We are the "good guys"

 It is excellent to examine yourself to become a better person. But if humility veers into self-loathing, which stains the whole good cause you are fighting for, there is danger on the way.

 The Western population has suffered from such self-hatred towards its own culture. It has led to many either lapsing into nihilism ("there is no good or evil") or into an inverted morality, where good is seen as evil.

 Of course, Westerners have done a lot of horrible things historically. All kingdoms and peoples have done so throughout the ages. But unlike other cultures, we have also succeeded in creating a social system that is markedly more good and righteous than anything in earlier history. With the democratic rule of law that began to emerge at the end of the 18th century in Europe and North America (with roots in antiquity, Judeo-Christian ethics, and humanism), state formations that were not ruled by a diabolical dictator (C2) finally emerged.

 There instead, power is shared and the people get to decide; they are countries that do not start wars of aggression with endless suffering as a consequence, and where corruption is not the normal state. The modern, Western democracies (C2) are the highest moral state formations in human history. Its inhabitants are closer to a paradisiacal existence than humanity has ever been. It is, of course, difficult to realize, as people have always transferred their dream realms of happiness to other times or places.

 But despite all the negativity we experience, it is actually much better here and now than in other times and places. We have a social system that we should celebrate, want to spread around the world and fight for. Since the rise of modern democracies, it has never been under such threats as today - hardly even during the Second World War.

 From inside, with Donald Trump who says he wants to leave Europe to its fate and despises democracy. From the outside, with the new world order China and Russia are trying to create, where they tie up India, South Africa and Brazil in the BRICS cooperation and draw countries from former democratic aspirations into their dark sphere of interest.

 Therefore, we must stop inflating China and other dictatorships into economic and military superpowers and bring back industrial production. We must fight for our ideals in the UN. We must strengthen our defenses and economies.

 But above all, we must stop believing that our societies are bad and unjust. We should not turn a blind eye to our shortcomings, but neither should we exaggerate.

 We need to do more for the environment, but the worst emissions occur in dictatorships. We must continue to support vulnerable groups here, but at the same time realize how far we have come.

 How are women treated in the Arab states, the homosexuals in Russia, the Muslims in China, the miners in Zimbabwe?

 There are degrees of hell, but living in a dictatorship always means being more or less enslaved. For our own sake, and for humanity as a whole, the population of the West must become ideological again: without becoming naive and losing respect for other cultures, passionate about the democratic rule of law as an idea (C2). Understand that we are "the good guys".

 

 Or as Winston Churchill said: Our modern Western democracy is the least bad social system that has existed on our planet.

 

Todde

 

 Also check: https://axiom1b.blogspot.com/2023/05/friendship-quotes-through-thick-and.html

 

And: https://axiom1b.blogspot.com/2023/01/takeresponsibility-be-optimistic.html