When someone utters “The West” (TW) (Western Europe and newly created Anglo-Saxon countries elsewhere), an impression flashes in the listener’s mind to associate those two words with freedom of speech and religion, human rights, democracy and propagation of these values. We all know that TW’s past is coloured with colonization, destruction of cultures, killings, pillage, slavery, seizure of lands and many more abominable acts. Here we are concerned with their loudly proclaimed and cherished present values which flash in one’s mind and are considered as their soul.
Let us take a reality check by examining TW’s relationship vis-a-vis two countries (of course there are many more) viz. China and Saudi Arabia. Does any one of the cherished values by TW exists in any one of the two selected countries? Unless someone is either brainless or totally biased the answer ought to be a big “Nope”. We hardly hear any criticism in popular media on nonexistence of their values in those countries. There are myriad of NGOs created by TW to keep an eye on violations of their values. Also, we do not hear much from those normally loud mouth sentries about violations by the two countries.
One can only surmise from this reality check that TW never cherished those values but have cunningly created such an illusion in our psyche or they have sold their soul in exchange for access to markets, minerals and money (capital) to satiate their greed.
In the last few days some positive actions are heard from UK, USA and EU. UK has cancelled a minor contract to show their displeasure about Human Rights record of Saudi Arabia which resulted in a lecture and warning of severe repercussions by their ambassador in London. Secretary Ashton Carter dispatched the destroyer USS Lassen in the vicinity of several artificial islands in mid sea to protest that they are being built by China in violation of International Law. Promptly China summoned USA’s ambassador in Beijing and read the riot act. The EU Just announced the Sakharov prize award to Mr Raif Badawi, an imprisoned Saudi blogger, to show their indignation. Is it too little and too late?
Narsibhai Patel
New Malden
