Western Supremacism
A Masked Neocolonialism that China and the Global South Reject.
For a long time, I have wanted to publish this analysis of the suprematism that pervades every discourse in the West, and with it, the political supremacism and alternative models of government. I believe that the time has come to take into consideration that alternatives must be found to the prevailing narrative.
What I call Western political, economic, and cultural supremacism has historically dominated the global narrative, presenting non-Western forms of government as inferior or legitimately anomalous. I believe the time has come, and that it will be crucial to start evaluating the validity of alternative models of government, which have established themselves in several nations. Taking into account the economic progress of two countries distant from Western models, Saudi Arabia and the economic growth of China, a picture clearly emerges from them that challenges traditional conventions. These countries, while not following the Western democratic model, have shown that it is possible to achieve significant results in terms of development and stability. It is crucial to promote an inclusive approach in international relations, which recognizes and values cultural diversity and global inequalities. Moreover, criticism of international bodies and their control by Western powers raises questions about true representativeness and justice in the system of global governance. Only through dialogue…
First of all, two numbers: of the approximately 8 billion people in the world, about 1.2–1.5 billion live in the countries defined as “West,” i.e., in countries such as the United States, Canada, most of Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. It is clear that these countries represent a small minority of the total world population.
In our increasingly interconnected world, the West and its minority still find themselves, I don’t know how long they can continue to be, in a position of dominance, thanks to a complex network of political, economic, technological, and cultural power. This does not derive only from an economic or military supremacy but has its roots in a long history that has fueled the idea of Western superiority as a model of progress and civilization. In fact, this attitude translates into a neocolonialism that tends to diminish the cultures and civilizations of other countries, reducing the diversity of the majority and artificially amplifying global inequalities.
To better understand, a step back in time: the Greco-Roman heritage and the origins of cultural universalism. Certainly, it is a leap into the distant past, 3,000 years ago, where at the base of Western suprematism lies the Greco-Roman heritage, which promoted a strong “cultural universalism.” The Greeks and Romans regarded their civilization as the model of human development, seeing themselves as bearers of “order, law, and civilization.” This belief legitimized territorial expansion and fueled a sense of superiority over other cultures, considered “barbaric.”
Greek thought, based on “philosophy and reason,” helped to spread the idea that rationality was the best way to understand and improve the world. A few names? Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were the main proponents of these ideas. Over time, this centrality of reason reinforced the idea that Western culture, anchored in these principles, was intrinsically “superior” to cultures more linked to religious traditions or beliefs. These primordial concepts shaped the West’s attitude of cultural domination.
The Flaws of Catholicism and Christianity and the Supposed Civilizing Mission
As Christianity has advanced, the idea of a universal truth has been further consolidated. “Catholic Christianity” has embarked on a mission of global evangelization, driven by the moral commitment to save non-Christian souls. Religious missions, active over the centuries, have had a strong impact on non-Western cultures, helping to create the idea that non-Christian cultures were “inferior” or in need of “salvation.” This fueled the ideological justification of colonialism, in which the West perceived itself as a benevolent “civilizer.”
Then came British colonialism and its expansion from the capitalist and secular principle: the real and most infectious of ideological GMOs scattered around the world. England stands out for having conducted its colonial expansion without the direct involvement of the Church, unlike other European powers. British colonialism was based on an “economic and capitalist” drive, without ifs and buts, rather than on a religious civilizing mission. The main goal was profit, control of resources, and trade routes. The East India Company is the emblem of this, operating as a commercial and military arm, extending British influence. No religious pretexts were needed: the interest was purely material and aimed at guaranteeing prosperity to the motherland. This type of “secular colonialism” did not seek to convert populations but to exploit them as part of a global economic system. The imposed institutions and legal codes served to maximize control, under the veil of technological and economic advancement, but concealing capitalist colonial rule.
The Invisible Modern Suprematism: The Enlightenment and Modernity
The Greco-Roman and Christian heritage, cleverly manipulated by Anglo-Saxon colonialism, has found new strength in the modern era, with the “Age of Enlightenment” and the birth of “modernity.” The Enlightenment exalted the power of reason, science, and progress, consolidating the idea that the West was the pinnacle of human civilization. This vision laid the foundation for a “Eurocentric” thinking, which dominated global politics for centuries. Europe, and later the United States, invested themselves with the leading role in world progress, seeing other cultures as backward or uncivilized and easy lands of conquest. This cultural supremacy has been reflected not only in colonial relations but also in contemporary international relations, where the West continues to establish rules and standards that are considered universal. This attitude is evident in many sectors, such as science, economics, and culture.
The use of technological, scientific, and economic supremacy has closed the circle. Historical events have left technological domination and supremacy in the hands of the West. Since the Industrial Revolution, the West has showcased its technological superiority as a symbol of civil advancement. The Western technological model, based on industrialization and innovation, has been exported and often imposed as a global standard of progress. Non-Western countries have been pushed to follow this model, often to the detriment of their local solutions, creating a form of economic and technological dependence.
