Friday, July 28, 2006
In discussing with an older sister that last post I made about the middle east, especially my comment about Arabs I liked as friends and acquaintances versus disliking Arab culture and politics in the large, she replied with this: And that's probably exactly what they say about us.
I agreed that they may say that but I think it deservedly carries no weight and here's why:
Not for a minute do I think their culture deserves a standing in the world equivalent to the West's. Measured on any rational scale--art, science, material progress, social progress, human rights, etc.--the Arab culture is centuries behind and not moving forward willingly. Oil--that they can't get out of the ground without outside help--is the only thing they export besides terror. This is not to say that there are not fine, educated, compassionate people among them, there are, but those voices are almost completely overwhelmed by the louder 6th century Islamist fascists. The Arab culture--and I carefully differentiate between the culture and the people--as it stands today, does not deserve to survive without undergoing profound change.
Only when the Arab culture gives to the world a net positive benefit equivalent to the West's offerings does the statement "And that's probably what they say about us" command any respect beyond any that the individual saying it deserves as an individual. At this point in time, the Arab culture, unfortunately, deserves precious little.
I agreed that they may say that but I think it deservedly carries no weight and here's why:
Not for a minute do I think their culture deserves a standing in the world equivalent to the West's. Measured on any rational scale--art, science, material progress, social progress, human rights, etc.--the Arab culture is centuries behind and not moving forward willingly. Oil--that they can't get out of the ground without outside help--is the only thing they export besides terror. This is not to say that there are not fine, educated, compassionate people among them, there are, but those voices are almost completely overwhelmed by the louder 6th century Islamist fascists. The Arab culture--and I carefully differentiate between the culture and the people--as it stands today, does not deserve to survive without undergoing profound change.
Only when the Arab culture gives to the world a net positive benefit equivalent to the West's offerings does the statement "And that's probably what they say about us" command any respect beyond any that the individual saying it deserves as an individual. At this point in time, the Arab culture, unfortunately, deserves precious little.
# posted by goldpython @ 8:07 AM 
