All cultures are not equal

It’s politically incorrect these days to compare cultures. We are supposed to believe that the values of every culture are equally valid, and in this multicultural world we are supposed to respect the values of other cultures, whatever they are. This completely non-judgmental point of view just doesn’t make sense.

Certainly it is arrogant and egotistical to assume that our own culture is the best and other cultures ought to be like us, and in fact we suffer a good bit from such arrogance. But that’s a far cry from needing to “respect” everything about other cultures. Some cultures are clearly better than others. Some cultures are self destructive. Some cultures inflict terrible things on their young, or on their woman, or on anyone who is different. Some cultures are still stuck in the middle ages or even the dark ages. Some cultures wallow in hatred and blood feuds.

This isn’t just about “other nations”. There are things in our own American culture, or in some of our own subcultures, which are self-defeating and destructive and medieval.

It’s time to abandon this politically-correct multicultural attitude of accepting everything. Some cultural traits are just plain self-destructive, some are immoral and uncivilized, and some are downright dangerous to the rest of us. It’s time to discuss and debate openly what is and is not acceptable in cultures (ours and others) and what is and is not self-destructive.