Culturism

Are you a culturist? (As opposed to a multi-culturist)

Take the test below and then go to the site linked here.

Are You a Culturist?

Do you believe that cultural diversity includes some behaviors even multiculturalists might not like?

Do you believe that race and culture are different?

Do you believe that Western ideals are in competition with other ideals and could lose?

Do you believe that it is essential for citizens to learn about our heroic history and culturist traditions?

Do you believe that cultures are so diverse that some might send more desirable immigrants than others?

Do you believe that we have a right to choose who comes into our country?

Do you believe that a culture’s belief system might be so influential that profiling people of some cultures could be rational?

Do you believe that self-government includes the right to collectively guide the direction of society?

Do you believe that we should discourage anti-social behavior and promote positive behavior?

Do you believe that defining, protecting and promoting our culture should be a legitimate policy consideration?

If you believe in any or all of these ideals . . .

YOU MIGHT BE A CULTURIST!!!

Western Civilization exists

The phrase, “a nation of nations” contains a logical error. This assertion is meant to indicate that the United States has no traditional or dominant culture. It is an assertion that America is at core a cultureless blank slate. The logical flaw results from the fact that not having a culture would make us unique as a nation. No other nation would make the claim that they are a nation without a core culture. If nothing else, that that claim could be made, should prove to people that we have a core culture. You cannot assert that we are a “nation of nations” without simultaneously saying that we have a special and particular national culture.

One reason for this confusion is that we, falsely, take our culture to be the universal default for humanity. But as we saw in the previous chapter, many diverse ways of life and value systems have thrived. Our culture is but one of many. Our culture neither makes decisions based on shamanistic journeys nor wears the skins of sacrificial victims. We consider the first as irrational and the second grotesque. These judgments come so naturally to us that we do not see them as culturally specific. But in the post 9 -11 world it should be apparent to us that not every culture shares our values.

Islamic culture, for example, does not hold that the rights to wear and say what you want are self-evident. Much of the Muslim world sees it as moral to kill women who dishonor their families. Killing to impose religious uniformity is something Muslim cultures celebrate and their governments support. Even when we had a considerable economic and technological advantage over China, the Chinese did not think freedom of speech, religion and assembly worth adopting. Now that our dominance over them has diminished we should not assume that they will suddenly join us as an enclave of unfettered individualism.

Much confusion over our version of life being universal is born of the fact that the demands of large states create pressures to adopt some common institutions. Governments and schools are a part of all countries. But both the Aztecs and NAZI Germany were states. Similarity in institutions still leaves room for quite a bit of diversity. Furthermore, history shows us that nations not only come into being, but dissolve. Nowadays states that are dissolving are doing so based on claims of cultural distinctions. Statewide claims of hegemony that exist are very often very thin. Many states are more aspirations than realities. It is questionable how much control Afghanistan’s government has outside of the capitol city of Kabul. Western style enforcement of values peace and rights do not represent eternal truths. They have only existed for a little time, under certain conditions, in some areas.

Rights, as we understand them, currently exist in Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada. These areas are the core areas of Western values. Democracy and rights have tenuous grips in Latin America and Eastern Europe. These areas may become more Western with time. They may revert to their more traditional modes of existence. Tribal and religious intolerance, irrationality and crude oppression have sway over much of the rest of the world. Some areas outside of the Western core areas are thriving. Many perceive the Western core areas as not doing so well. Asia sees this as an affirmation of their right to dominate us. Much of Islam sees this as signifying an opportunity to destroy us.

Our tolerating subculture and dissent makes us unique. Much of the world suppresses dissent. We allow little ‘nations’ inside of our nation. Much of the world does not like having diversity in their neighborhood. They are heavy handed culturists. Islamic states do not take kindly to apostates. China does not like protesters. Nigeria does not tolerate either. The traditional reactions to those whose behavior deviated from the norms in any way have been exile, exorcism and death. Our level of tolerance and protection are not universally endorsed virtues. Ignorance of these facts is not inconsequential. We trade our sense of mission for a sense of apathy when we fail to realize just how distinctive the West is.

Read the whole book here.