Why is it that we impose our current mores and attitudes on other times and places? As though we have the answers to all social problems.
Righteous indignation (is there any other sort!) of supernova proportions explodes when anyone dares to suggest that, for example, naughty children ought to be physically punished, even though this was the norm just a generation ago. We decry atrocity, injustice, and war between neighbouring states in the middle east even though we ourselves fought with our own neighbours within living memory. And our unease gives ambitious men in our governments the impetus to intervene.
We look askance at, say, Afghanistan and tell ourselves how barbaric a place it is; how in need of democracy. Our democracy. And we are surprised when our democracy is wilfully cast back in our collective face.
If we look back in time at our own - quite recently - barbaric past, we see the benefits that our scientific enlightenment has brought us: health, longevity, creativity, and prosperity. And a system of government that our own ancestors would have found intolerably liberal.
The West is the parent vainly trying to explain to the prodigal teenager why smoking/drinking/drugs/promiscuous sex are bad, while guiltily recalling his own questionable record. The problems of the middle east are the growing pains of the teenager.
Wilde said: «The old belief everything, the middle aged distrust everything, and the young know everything». Our interventions in the middle east have been attempts to short-circuit the process of growing up and they have all failed.
We should let them get on with growing up. Like troubled teenagers, they have many problems to face but they will find out their own answers.
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