Here’s my own simplistic framing of the issue;
Before going on with our bashing fest of Qatar for it’s human rights record lets begin to consider 2 things;
1) Let’s be consistent about our own record in treating this issue in our own backyard as well as in relation to our allies and so-called partners. Here are some pointers for good measure;
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- Treatment or immigrants and minorities
- Conveniently turning a blind eye when our so-called allies are in clear breach of fundamental human rights in their territory and beyond
- Prioritizing financial incentives/gains in relation to highest human rights violators whether on at a government or business level with both last 2 points end up transactionally in our debit column.
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2) Before so much as uttering the trendy term “values” let’s begin to take time to first articulate them and determine whether they are indeed western or universal values and consider our record in upholding them nationally/internationally. On the national level these values need to be engraved in our constitution and in our soul from a young age if they are to have any meaning/affect in our future or become a meaningless concepts that did not withstand the test of times.
Having said all that let me say that the intention here initially is not perfection in terms of track record but at the very least consistency/no double standard, a razor sharp vision and a deliberate drive to get where we need to be as an evolutionary process that adapts with new challenges we face. It sickens me to watch celebrities cashing in on this event with all kinds of lame excuses but at the same time I cannot blame them because in a way they represent our own failures in upholding our “values” when we’ve got our priorities all messed up where the term “values” seems to have different meanings at different times and with different actors; financial or moral.
So don’t consider this post a promotion or an excuse for Qatar but rather a reminder to get our own house in order soon (very soon) because the real world war under way at the moment is one driven indeed by values more than at any time before in history. So unless we believe in/pursue rigorously these values we preach in this most powerful war of ideologies, it is a war of hearts/minds we can never win and consequently will have an inevitable cost to our future. The dominance of US and its western alliance in past decades was largely based on its soft power (some choose to forget/ignore this fact in favor of power projection). The west still has the edge but a slim one due to a combination of overconfidence and very bad political judgements, so let’s learn some lessons from the past and confidently/collaboratively make amends without wasting much time doing them because our future is at stake and time is not on our side. Consistency & Determination are key make or break terms that should guide us through these challenges.
What do you think?