'Western Values'

Recent posts just re-iterate the present issues the world is going through. There are a whole set of exceedingly abused terms that fundamentally arise from Western, Judeo-Christian ethics - terms like ‘un-Australian,’ ‘Western values’ … even to an extent, ‘democracy.

From the set of values that bought the world imperialism, colonial plunder, slavery, pogroms in Europe, genocide the world over, religious totalitarianism …oh, let’s not forget the burning of books… arises the concept of ‘Western values.’ What does it mean, anyway? The colonisers and colonies of the last 50 years are gradually all heading towards Western-style democracy. If the most prosperous country in the world uses it then ‘Hey, it must be THE way.’

Overly simplistic – monetarily rich, morally bankrupt - as a lot of people in India think of the West. Greek thinkers bought us democracy, but look at all the places in the world they invaded. The Foucaldian view is quite contrarian, but I think it has some juice: justice is just a fabrication by the privileged to hold on to power by keeping the less privileged satisfied. Perhaps the same can be said about the ‘right’ to vote.

Justice is so important, that basic human rights are simply the play things of government. From Arundhati Roy’s 2004 Sydney Peace Prize lecture:

Today, it is not merely justice itself, but the idea of justice that is under attack. The assault on vulnerable, fragile sections of society is at once so complete, so cruel and so clever - all encompassing and yet specifically targeted, blatantly brutal and yet unbelievably insidious - that its sheer audacity has eroded our definition of justice. It has forced us to lower our sights, and curtail our expectations. Even among the well-intentioned, the expansive, magnificent concept of justice is gradually being substituted with the reduced, far more fragile discourse of 'human rights'.

If you think about it, this is an alarming shift of paradigm. The difference is that notions of equality, of parity have been pried loose and eased out of the equation. It's a process of attrition. Almost unconsciously, we begin to think of justice for the rich and human rights for the poor. Justice for the corporate world, human rights for its victims. Justice for Americans, human rights for Afghans and Iraqis. Justice for the Indian upper castes, human rights for Dalits and Adivasis (if that.) Justice for white Australians, human rights for Aboriginals and immigrants (most times, not even that.)

It is becoming more than clear that violating human rights is an inherent and necessary part of the process of implementing a coercive and unjust political and economic structure on the world. Without the violation of human rights on an enormous scale, the neo-liberal project would remain in the dreamy realm of policy. But increasingly Human Rights violations are being portrayed as the unfortunate, almost accidental fallout of an otherwise acceptable political and economic system. As though they're a small problem that can be mopped up with a little extra attention from some NGOs. This is why in areas of heightened conflict - in Kashmir and in Iraq for example - Human Rights Professionals are regarded with a degree of suspicion. Many resistance movements in poor countries which are fighting huge injustice and questioning the underlying principles of what constitutes "liberation" and "development", view Human Rights NGOs as modern day missionaries who've come to take the ugly edge off Imperialism. To defuse political anger and to maintain the status quo.

A step closer to Totalitariansim

Dr Haneef had his visa cancelled. The law could not pin him down on anything. The judge said to the AFP that he would not stand trial unless he was charged. Instead they terminated his visa and then sent him off to Villawood. What will they do next under these Anti Terrorist Acts? Cancel our citizenship?

It is a very worrying day when the Government can just do whatever they please. Such is the nature of these anti terrorist Laws. Under the new laws, the police can enter whatever house they want and search it "for the security of the nation". This sort of action, on a superficial level, is acceptable however it robs us of our privacy, peace of mind and just simply adds to the aura of terrorism. Who should we be afraid of now?

When the terrorists strikes, panic settles in and the Government uses this opportunity to pass laws that will be approved given the current circumstances. These hasty actions often bear their ugly heads once the dust has settled. You might be peacefully sleeping one morning and suddenly be awoken by the sounds of police dogs and battering rams. They will break into your home, turn everything upside down and then leave with a simple apology. I am sure that today the Police will not storm into just anyone's home, but that day is not too far away. Where is this freedom that democracy brings?

