After discussing the Christopher Columbus reading, I realized how close-minded and selfish some individuals can be, and how this can be applied to IR. This was the case for Columbus. Columbus made no effort to try to learn the natives’ language, appreciate their culture, and accept them for who they are. The 1492 discovery of America has carried many consequences for the world, as the West has not tried to learn about other cultures enough and has tried to convert them to the ideals of democracy. However, we are content with where we stand as a nation (for the most part), and we seem to carry little regret over Columbus’s atrocities. That being said, this could have a devastating effect; therefore, we must accept other cultures for who they are.
In our small groups, we discussed the lessons for IR. I thought about ISIS. I realized that part of the reason they and the rest of the non-Western world doesn’t like us is because of our greedy, selfish nature and our inability to appreciate their culture. I mean, obviously, ISIS is messed up. But I’m talking about other cultures in the Middle East and further east, too. We also have tried endlessly to get them to accept the ideals of democracy. Consequentially, ISIS has tried to convert its non-members to Islam. There has been a significant backlash. Can’t we just all get along?
It’d be great if we could. But the reality is, we can’t expect people to change their beliefs solely because we think ours are right. We must be open-minded, and we must be willing to take the next step to learn about other cultures and appreciate them for who they are. While this may seem like a difficult task, it’s entirely possible. Some say that the only people who understand culture best are the ones who live in that culture. This may be true, but that doesn’t mean we can’t strive to fully understand the beliefs of other cultures. After all, a world filled with diversity is what we want.
A few years ago, I would wonder about other cultures, such as those in the Middle East: “Why do they dress so differently? Why is the music they listen to so…strange? Why do they pray so much?” See, I would ask these questions because I didn’t know any better. I always thought that the U.S. was the greatest country in the world and everything we did was right, was better than everyone else. I think it’s a common misconception. A lot of people think these other countries practices are outrageous and not “right”. But I didn’t understand their values and their beliefs. To this day, I am still trying to improve my understanding; I think all of can strive to improve this understanding. For all we know, our culture could seem ridiculous to them. We don’t know. We can’t just say our culture is “right” and theirs isn’t.
Let’s go back to Columbus. While what he did was unethical and morally wrong, he succeeded. He founded America. As a result of his discovery, America has more or less thrived since its inception, and we thank Columbus for what he did. But what if Columbus didn’t take advantage of the natives; what if America wasn’t based on Western materialist values? What if the Native Americans created a country based on their ideals and culture? It’s very interesting to think about. Citizens today love the U.S. for what it is. In a sense, therefore, we are not regretful of the past. We instead treat the exploitation of the Native Americans as a move that was necessary. In 2015, we sit as relatively happy citizens with many freedoms. But will our greed, selfishness, and desire to spread our values have a backlash in the near future? Could our reputation get the best of us? It very well could. Therefore, we must make an effort to understand and appreciate other cultures for what they are. This, in turn, can improve our reputation.
Easy, right? It should be, but it’s not. The reality is, people are always going to be stubborn towards other cultures—that’s just how it goes. In the world today, there isn’t much certainty. Uncertainty surrounds us, and we don’t know where we as an international community will be going as the years unfold. It could be a dangerous road ahead. Even domestically, people think they’re right all the time, and don’t want to listen to the other side. Each and every one of us should be cognizant of our actions as a nation. There are people in this class, in this school, throughout this country and this world, who have the power to bring the world together. It’s a daunting task, but it can only be done if all sides are listened to, and if we respect other cultures for they are. While Columbus gave us the land we love, we should try to avoid his example of exploitation; however, we should still try to do what’s best for our nation, in the most respectful way possible, while appreciating other cultures for what they are and not forcing our beliefs upon other people.
Note on Risk: I really liked this game. It allowed us to use a game to see how countries actually interact with each other. I liked how there was diplomacy involved, unlike the classic game. We had to really think about our moves, and we had to factor in what other teams would do as well. A lot of thinking involved. I got pretty competitive and I got into it. That being said, there was a fair share of waiting around, but I guess that’s just how it had to work. Also, it was frustrating at times not being able to see the board when other teams were moving. I think the only improvement that can be made is constant class involvement and engagement. Aside from that, this game was awesome and educating, and it should definitely be played in the future. It’s a really nice way to end the semester.
