Nov 02 2009
Culture- A Slippery Slope Part 1
Last week I read an interview with Ayaan Hirsi. The interview touched on a subject that a few friends and I have been discussing for a while.Where do you draw the line?
She was asked if the United States was using toom many or too few of it’s values around the world. Her response was very different for what I have heard before or what I expected to hear.She replied, that there was toom much apologizing for what freedom means. In Africa you are told it’s my custom.Polgamy and female gential mutilation is a part of our customs, and our values. Then both the Americans and the Europeans start saying they are sorry.
This is where it becomes a slippery slope. For years others have complained that America has attempted to force it’s values and customs on the rest of the world.This has led to a rise in anti-americanism around the world .This is true in both the Middle East and Asia. Even in countries where we are supposed to have good relations. many governments have come to power on the heels of anti-american platforms.
The question then becomes, should we overlook certain things because they are customs or should we look at the action and judge it by our values as right or wrong according to our value system?
