spottybrowncow wrote: ↑Thu Aug 25, 2022 6:54 pm
Western values enabled the United States to become the most powerful country the world has ever known. Without Western values, the United States will continue to sink into mediocrity, and whatever replaces it will be a lesser entity, even if it exerts the totalitarian control you crave upon its populace.
As I see it, western values grew out of progressives trying to overcome severe flaws in the existing culture. Start by assuming the Agricultural Age was a mess. Each S&H crisis added to western values by fixing a problem. Progressives over rode a stay the same don't fix the problem conservative faction.
Start with the revolution. The problems included colonial imperialism and noble privilege. The western values which grew out of the revolution included independence, equality (for white males), human rights and democracy.
Next, the US Civil War. The problems included slavery and an attempt by the south for the agricultural landowners to keep superior political power to the early robber baron industrial. The outcome countered slavery, moved somewhat towards equality, and enabled the industrial revolution. Again, the progressive faction won and established new western values.
In FDR's time, the problems included an economy that had fallen apart in the Great Depression, and autocratic governments abroad attempting conquest. The values incorporated included regulating the economy and containment.
This time around? The problems might include criminal activity in high office such as by Nixon, Agnew and Trump. Violent insurrection. As usual prejudice against various groups is still there. The western values countering this are old ones. Rule of law. Equality.
You won't find me speaking against traditional western values. The difference is that I see the old being bad, and in getting rid of the conservative old and bad, western values were created by defeating the major conservative factions of the time. Western values are to me inherently progressive. This includes the modern need for rule of law and equality.
I would hope there is no objection to rule of law and equality? Can we each claim western values for our own?
Meanwhile who is flirting with totalitarian control? Who wants to impose one's own culture on others? Is it not Trump who had a close relation with Putin and Kim Jong-un? It seems to me you are with the totalitarian authoritarian faction.