Our values are superior to yours so...

[Sunstone]

I figure so called "Western values" are in many cases the values most of the world will adopt within the next hundred years. After all, democracy is a so called Western value, and look how that's been adopted.

 

[InformedIgnorance]

Democracy has been progressing and regressing at different rates in different regions (including regression in many of the nations that supposedly hold it as the foundation of their society such as moves in western democracies away from individual rights and ignoring the demonstration of sustained, widespread popular sentiment and opinion contrary to public policy). It is difficult to suggest democracy is continuing to expand unabated or that such will also hold true for other 'western values'.

 

[Sunstone]

Democracy has been progressing and regressing at different rates in different regions (including regression in many of the nations that supposedly hold it as the foundation of their society such as moves in western democracies away from individual rights and ignoring the demonstration of sustained, widespread popular sentiment and opinion contrary to public policy). It is difficult to suggest democracy is continuing to expand unabated or that such will also hold true for other 'western values'.

Since when should we expect a trend line to be smooth?

 

[InformedIgnorance]

They seldom are; but I am not so sure it is a long lived trend. Especially when you consider the current trend for the geopolitical influence of those nations with 'western ideals' as opposed to alternative social and cultural compositions (western nations are certainly more powerful than others at the moment, but their economic, political and military influences have begun waning in comparison to those of eastern economies and influences and these trends seem to be likely to become more pronounced rather than less).

 

[MysticSang'ha]

It's certainly relevant to the conversation to watch any culture make a decision between two competing values and which one takes bigger priority.

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

Huh.

I always just thought of it as the term for "people who live there first."

Then again, I don't subscribe to the conception of "primitive" in terms of technological development.

I view it the same way as you do. I just thought you would find it interesting.

 

[Riverwolf]

I view it the same way as you do. I just thought you would find it interesting.

At the very least, I'll keep it in mind.

 

[InformedIgnorance]

...
To me, the rules of a society are it's to arrive at, through whatever means it desires. Yes, that would extend to genocide, though I would note that such activities (such as preventing these targeted groups from leaving the area before such a determination is made or to deny them whatever mechanism exists by which to express their voice in the rule setting process) would violate my own ethical framework, thus in such a case I might perceive an ethical dilemma suggesting my need to act to secure the right of such a group to leave that society (not to control their society in any fashion, including providing them with democratic rights, but merely to allow them to exit the control of that society) were my attempt to secure such an exit thwarted I might well consider the need to do so forcibly against that society (given the international society has some legitimate authority to supersede national (for example) sovereignty in a case of an existential threat to a subgroup, in my opinion anyway).

Actually I would amend that to include the property and claims to land ownership of those individual's provided that the land were either capable of becoming a self sufficient nation or was adjacent to another nation willing to accommodate that land and it's people (and that those people were willing to join)... but in no other case.

 

[Satyamavejayanti]

Gharib;3278043]I know how Lebanese Muslims are, I hate saying it but the truth is the truth, from what I have seen, Lebanese Muslims are the black sheep in the family when it comes to manners. They (not all) take Islam lightly and hardly act upon it. I probably shouldn't generalize but I am yet to meet a gentle and quiet Lebanese Muslim. They are very loud, have no regard for other people and it must always be their way.

Well at-least we can partly agree on somethings in life...lol

But take into consideration that they are a people who are in constant war against the Israelis and within themselves they are forced to be like that whether they like it or not, daily life is all about survival and they continue in this way even when they live in another country. The kids on the other had do as they see.

That is no excuse for racial prejudice or unlawful behavior, the War is not in Australia, to have disregard for Australian Law is just plain criminal. This is just a excuse for criminal behavior that should not even happen in a country as peaceful as Australia.

i think its up to the individual to leave those troubles behind once they come to a new country, then its up to these parents whose children are born in another country to not fill the minds of their children with hatred that has not effected the child's life in a bad way. it is obvious that life is better in a western country such as Australia, why then to keep the old cultural and religious biased.

If a Muslim comes to Australia, then they have left all the trouble of their homeland behind, they should understand the culture of Australia and should accept and abide by Australian Laws.

I Am a Australian Hindu and i don't have any problems with Australian or "Western" culture and values, i think the same attitude should be adopted by those who don't agree with Australian or "Western" values and cultures but are in a western country.

And to the original OP, what makes the Islamic values better then the western ones, it is hypocritical to demand and follow Shria Law in a western country then to complain when the western culture encroaches on the Islamic one.