Moral imperialism

There has been much ink spilt and words spoken over the United States hegemony driven foreign policy. Many have spoken out in opposition(as well as in support of) American Empire. People say what right do we have to impose our beliefs upon another?What right do we have to take from another for our own gain?

Those are some powerful arguments to make. Morally, they are tough to challenge.Who can say that the interference in other nations affairs without a just cause is morally correct? I certainly cannot.

But when scrutinizes the beliefs of the anti-imperialists they will see inconsistency. While they refute the imperialism of old, they have embraced an new form of imperialism:moral imperialism.

For example, the animal rights activists on Animal Planet's "Whale Wars" are portrayed in a heroic light. What? These people are imposing THEIR beliefs upon others in something that does not directly impact any human.They do so because they believe themselves to be morally superior to those hunting the whales. That is, THEIR beliefs superior and so should be supreme over others. It is just to impose their conception of morality upon others.

These folks will say that international law bans such activity. That may be so but does that make the law right? And why is such a thing a law? Because a group of people who allegedly represent the nations of the world declared the protection of animals of significant value? Who are these people to tell another what to do or not to do? (I abhor the hunting of whales, but those are my private beliefs. Who am I to thrust my values upon another?)

These intragovernmental agencies are instruments of moral imperialism.These organizations take the dictates of not-so-representative bodies and impose them upon incalcitrant nations and states. The people of these states are most often not even aware or care about such laws. Who in Japan much cares about the fate of whales? Who in Afghanistan much cares or is aware of women's reproductive rights?? Yet, some feel they have the right to tell these people to submit themselves to the values that THEY have deemed to be of great importance.

What we have essentially done is replace a hard power-based method of imposing our beliefs upon others with a legal-based form of imperialism that is as based in arrogance, chauvinism, and self-righteousness as the days of the Christian missionaries ventures in the Americas. Neither regards with much respect the opinions of the indigenous populations.

We really need to re-evaluate how we do things in this world. We need to stop forcing our beliefs upon others and respect the different beliefs--no matter how odious they are to us--of other people.If you want peace you have to learn to tolerate the intolerable.That is a harsh truth many people have yet to grasp.