Cultures are not all equal

This is a bit of a long article but interesting if you like to read these kinds of articles. click here

I remember the mid-1970s, when multiculturalism was first beginning to entrench itself as the official religion in state schools. Celebrating diversity suddenly became the only possible response to that often-confronting phenomenon.

In the same way, overnight it seemed that all cultures became equal and demanded uncritical acceptance, except for the Anglo-Saxon kind, about which we were encouraged to feel ashamed and apologetic.

It became less and less possible to make critical, cross-cultural comparisons. If, for example, you wanted to talk about the Aztec practice of human sacrifice, there were all sorts of shibboleths getting in the way of plain speaking. Even the most remotely negative reflection on priests cutting out the still-beating hearts of their victims with obsidian knives had to be prefaced with mea culpas about the victims of Anglo imperialism. The verdict of Mircea Eliade, the previous century's most distinguished historian of comparative religion, that the Aztec rites were "a perversion of the religious impulse" had become almost literally unspeakable.



or click here

Honestly man.
That article is both spiteful and faulty, as well as SEVERELY slanted.

It's hard to figgure out where he is taking this supposed "hush" on the barbarism of other cultures from. The examples are isolated incidents, and they don't even represent the norm(as the article attempts to make out that it does).

Tripe.

I agree, to some point - Anglo-Saxons/"white" people that came to the New World, were, for the most part, portrayed in a negative manner; at least in every course I've taken where the issue comes up (a healthy number).

But isnt it true?

The article makes me think that what Pearson is describing happened in Australian school systems only, perhaps. I know for a fact that in this particular part of Canada, the rituals and traditions of Aztecs, Mayans, etc. that seem 'barbaric' arent portrayed in a mellowed light; the teachers just try to make sure that we understand the why behind the rituals - we dont want kids growing up thinking that they performed human sacrifices just for the heck of it or because they were bloodthirsty maniacs.

In my Ancient Civs, and Early European History classes, we explored the accomplishments of "Anglo-Saxons" and their ancestors/relatives thoroughly, but teachers didnt shy away from the more brutal practices like the Welsh scalping their enemies alive and leaving them spread-eagled, or William the Conqueror's men burning the eyes of Welsh rebels with hot iron rods.

In the Western world I think it's very easy to jump to wrongful conclusions towards cultures about which we know very little; that's why the extra effort needs to be made to understand them better. America's always at war - with Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam... it's easy for "patriotic" people to hate those cultures without any valid reason; and encouraging the celebration of diversity can only be a good thing in my view.

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Oh my. I didnt have a clue about any of that. It seems so...

laughably ridiculous. Human stupidity still amazes me sometimes. Most nations/countries are all about promoting 'national identity' and their own culture... maybe I need to get out more, but I've never heard of it being intentionally squashed or subdued anywhere.

About the Americanisation though - an awful lot of countries are doing that now.

Yeah your not wrong there about the americanization you just got to have a look at Australia and have a look at the differences - not bloody much - I just hope that we don't continue to turn into america it would be a shame to australia.