Out of human weakness one craves power, and once obtained it transforms into an insatiable lust. This can now be seen by the Western conquests abroad. Their "boys" are fighting to "give those people democracy". It seems as if we have once again slipt into the ages where we mercilessly killed all those who did not accept the views of the Church. The question remains as to whether it is really a battle between the Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq or a battle between beleivers and non beleivers of democracy.

Democracy now seems like a buttress root that slowly envelopes a giant tree eventually choking it off and standing in place of it. This ugly vine is like a cancer slowly spreading across the world and will one day dominate the planet unless something is done. But what can we do? We live in a democracy and yet we find that the very power and freedom that is given to us is slowly but surely being taken away.

Rubin Carter all over again

The Mohammad Haneef situation is almost a mirror image of Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy's 'Hurricane,' based on the Rubin Carter story and the subject of the Denzel Washington film of the same name. The full lyrics are here. Instead of a black boxer, of world championship potential, we have a successful Indian doctor with a wife and kids.

Pistol shots ring out in the barroom night / Enter Patty Valentine from the upper hall. / She sees the bartender in a pool of blood, / Cries out, "My God, they killed them all!"
Here comes the story of the Hurricane, / The man the authorities came to blame / For somethin' that he never done. / Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been / The champion of the world.

Three bodies lyin' there does Patty see / And anotherman named Bello, movin' around mysteriously. / "I didn't do it," he says, and he throws up his hands / "I was only robbin' the register, I hope you understand. / I saw them leavin'," he says, and he stops / "One of us had better call up the cops." / And so Patty calls the cops / And they arrive on the scene with their red lights flashin' / In the hot New Jersey night.

Meanwhile, far away in another part of town / Rubin Carter and a couple of friends are drivin' around. / Number one contender for the middleweight crown / Had no idea what kinda shit was about to go down / When a cop pulled him over to the side of the road / Just like the time before and the time before that. / In Paterson that's just the way things go. / If you're black you might as well not show up on the street / 'Less you wanna draw the heat.

I think you get the idea. This later part has even more resonance:

Rubin could take a man out with just one punch / But he never did like to talk about it all that much. / It's my work, he'd say, and I do it for pay / And when it's over I'd just as soon go on my way / Up to some paradise / Where the trout streams flow and the air is nice / And ride a horse along a trail. / But then they took him to the jailhouse / Where they try to turn a man into a mouse.

All of Rubin's cards were marked in advance / The trial was a pig-circus, he never had a chance. / The judge made Rubin's witnesses drunkards from the slums / To the white folks who watched he was a revolutionary bum /And to the black folks he was just a crazy nigger. / No one doubted that he pulled the trigger. / And though they could not produce the gun, / The D.A. said he was the one who did the deed /
And the all-white jury agreed.

Rubin Carter was falsely tried. / The crime was murder "one," guess who testified? / Bello and Bradley and they both baldly lied / And the newspapers, they all went along for the ride. / How can the life of such a man /
Be in the palm of some fool's hand? / To see him obviously framed / Couldn't help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land / Where justice is a game.

Now all the criminals in their coats and their ties / Are free to drink martinis and watch the sun rise / While Rubin sits like Buddha in a ten-foot cell / An innocent man in a living hell. / That's the story of the Hurricane, / But it won't be over till they clear his name / And give him back the time he's done. / Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been / The champion of the world.

In the spirit of democracy...

Let's respect everyone's right to express an opinion. But surely this - from Amit Varma's blog at India Uncut - is utterly ridiculous. The sad thing is many in India would probably agree - the rural poor who rightfully felt insulted by the BJP's "India is Shining" campaign at the last general election, come to mind.
Of all the places in the world, I can't think of any place where sex education and family planning would be more necessary than in India. This is a country that, despite its well-documented problems, has managed to be somewhat of a leader in the provision of cheap AIDS (among others) drugs. Let's hope people like Murli Manohar Joshi are dismissed for the quacks they really are.