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The idea of ‘human rights’ is a western construct, largely enacted after WWII by countries who invented concentration camps and dropped nuclear bombs on civilia

The idea of ‘human rights’ is a western construct, largely enacted after WWII by countries who invented concentration camps and dropped nuclear bombs on civilian populations. Do human beings have the ‘right’ to live by their own, often ancient, standards? Or is everyone expected to bend the knee to the UN and adopt alien standards of living? What’s interesting is that the very people who decry colonization support forcing western standards on ‘primitive’ cultures worldwide. They will not be happy until a Pride flag flies over every government building in Afghanistan.

syzarian 4y ago
The idea that women shouldn’t have sexual and intellectual autonomy is antiquated, immoral, and should be fought against. As it pertains to women’s rights the views and mores of Afghanistan’s men are abhorrent, disgusting, and worthy of ridicule and mockery. This is independent of the many flaws and faults of western colonial powers.
version_five 4y ago
It's an interesting point. There is potentiall good (although it's way to easy to screw up) in pushing some western values on other cultures. This could be an instance where it's good. But for most people even talking about it requires all sorts of doublethink, like admitting aspects of some cultures are superior to one another, and as you say rejecting colonialism (which I think is a red herring anyway) while actively trying to go in and save the "primitives".
LargoLasskhyfv 4y ago
If backwardistan is stopping futuristan from going forward, I'm all in for flying the fucking flag IN YOUR FACES! Edit: Or up your ass. Up to you.
light_cone 4y ago
I think you are enamoured with the idea of being neutral, like a pure-wisdom spirit above the melee, wisely noticing the hypocrisy of the west and reminding us the right for any people to live as they see fit. Well I think this is just your ego flattering yourself. Because this is such a clumsy false dichotomy that it's frankly hard to accept that people can actually think sincerely what you said. How can you not see that the ancient way the talibans want to enforce is just another oppressive standard forced on the population, especially women? What if I am an afghan woman who wants to live based on another perfectly valid ancient way of life, but different than the talibans'? Must I shut up or be killed? Who decides exactly? Whose ancient way is the most legitimate? Could it be perhaps _any_ that does not oppress to death people? Perhaps people are just saying that anything less oppressive than this horror is what should be? Perhaps that's what people mean when they talk about human rights? And perhaps that reality has NOTHING to do with the west's hypocrisy or any misuse of the term 'human rights' you might encounter?

syzarian 4y ago

The idea that women shouldn’t have sexual and intellectual autonomy is antiquated, immoral, and should be fought against. As it pertains to women’s rights the views and mores of Afghanistan’s men are abhorrent, disgusting, and worthy of ridicule and mockery. This is independent of the many flaws and faults of western colonial powers.

version_five 4y ago

It's an interesting point. There is potentiall good (although it's way to easy to screw up) in pushing some western values on other cultures. This could be an instance where it's good. But for most people even talking about it requires all sorts of doublethink, like admitting aspects of some cultures are superior to one another, and as you say rejecting colonialism (which I think is a red herring anyway) while actively trying to go in and save the "primitives".

LargoLasskhyfv 4y ago

If backwardistan is stopping futuristan from going forward, I'm all in for flying the fucking flag IN YOUR FACES! Edit: Or up your ass. Up to you.

light_cone 4y ago

I think you are enamoured with the idea of being neutral, like a pure-wisdom spirit above the melee, wisely noticing the hypocrisy of the west and reminding us the right for any people to live as they see fit. Well I think this is just your ego flattering yourself. Because this is such a clumsy false dichotomy that it's frankly hard to accept that people can actually think sincerely what you said. How can you not see that the ancient way the talibans want to enforce is just another oppressive standard forced on the population, especially women? What if I am an afghan woman who wants to live based on another perfectly valid ancient way of life, but different than the talibans'? Must I shut up or be killed? Who decides exactly? Whose ancient way is the most legitimate? Could it be perhaps _any_ that does not oppress to death people? Perhaps people are just saying that anything less oppressive than this horror is what should be? Perhaps that's what people mean when they talk about human rights? And perhaps that reality has NOTHING to do with the west's hypocrisy or any misuse of the term 'human rights' you might encounter?