balkanisation of nations. Cultural groups (and races) cohere together for mutual support and the practising of their respective cultural values and habits. Ghettos sprout up. Successful integration becomes impossible. A nation can, thus become Balkanised, within a generation. We hear regularly about "no-go" zones in the UK and Europe, where to trespass is dangerous to life and limb. Officials blindly assert that they do not exist. They are wilfully self-deceived.
Why? Because to acknowledge the existence of such realities is to undermine their pervasive belief in cultural inclusivity. It is to get close to transgressing the command, Thou shalt not critique anyone else's culture. The upshot is that wherever multi-culturalism is lauded, nations become Balkanised.
Western arrogance and paternalism has led many to assume that as soon as people go to school, learn to read and write, become educated in the "rights of man" and other Western cultural holy relics, the refugees will see the light. They will realise their relative primitiveness. They will convert to Western cultural beliefs. Because the superiority of Western culture is self-evident, it does not need to be contended for. Why? Because it is self-evident to Westerners--and, therefore, to all other men, by implication.
The refusal to criticise other cultures reflects, in fact, breathtaking arrogance about the superiority of one's own culture. It is a form of passive cultural imperialism. Ironically, because of this, it is doomed to crumble.
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