Current Events > Are liberty and democracy universal or Eurocentric (Western) values?

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While liberty and democracy originated in the Western world, do you think they could be harmonious with other cultures, or are they contrary to them?

I think liberty and democracy can be compatible with all cultures. Look at Japan and other Asian countries for instance. They quickly adapted to liberty and democracy after millennia of authoritarian culture.
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This is a really strange question. This is like looking at the British Commonwealth's fall and the return to monarchy and saying "Man I guess democracy is incompatible with European values"
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Doe posted...

This is a really strange question. This is like looking at the British Commonwealth's fall and the return to monarchy and saying "Man I guess democracy is incompatible with European values"

But then they had the Bill of Rights in 1689 (as well as the English Civil War and Enlightenment) to further liberalize the nation.
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PikachuMaxwell posted...

While liberty and democracy originated in the Western world, do you think they could be harmonious with other cultures, or are they contrary to them?

I think liberty and democracy can be compatible with all cultures. Look at Japan and other Asian countries for instance. They quickly adapted to liberty and democracy after millennia of authoritarian culture.

China says hi.

Democracy/liberty are Western ideas. And Japan since the Meiji restoration has been very keen to look westward in a lot of ways. They also have a pretty radically different history than most of Asia - for example, they actually had feudalism, just like (basically) medieval Europe.

And even in Japan...yeah, their court system and how they deal with criminals arent really up to snuff. Likewise in most of Asia regardless of the political structure.
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masticatingman posted...

PikachuMaxwell posted...

While liberty and democracy originated in the Western world, do you think they could be harmonious with other cultures, or are they contrary to them?

I think liberty and democracy can be compatible with all cultures. Look at Japan and other Asian countries for instance. They quickly adapted to liberty and democracy after millennia of authoritarian culture.

China says hi.

Democracy/liberty are Western ideas. And Japan since the Meiji restoration has been very keen to look westward in a lot of ways. They also have a pretty radically different history than most of Asia - for example, they actually had feudalism, just like (basically) medieval Europe.

I meant South Korea and Taiwan (and perhaps the Philippines as well). You make a nice second point, though.
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IIRC, the Cree actually had basically modern democracy. In fact, I'm fairly certain Jefferson or one of the other founding fathers actually spent time with them.

I think they're universal, eventually. Like all countries will either progress to the point of having liberty and democracy, or they will crumble. Look at the USSR and pretty much every Communist country that's ever existed. They all fail eventually.

But I'm starting to wonder what's going to come after capitalism, seeing as how automation will eventually make the current system untenable since there simply aren't enough vocations so not everyone will be able to work for a living. We'll eventually need to care for each other since technology will advance to the point that we can support the entire planet pretty easily.
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