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In recent times, many Eastern countries have begun to acclaim "Asian Values" as principles for the West to perceive and respect. There may be numerous reasons for this phenomena, however the strongest one would have to be that they feel endangered by the sudden influence of Western culture and demands for democratisation and liberalisation as a result of their past economic expansion. This essay will endeavour to analyse the perceptions and values of the East and West, and also establish why there are different political forms around the world. Also, it is important to realise that there have been many anti-western and anti-eastern attitudes and sentiments since the end of the colonialism which will be examined in this paper. "It is not simply a matter of pitting the virtues of Asia against the vices of the West."
Encouraged by modernisation, global politics is being reconfigured along cultural lines. Political boundaries increasingly are redrawn to agree with cultural ones ethnic, religious, and civilisational. Cultural communities are replacing Cold War blocs, and the fault lines between civilizations are becoming the central lines of conflict in global politics. Further, Samuel P. Huntington believes that these cultural differences do not facilitate cooperation and cohesion but promote conflicts for a number of reasons. Firstly, everyone has multiple identities, which may compete with or reinforce each other. Secondly, the alienation of cultural identity creates the need for more meaningful identities as the power of non-Western societies stimulate the revitalisation of indigenous identities and culture. Thirdly, identity at any level-personal, tribal, racial, or civilization can only be defined in relation to an other as opposed to the like us. Fourthly, the sources of conflict between states and groups from different civilisations are mostly those which have always generated conflict between groups. Fifthly there is the general prevalence of conflict between States. Just as most nations are aligned with a particular civilization or grouping there are others which have difficulties aligning and finding commonalties amongst societies.
The background behind the formation of these ideologies began during the first fifty years of this century which were devoted mostly to ending colonial occupation. This was symbolised by such people as Mahatma Gandhi of India and Aung San of Burma who were rebelling against Western colonialism. Later, the Cold War was marked by protest movements with mixed ideologies lacking a clear commitment to democracy. It was during this phase that the political doctrine known as Asian values came to being. Finally, since the end of the Cold War, there has been a search for democracy in Asian societies.
When defining the Asian culture and values, it must be recognised that Asia is famous of its diversity. However to define and compartmentalise the values implies that there is an homogeneous society, when the reality is that the region has a huge diversity of languages, religions, cultures, history, political systems and intra-Asian rivalries, prejudices, hatreds, etc. The value systems that are based on Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam or even various forms of Shamanism, differ a lot from each other. Anwar Ibrahim supports this observation in the book Asian Renaissance, and agrees that Faith and religious practices of the East are very important in developing a strong Asian society;
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"It is religion rather than any other social force which makes Asia a continent of infinite diversity. Thus, the renewal of faith and the assertion of multiculturalism is a vital component of the Asian Renaissance.
S. P. Lim in his article Understanding and Distinguishing Asian Values has named main differences between "Asian" and "Western" values based on a survey conducted by David Hichock. In 14, the former Director of East Asian and Pacific Affairs of the United States Information Agency, David Hitchcock conducted a survey comparing East Asian and American values. The results found that six societal values most prominent amongst the East Asians were first, having an orderly society; second, societal harmony; third, ensuring the accountability of public officials; fourth, being open to new ideas; fifth, freedom of expression; and sixth, respect for authority. Alternatively, the six most important societal values for the Americans, a dominant Western country, sampled were first, freedom of expression; second, the rights of the individual; third, personal freedom; fourth, open debate; fifth, thinking for oneself; and sixth, the accountability of public officials. The five most important personal values stressed by Americans were co-ordinate by self-reliance, personal achievement, hard work, achieving success in life and helping others. However, the most important personal values emphasise by East Asians is respect for learning, achieving success in life, self-discipline, fulfilling obligations to others, and personal achievement.
This report indicates that the Asians polled think in terms of collective principles and not individual values. Societies are not built on the individual but on the family and community. The developing nations of East Asia believe that without development, freedom is irrelevant, and without strong state guidance, development will never come. Asian societies position social and economic rights and the right to economic development over individuals political and civil rights. It is argued that economic development will be achieved more efficiently if the leaders are authorised to restrict individuals political and civil rights for the sake of political stability.
In the international political arena however, the concept of Asian values became a defence against criticism of human rights abuses by UN human rights agencies and the international community. It was said that Asia had its own ways and was not bound by norms and standards formulated in UN conventions. The West argues that the Asian values are being used to justify the undemocratic and hypocrisy of the authority to confine the human rights.
