WARNING: THIS PAGE CONTAINS CRITICISMS OF WESTERN CULTURE WHICH ARE FORBIDDEN IN POLITE CONVERSATION
Ever since I was a doctoral student at Oxford, I have been surprised how free we in the West feel to criticize the blind spots of other times and places. I wonder what the best critics in other cultures say about us, or how the future will judge us? What do you think they might say?
Here are my three suggested blind spots,
DEMOCRACY
At the time I wrote this, it was clearly clearly impossible that Mr Trump would ever become president, because in a democracy, the people are always right, right?
FREE MARKET LIBERALISM
Economics is about much more than money. There is an ethical theory that comes along with it called 'consequentialism' or, if you like, "the ends justify the means". Here's how it plays out in ruthless policies.
SEXUAL FREEDOM
Historically, sexual freedom has been advocated by the Left side of politics. Yet a close look at the outcomes make it look much more like a takeover of relationships by free market economics.