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Understanding, Defending, and Expanding Enlightenment Civilization
Mission Statement
We're at a transitional moment in history, where Enlightenment Civilization is either going to expand and adapt, or fall into terror, war, and ignorance.
Project Civilization is dedicated to providing "how-to" tips for those who want to play a part in helping civilization navigate a very risky historical era.
I'm a political centrist, so this site isn't geared toward the left or the right, nor toward the Democratic Party or the Republican Party.
Project Links
Blogs (Incisive Commentators - General)
Blogs (Clash of Civilizations)
Blog Archive
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2006
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December
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- USA military to recruit foreigners?
- Open Comments: Israel
- Major Points About Civilization
- Anti-Semitism in Sugar Land
- Joining Technorati
- Positive Steps in the Middle East Today
- Using the Net to build civilization
- Domestic Spying
- USA Trade Deficit
- Choir
- Testing an Amazon Link
- Not Going to Stay Boring
- The Culture of Personal Excellence
- Project Civilization Introduction
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December
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3 comments:
Disclaimer: I am Indian and don't claim absolute objectivity.
India: I think in the current global geopolitics, India is uniquely positioned as what you term as an "enlightenment influenced" nation. No point about the growing market of a billion people or IT or Bio Technology or Pharma or Agriculture. Old Story.
India is unique because it directly contrasts what Lou Dobbs said - " A nation with multiple languages cannot survive as a nation ( this, as a daily rant against the Spanish language and speakers thereof). India is incredibly diverse linguistically, culturally, in religion - and is yet a strong democracy. Not perfect, far from it - but a strong democracy.
Huge cultural emphasis on education. Very favourable, non-doctrinal alignment with the west. No lingering ideological hatred based on past colonial experience.
And a culture based on values of tolerance, co-existence and mutual respect.
Most importantly, in the face of increasingly mercantile and mercenary policies of China - India serves as the only viable counterweight of the democratic world in that part of the world.
Excellent post; it also made me stop and think for a moment, because I'm one of the "one language" belivers about Spanish and English in the USA. India is a good counter-example, indeed.
There is a difference between India, where people from different parts of the country speak different languages, and the United States, where immigrants are coming into the country and bringing their language and culture. I think that the language issue in the US is probably more importantly a cultural issue. The immigrants need to assimilate and become American in some fashion. They don't have to completely give up their culture, but moving in and learning nothing of the existing culture and language means they are not really part of the country. Their loyalties may still lie with their home country/culture which is not exactly a bastion of effective democracy (and makes the US look like a democratic utopia in some ways).
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