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This is, fundamentally, for the Left to adopt the position that used to be associated with the Right – a switch that Paul Berman has written about. The isolationist Right used to assent to a form of multi-culturalism, with the proviso that our culture was clearly better than their culture, but frankly they’d never get it, so best leave them alone. The Left now embraces multi-culturalism, but with a different proviso: that all cultures are of equal worth. Except that a couple of further corollaries have crept in: first, that there are no supra-cultural criteria by which we can compare cultures, so we are in no position to judge or criticise, and second (in direct contradiction), our culture is actually worse, because it seeks to impose itself on others, is ruining the planet, etc..
There is clearly an element of post-colonial guilt in all this, but is that enough to explain the widespread feeling that a crime is only a crime if perpetrated by the West?
The origins of moral thinking lie in our sense of injustice done to us – “that’s not fair, why is he getting more sweets than me?” We reach true morality when we come to see others’ points of view as of equal value as our own. We may not like it, but we accept it. There comes a further stage for some when we go beyond that and sacrifice our desire for the sake of others – “no, that’s fine, I really don’t want any sweets, you have them all.” But by this point the allure of morality itself is taking over: by which I mean, there’s an undeniable cachet in appearing to be more moral, holier-than-thou.
The application of this to the political/cultural level is clear. The starting point is the unthinking attitude that automatically assumes your culture is superior to others, in whom you have no interest. One step up and you appreciate that other people think their cultures are clearly superior, and you take account of that. Plus with more and faster intercommunication between cultures you get a chance to appreciate the arts of other cultures. The third step, the holier-than-thou step, is to laud other cultures at the expense of your own.
But I acknowledge this is a bit glib. I think it’s nearer the truth to say that for a large number of people in the West now, that’s all politics is: just an occasion to curse our own politicians.
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