Us vs. Them: the liberal concept of belonging

5. September 2010 by admin.

Most Leftists enjoy thinking of themselves as color-blind philanthropists, hell-bent on erasing bigotry from the public mind, bringing every racial category into economic harmony and uniting every culture in a sort of tolerant, egalitarian utopia.  But is this self-assessment true?

In order to be truly multicultural, one has to have a tolerant approach to all other cultures, since–coming from a postmodern, atheistic perspective–there can be no right or wrong culture, and we all have to live peacefully with one another.  But while most Leftists are increasingly tolerant with foreign cultures, their tendency toward domestic bigotry yields the assumption that multiculturalism is not truly multicultural, but is laden with racially-based tendencies.

For instance, the concept of tolerance first necessitates an “us” and a “them.”  Without this concept of “us and them,” there exists no standard of behavior for tolerance and generosity, since we would be incapable of defining who requires a more understanding and benevolent approach.  After all, when you are aware that someone has a different culture than you do, you should theoretically approach them as though there will be some misunderstandings, and as though you have an increased need to be patient and accepting. Read the rest of this entry »

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