"Western nations are fearful of a coming culture war with the booming nations of East Asia, and Asian leaders are exacerbating those fears by emphasising Asian values as an alternative to those of the West. In fact, there is no such thing as Asian values and the best dynamic for ensuring greater representation in Asia isnt a human rights campaign but Asias own appetite for capitalist entrepreneurship."
Western leaders, scholars and the media always claim that Asian authorities are ignoring human rights abuses, particularly in China. As a result of these accusations Asian countries have been keen to remind the USA and European countries of their human rights records, which include abuses in the United States recently where the 00th execution was carried out since the reinstatement of the death penalty in the 170s. Asians officials have also argued that human rights ideology is based on "Western values" and has to be recreated again in such a manner that it suits Asian belief systems as well. In fact, it had been stated that
"to say that freedom is Western or unAsian is to offend our own traditions as well as our forefathers who gave their lives in the struggle against tyranny and injustice."
Samuel P. Huntingtons The Clash of Civilizations suggests that world politics is entering a new phase. Huntington believes that the great divisions amongst humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be in the cultural form. Nation states will still remain the most powerful actors in world affairs, but the principal conflicts of global politics will occur between nations and groups of different civilizations. Huntington states
The clash of civilizations will dominate global politics. The fault lines between civilizations will be the battle lines of the future.
It is largely argued that Asian values were the doctrine formulated by a new Southeast Asian elite, well known among whom were General Suharto of Indonesia, Lee Kuan-yew of Singapore and Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia. These people claimed that strong government was essential for the modernisation of Asian economies. By implication, democracy was derogated as a path that led to inefficiency, insolvency and poverty.
After the Asian financial crisis in 17-8 some leaders in Asia haven't been that enthusiastic to defend Asian values. For Southeast Asia the 'golden age' of exponential growth, rising real incomes, and social consensus is over, at least for a while. It showed that this famous Asian way of doing business is not necessarily any superior than western market economy or their value system based on individualism.
Two perceptions exist of the power of the West in relation to other civilizations. The first is of overwhelming, triumphant, almost total Western dominance. The disintegration of the Soviet Union removed the only serious challenger to the West and as a result the world is and will be shaped by the goals, priorities, and interests of the principal Western nations, with an occasional assistance from Japan. The second depiction of the West is very different. It is of a civilization in decline, its share of world political, economic, and military power going down relative to that of other civilizations. Further, this view proposes that the West is now confronted with slow economic growth, stagnating populations, unemployment, huge government deficits, a declining work ethic, low savings rates, social disintegration, drugs, and crime.
The twenty-first century is witnessing the end of the progressive era dominated by Western ideologies and are moving into an era in which multiple and diverse civilizations will interact, compete, coexist, and accommodate each other. The perceptions of these distinct political forms influences many national and international decisions. Currently, the revival of religion occurring in many parts of the world including a cultural resurgence in Asian and Islamic countries, has been generated in greatly by the East's economic and demographic enthusiasm.
Anwar Ibrahim, Asian Renaissance (Times Books International, Singapore, 16)
Editorial Research Reports, America's Changing Role (Congressional Quarterly, Washington, 174)
John Baylis, Steve Smith, The Globalisation of World Politics (Oxford, Oxford 001)
Mahathir Mohamad, A New Deal for Asia (Pelanduk, Kuala Lumpur, 1)
Mehran Kamrava, Politics and Society in the Third World (Routledge, New York, 1)
Phillipe Aghion, Jeffery G Williamson, Growth, Inequity and Globalization (Cambridge, Cambridge, 18)
Richard J Stoll, Michael D Ward, Power in World Politics (Lynne Reinner, London, 1)
Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations Or, the West against the Rest (http//www.lander.edu/atannenbaum/Tannenbaum%0courses%0folder/POLS%010%0World%0Politics/10_huntington_clash_of_civilizations_full_text.htm)
S. P Lim, Asian Values (http//uk.geocities.com/tafk/sneeze/asian_values.htm)
Steven L Lamy, Contemporary International Issues (Lynne Reinner, London, 10)
T. B. Miller, The East-West Strategic Balance (George Allen & Unwin, Boston, 181)
Thi Lam Speech, (http//www.pacificnews.org/content/pns/16/mar/01asianvalues.html)
Trilateral Commision, East Asia and the international System (Trilateral Commision, New York, 001)
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