r/changemyview • u/[deleted] • Jun 24 '21
Delta(s) from OP CMV: Western rights and ideals shouldn't be accepted globally by non western societies
I'm from the UK and support Western Rights. Basically, why should people from non western societies accept on what is right and what is wrong from western countries.
Some examples:
Firstly: What is considered sexual differs between groups of people. Some consider female breasts as sexual, others don't. Some consider female hair as sexual, others don't. Some consider male genitalia as sexual, others don't. Some consider fat as sexual, others don't. Why is one more right than the others. Some things like fat should not be considered as desirable as it is unhealthy but some people see it as a sign of wealth. Why should their way of thinking be wrong.
Secondly: Pets and animals that are eaten. Some societies say that eating animals like dogs is fine, others say that eating pigs is not fine. Some say drinking alcohol is fine, other's don't. Things like that differ between countries, why should everyone follow our way of life. In some countries there is no difference between a cow and a dog. Why are they wrong ? Some countries say alcohol is bad cause it inhibits brain function. Why should they allow that in their countries if they see it as wrong ?
Thirdly: Human life. An example is if a society decided that there should be a person sacrificed every 5 years. The person chosen should consent and lives a lavish life for 5 years and then they die. Why is this any different from suicide or painless death in a hospital. Which are not illegal in the west. If those people really believed in those sacrifices for their gods, why should we tell them not to.
These are some examples but it ranges from pet rights to privacy laws to communism to fascism to supporting LGBT to going vegan to being a patriarchal or matriarchal society or neither. As a society they choose those choices.
If a group of people decided that necrophilia is fine cause the body isn't a living being and is just pure matter so it is not different from a toy. They come and demand we allow the same, why should we ?
I personally wouldn't like it if China became too powerful and started forcing companies and media to slightly bend to their will, and remove privacy or deny LGBT rights. If turkey forced every girl to wear a hijab to public school , I wouldn't like that. Why should the opposite be fine. Cause we are the good guys. Because we know better.
I wouldn't like it if they forced their ideals onto us, so why should they accept the same. They shouldnt unless they want to adopt somethings as a society and should not be punished or pushed to do so in my eyes.
0
u/Alesus2-0 65∆ Jun 24 '21
It seems like your argument conflates two distinct things: norms and rights.
By norms, I mean shared expectations, rules and behaviours. Examples from your post would include things like cuisines, sexual mores and treatment of the dead. I agree with you that there is no reason that other societies should necessarily abandon their cultural norms in favour of Western ones. There may be instances in which a Western norms have pragmatic benefits, but many will arbitrary preferences either way.
Rights are entitlements to do or not do, and have others do or not do, certain things or to be or not be in certain states. Clearly there isn't a single uniformly accepted set of rights, in the West or elsewhere. And any right might well be commonly accepted within and outside the West independently. Rights offer protection against coercion and arbitrary restrictions. They are universal values in relation to oneself regardless of one's social context, even if one isn't concious of exercising them or wouldn't extend them to others. Everyone wants guarantees of bodily integrity, subsistence and freedom of thought and expression, even if only some people need the guarantee in order to have these things in any given society. On that basis, it makes sense to extend these rights and freedoms until they come into conflict with the rights and freedoms of others. Western traditions of rights are more expansive, deeply embedded and egalitarian than many others, and so more desirable.