Non-Western ok, Anti-Western not ok

Submitted by Dave (United States), Jul 18, 2020 at 15:17

I'll want to read Stark's book, but with me, he's preaching to the choir. Despite my admiration for the West, I also admire many non-Western societies, such as the Buddhist and Hindu cultures. China, India, Korea and many other Asian countries have venerable civilizations marked by long traditions of literacy, with philosophical and scientific achievements, and an absence of some Western mental diseases, like antisemitism.

The problem is the anti-West, not the non-West. Since the West has been at the head of the class for so long, it has attracted imitators, such as the Japanese, as well as hateful rivals, the fascists and communists are obvious examples. Another is Islamism: death to America, death to Israel and victory for our wonderful holy system of fear and slavery as opposed to your freedom, tolerance and prosperity! Really, any system that embodies values opposite Western values, especially one that seeks world domination will necessarily hate the West.

A contemporary example in America today is Black Lives Matter, along with allied leftist groups, such as Antifa. To fully appreciate their flawed ideology, one should contrast their message and methods with that of Martin Luther King. Dr. King was a Christian pastor, a man who took very seriously the basic concept in Judeo-Christian teaching that all humans are created in God's image (Genesis 1:27). This means that all people, no matter how evil their actions, can be made to discover their essential goodness by a process of reasoned persuasion and repentance. From that notion came the approach of non-violent action, and Dr. King's relentlessly positive message of universal brotherhood, even in the face of violent opposition. As a man who identified strongly with Western Values, Dr. King was a Republican, a patriot, and an admirer of Israel. His disciples can be found today among many moderate African-Americans, most recently by Kareem Abdul-Jabar, who speaks fondly of Dr. King while denouncing BLM. Contrast this with the tearing down of statues, the looting of stores and the "cancel culture", the riots, all in the name of a slanderous blanket accusation of racism against America.

While the Western-inspired civil rights movement of the 60s led to many constructive legal and cultural reforms, today's anti-Western movement has already had negative results. Social divisions have sharpened, and the cutting back and intimidation of police has spiked crime rates in some cities.

The groundwork for much of this current travesty has been prepared for years by self-hating, anti-American and anti-Western educators. Maybe books like Stark's will help lead people back to an appreciation of what we have, but I doubt it will be enough.

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