1- What a country needs for development in a very long term ? Vigorous debate and absolute freedom of speech. And this makes America a great nation. The source lies in its first Amendment:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Atanu Dey puts his perspective very clear on comparison between America and India on free speech. The first amendment article and comments by readers form a very interesting read on this topic.
2- The Strange case of China and Russia: There is a denialism when an entire segment of society, often struggling with the trauma of change, turns away from reality in favor of a more comfortable lie. It has created a society where institutions are brazenly politicized, where violence has been legitimised, where the socialist state has been reduced to a narrow-visioned envy-filled individual whose dominant mindset is reverence of dead heroes and contempt for all contemporary success.
3- Pseudo Islamic countries like Pakistan falls to move towards the concept of democracy. Bernard Lewis states Islamic authorities have always had great difficulty in accommodating post-Islamic monotheistic religions such as the Bahá'í Faith, since the followers of such religions cannot be dismissed. Moreover, their very existence presents a challenge to the Islamic doctrine of the perfection and finality of Muhammad's revelation. What else can one expect from a society living in a curiously delusional state of denial, gleefully mistaking it as ‘patriotism’ and ‘concern.’ The problem with these countries is that they have people like Asma Jahangir is – they are hundreds of years ahead of their national consciousness.
Nadeem F Paracha put it as : Well, this is exactly what happens to a society that responds so enthusiastically to all the major symptoms of fascist thought. Symptoms such as powerful and continuing nationalism; disdain for the recognition of human rights; identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause; supremacy of the military; obsession with national security; the intertwining of religion and government; disdain for intellectuals and the arts; an obsession with crime and punishment, etc.
4- When a person migrates to the western countries, a new social riddle comes in the front of him. Either to be adopt in the melting pot society type structure or keep his motherland's intact with him. The 2nd generation dilemma of being dual nationality makes them to search for identity. Few acts of terrorism in the name of self righteousness also happen. This can be explained :
Generally coming from deeply conservative backgrounds, they are shocked with the free and easy lifestyle they encounter.Rather than encouraging their children to integrate, they seek to insulate them from Western values, thus causing a state of mild schizophrenia in second- generation immigrants.
Some of these young people become quickly radicalised, and seek clarity in the black-and-white world of religious extremism. Unfortunately, too many of them lack the education to realise that ultimately, no set of beliefs or values is inherently inferior or superior to another.
Morality, as we have seen, is not the monopoly of any faith: an atheist can be more ethical than a religious person. At the end of the day, what matters is that humans behave with consideration and decency, and avoid imposing their beliefs on others.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Atanu Dey puts his perspective very clear on comparison between America and India on free speech. The first amendment article and comments by readers form a very interesting read on this topic.
2- The Strange case of China and Russia: There is a denialism when an entire segment of society, often struggling with the trauma of change, turns away from reality in favor of a more comfortable lie. It has created a society where institutions are brazenly politicized, where violence has been legitimised, where the socialist state has been reduced to a narrow-visioned envy-filled individual whose dominant mindset is reverence of dead heroes and contempt for all contemporary success.
3- Pseudo Islamic countries like Pakistan falls to move towards the concept of democracy. Bernard Lewis states Islamic authorities have always had great difficulty in accommodating post-Islamic monotheistic religions such as the Bahá'í Faith, since the followers of such religions cannot be dismissed. Moreover, their very existence presents a challenge to the Islamic doctrine of the perfection and finality of Muhammad's revelation. What else can one expect from a society living in a curiously delusional state of denial, gleefully mistaking it as ‘patriotism’ and ‘concern.’ The problem with these countries is that they have people like Asma Jahangir is – they are hundreds of years ahead of their national consciousness.
Nadeem F Paracha put it as : Well, this is exactly what happens to a society that responds so enthusiastically to all the major symptoms of fascist thought. Symptoms such as powerful and continuing nationalism; disdain for the recognition of human rights; identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause; supremacy of the military; obsession with national security; the intertwining of religion and government; disdain for intellectuals and the arts; an obsession with crime and punishment, etc.
4- When a person migrates to the western countries, a new social riddle comes in the front of him. Either to be adopt in the melting pot society type structure or keep his motherland's intact with him. The 2nd generation dilemma of being dual nationality makes them to search for identity. Few acts of terrorism in the name of self righteousness also happen. This can be explained :
Generally coming from deeply conservative backgrounds, they are shocked with the free and easy lifestyle they encounter.Rather than encouraging their children to integrate, they seek to insulate them from Western values, thus causing a state of mild schizophrenia in second- generation immigrants.
Some of these young people become quickly radicalised, and seek clarity in the black-and-white world of religious extremism. Unfortunately, too many of them lack the education to realise that ultimately, no set of beliefs or values is inherently inferior or superior to another.
Morality, as we have seen, is not the monopoly of any faith: an atheist can be more ethical than a religious person. At the end of the day, what matters is that humans behave with consideration and decency, and avoid imposing their beliefs on others.
The things that you have mentioned in the point 4. The things are that way as seen from the perspective of a western. Is gelling with the culture is that easy. What about the identity crisis? Unification is not easy for anybody especially if the other society or culture is not supportive in the process.
ReplyDelete"Unification is not easy for anybody especially if the other society or culture is not supportive in the process."
ReplyDeleteThat is a really a good point. But when one has made choice to stay with the surroundings, he has to try to fit in the model. The dilemma of choosing between integration and emigration from mainstream & picking either freedom or security are most tough of all decisions for an individual. What depends here the perspective of migrant is..