What about scientific supremacy? Western science, based on a “rational and empirical” method, has often been seen as the only legitimate path to knowledge. This has led to the detriment of traditional knowledge and indigenous cultural practices. The West has dominated areas such as medicine and ecology, neglecting or discrediting local solutions that, in many cases, have proven to be sustainable and suitable for specific contexts.
Capitalism and Economic Supremacy
The capitalist economic model, developed in the West and already exported to the colonies, has been promoted as the universal key to development and prosperity. Through institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, which are still under tight Western rule, the West has imposed neoliberal policies on many nations, often in exchange for financial aid. This created a global economic hierarchy that further reinforced the idea that economic success must be achieved by following the Western model, ignoring the alternatives proposed by other cultures.
What Happens on a Daily Basis: Cultural Colonialism and the Imposition of Western Culture
The Western creative industry (cinema, music, fashion) has had a global impact, spreading values and cultural models perceived as universal. Through media and entertainment, the West continues to promote a form of “cultural colonialism,” often confining the artistic and identity expressions of other cultures to marginal or exotic roles. This process has led to a cultural homogenization in which diversities are flattened or assimilated into global standards imposed by the West.
Finally, under the radar but omnipresent in the large think tanks: sophisticated neocolonialism, latent but terribly ostracizing towards the non-Western world. 6.5 billion people out of 8. Today, the West perpetuates its technological, scientific, and cultural supremacy, fostering a phenomenon that impoverishes cultural diversity and exacerbates global inequalities. Although Western dominance no longer manifests itself through territorial colonization, the omnipresent and influential established power dynamics feed public opinion and policymakers on a daily basis, supporting a worldview that privileges Western models as universal and inevitable. The alternatives offered by other civilizations are frequently ignored, devalued, or often dismissed as authoritarian and often despotic, leaving room for a sophisticated phenomenon that operates under the radar, but remains powerful and pervasive.
The Most Dangerous Game: Oil Near the Fire
In the debates of recent years and in the so-called “policymakers” structures, the topic of forms of government and global governance is often addressed, but always based on the suprematism of the Western political model. It is often considered that only Western democracies are legitimate and superior, while other forms of government are pushed into a corner, as if they have nothing to offer. Currently, about 1 billion people live in fully accomplished Western democracies, while 1.5 billion live in non-Western democracies, and the rest, 6.5 billion, with other forms of government. But who establishes that the former are the only ones to possess political and social truth?
Let’s look, for example, at Saudi Arabia. Founded in 1932, the country has undergone considerable demographic and social change over the years. Despite being an absolute monarchy, Saudi Arabia has seen significant economic and social progress, improving the lives of its inhabitants. Why should this reality be considered inferior just because it does not conform to our democratic model?
And then there is China, this unknown. With its economic growth and social development, it has achieved goals that often frighten the 1.5 billion Westerners. How can we criticize them for their approach to the market when, with their population equal to that of the West, they are creating alternatives to a system that is familiar to us? With the emergence of the BRICS phenomenon, we are preparing for a future in which these formations could assert an absolute majority, while the West has long been a small minority; but this is not accepted.
Current international organizations such as the UN, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund are often seen as tools through which the West seeks to maintain control. And they are. This is a clear example of supremacism, which not only ignores different realities but also seeks to exclude them by imposing what the West considers “order.” This attitude is not only unsustainable but leads us toward economic and political isolation that could have disastrous consequences.
Ultimately, the future of international relations and global governance requires a more humanistic approach, aimed at efforts at understanding and inclusiveness. We must recognize that progress can take many forms, even different from our own, and that true development lies in our ability to learn from others rather than in trying to impose a single worldview. Only through dialogue and the enhancement of different experiences can we build a fairer and more sustainable future for all.
Nowadays, the West perpetuates its technological, scientific, and cultural supremacy, fostering a neocolonialism that impoverishes cultural diversity and exacerbates global inequalities. This distances the minority bloc and, at the same time, creates moats and walls in defense of a position that will become increasingly unsustainable and that, over time, will bring the world closer to unimaginable disasters.
In debates, it is simplified by arguing that that party or government has done or has not done, but without the ability to see and revise the basic idea that permeates Western thought, there will be no party, person, nation, or divinity that will avoid the inexorable slowdown, if not regression, of what we know today as the West.
Pranda58 – September 2024
More post
THE LAND OF CATHAY – BEYOND THE MISLEADING NARRATIVES, THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE STILL ENORMOUS AND ALL TO BE SEIZED
China’s ‘Copycat’ Era is Over: Now the West is Playing Catch-Up
LA TERRA DEL CATAI – AL DI LÀ DELLE NARRAZIONI FUORVIANTI, LE OPPORTUNITÀ SONO ANCORA ENORMI E TUTTE DA COGLIERE.
La Cina ad un bivio? Dopo Deng Xiao Ping mai vista nessuna svolta a nessun bivio. Le mie considerazioni sull’articolo del Prof. Noci
Wang Yi and Sullivan meeting. Taiwan is 1 and Chinese, and, a New World Order, North vs. South. The output.
Post navigation