Do you believe in democracy? I do. But only when it works in my favour. If Ed Miliband had won the election I’d have opted for Sharia rather than his, or Corbyn’s, brand of ‘total bollox’ rule.

Do you believe in justice? Punishment fitting the crime? A society based on a strong morality? Yet one that moves with the changes to the demands of the majority?

No, neither do I. But they gave women the vote anyway. Then they did away with the death penalty, stopped using torture chambers and started banging on about equality. Of all things. As if all people are basically equal. Imagine.

But we do all that because its what we believe in. Apparently most of Europe is pretty much in accord about those societal fundamentals. Its what makes us Europe. America, Australia, even undeveloped countries like Canada, where adultery was invented (on an industrial scale), all have similar values. Similar but not identical. Which is as it should be. In America they still have the death penalty. Its called ‘the right to bear arms’. And is very commonly used and very indiscriminate. They also have state funded death in a lot of states in accordance with their laws.

Does that make the democratic/Euro-Amer-Aus version of society the only way to be? Is it the best way to be? Is it the most advanced, civilised, evolved or correct way to be?

We think so, because we’re all brought up on that particular value system. The Greeks invented democracy (bit ironic bearing in mind recent events). The Romans invented baths. But there’s loads of people who choose not to shower every day. (Unfortunately many of them travel on the Northern Line).

Other countries run to their own laws. Unbothered by the vagaries of ‘democracy’ and judicial process, they opt for something different. Something more tribal perhaps. More feudal. Ultimate rulers. Local warlords. Sharia. Ways that are alien. Seemingly barbaric at times, apparently contingent on how much pleasure the 4th wife gave the Main Man the night before as to what punishment might be meted out today.

And these systems aren’t ‘wrong’ because there aren’t absolutes in such matters of society. They’re just ‘not as we understand nor would ever choose to do’ and thus can appear abhorrent to our wet and western way of thinkage. Where women not only get to vote but some of them are even allowed to work. Though obviously not at the same rates of pay as men.

In India they have a ‘caste’ system. Its awful. By my way of thinking. Condemning people, from birth, to a certain and pre-defined life path, by virtue of their parents. And recently, a low caste man ran off with a high caste woman, who happened to be the wife of another high caste person. Nothing Ashley Madison about this, it just happened. And off they ran. So the village elders have decided on a punishment to fit the crime. The low caste man’s two sisters are to be publicly raped.

That’s fair.

And just.

According to them. According to westerners it is simply appalling. The punishment is not only worse than the crime, but illogical, nonsensical and stupid. As well as kind of punishing the wrong people.

But its not our business to do anything about it. Other than be saddened and sickened. And also eternally grateful for what we know and understand as ‘civilisation’ but others choose to disagree or refuse to be enlightened about.

We can appeal to such people in those places. But they don’t share our views. Nor do they have to. The whole concept of fairness is based on your particular viewpoint. However fucked up that may be in someone else’s eyes.

Same with countries. When we interfere with Iraq, with Afghanistan, with Syria, we created a fucking monster. The void left by the whole Arab Spring was the vacuum into which ISIS flowed, Libya crumbled, Syria is in crisis. And all because these places weren’t run according to our ideals.

Yep, it really is a fucked up world out there. Or maybe in here, I’m not sure now.

Happy Saturday

A xxxx