Hey Alex,
ReplyDeleteVery thoughtful blogpost, well done! In my blog post I also talk about Columbus’ disregard for the Native Americans’ culture and how his disregard for their culture has had a detrimental impact on their lives. Like you, I also drew a comparison to the present day, where the U.S. is imposing its ideals of democracy on to non-democratic nations. I think your point about Isis brings up a very interesting point and I understand that Isis does not like the West and our ideologies, however, is it fair to say that Isis and its formation was done in spite of the West? That’s quite a large burden to put on the United States. Isis is a religious extremist group and they are against any person/state that does not agree with their ideologies, and yes, the U.S. falls into this category as well however I think their formation was inevitable and not the sole fault of the U.S.
I do believe there is a difference between a fear of the unknown (say for example, the religion Islam in America where the majority of citizens are Protestant) and a fear of an organization that has potential to inflict harm. The fear of Islam is ludicrous and is often used interchangeably with a fear of Isis which I believe is absolutely wrong. However, part of the reason Isis is viewed as such a threat is because for a long time (and I would argue even now) we didn’t know much about Isis, what their intentions were, and what their ultimate goals were. I believe this fear is a completely rational fear. Islamophobia in the U.S. however, is not a rational fear; especially considering there are many extremist religious groups (the KKK for example, is a huge one) who associate themselves with a specific religious sect, however these religious extremist groups represent a very small minority, and American citizens are aware that they represent a small minority of the larger religious sect. So why is Isis not seen (like the KKK is) as an extremist religious group? I think the answer to this question goes back to the fear in this country of the unknown, which in this case, unfortunately, is the Islamophobia embedded in American culture.
Alex,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great point about RISK and something I had thought of myself. Very fair critique. I might have to find a way to have the board up on a screen so everyone can see and watch what happens in the future but my tech skills leave much to be desired.
A bunch of teachers, have like little cameras that can project up onto the screen, sorta like the inverse of a transparency. I think that that would be very beneficial.
DeleteI talk a little bit about this in my post without really going into depth. All of these cultural differences are based on differing cultural norms and values. Our own cultural values blind us. For instance, it is a common in practice in a few African tribes, for young boys 8-12 to regularly preform oral sex on elders. This is to help them become a man, based on the belief that boys can not produce seamen on their own. Obviously this is a practice that is very different then what we do in America. In fact this violates a lot of our norms. And people may want to stop this from occurring. Since we know the basis of the belief for this action which many here consider to be disgusting is unfounded, should we try to interfere or explain to these people that what they are doing are wrong? When it comes to culture, we are all so blinded by our own values that it is almost impossible for us weigh in on others cultures, however other cultures may have beliefs that directly oppose our own. SO how can we resolve these issues?
ReplyDeleteAlex,
ReplyDeleteHow would you propose we bridge cultural gaps of misunderstanding? Specifically when the fundamental beliefs of two cultures differ so greatly? I think with the Middle-East many Americans cannot understand their culture because their faith requires many people (specifically women) to give up many things that we consider common freedoms in this country. I wonder if democracy will ever be possible in societies/cultures where the power dynamics between different genders/races/religions is so great.
As for Columbus he was terrible, and did start the trend of the displacement and horrific treatment of the Native Americans but too often I feel like we place all the blame on him and forget about the bigger role that the early forms of the US government played in it all. Events like the Trail Of Tears are too often forgot about or overlooked. Same with the present day treatment of Native Americans in terms of government sanctions of reservations, lack of adequate health care, and cultural understanding. These events are still taking place but the majority of the country is unaware because the Native Americans were forced out of places like the East Coast so long ago.
Alex,
ReplyDeleteGood blog post. I did have a few disagreements though. Firstly, Christopher Columbus no doubt did not appreciate the Native American culture and his goal was to convert them and colonize them, and I can see some of that is America's spreading of democracy, but what I disagree with is associating Christopher Columbus with America because America is not responsible for what Columbus did but is a result. Secondly, I feel that America is extremely tolerant and accepting of other's culture and while yes we may try to force democracy on countries, we are doing it to provide better lives for the citizens. In Afghanistan the citizens did not want us there and this could be an example of a time we should not have tried to place democracy in a country, but our motives are not to change the people, but to give them a better life and have them be ruled by a government that represents them.
Hi Alex,
ReplyDeleteAwesome post!! You did a good job of weaving what "should be" and what is the reality. What struck me the most is the part where you wrote about what had happened if Columbus had not exploited the Native Americans. I think that if he had not exploited them, our culture would be largely and visibly influenced by their culture. We may not have gained the Western ideals of freedom but instead, we would have gained entirely new ideals and set precedence for nations to integrate rather than overtake new cultures.