Burning in the Melting Pot

Globalisation, cultural imperialism, and the osmosis of individuals and groups from one nation to another allow the permeation of thoughts, ideas, and the subsequent evolution of religion. Whether it is the now lapsed Catholic tradition of eating fish rather than meat on Fridays which was aimed towards garnering more funds for the church, or the gradual transformation of Buddhism away from being a theistic religion, religions and all other sets of ideas change drastically over time. Part of this is due to the fact that each new culture adopts and changes religion to suit their individual needs, as evidenced throughout history by the Visigoths adopting Christianity, but only in an Arian theological framework. However, it cannot be ignored that even without any outside influence, religions and cultures change over time; this is not to say that outside influences do not speed up the process, but that outside influences cannot be solely burdened with the responsibility for religious and philosophical evolution. It is certain that in our current state of globalisation, where thoughts and ideas can travel the globe faster than we can speak them aloud, the cultural melting pot of the world will flourish and the intermingled nature of systems of thought will constantly challenge and sometimes change what is conventional thinking for some and revolutionary thinking for others.

Callum Dunphy

Best Korea

The vast majority of nations have succumbed to some semblance of American cultural hegemony, whether it is in the form of American films, fashion, or food; but there are some examples of nations and cultures that have specifically rejected American cultural imperialism in favor of either saving their own traditions, or building new and unrelated ones. The best example of this is North Korea, where (aside from the upper echelons of the military dictatorship) American cultural imperialism has been rejected to the best of their availabilities. The most notable exception to this is within the ruling class, where expensive cognac, a love for the Chicago Bulls, and an interest in American celebrities has permeated. The almost complete rejection of both American cultural imperialism as well as the cultural influence of almost all other nations has ostracized the nation from the global community far more than any other circumstances. While it is often said that the status of North Korea in the global community is based on its nuclear arsenal and flagrant disobedience of international laws, one does not need to look further than Israel to see a counterpart in both these regards that is, none the less, accepted into the international community with open arms. It is not weapons treaties, nor is it human rights abuses which segregate a country from the rest of the world, it is the rejection of cultural and corporate imperialism.

Callum Dunphy

Make it or Break it

                Those who wish to create indigenous media for (especially for mass consumption) face one main obstacle. Due to the fact that almost all indigenous populations have pervasive and damaging stereotypes attached to their communities, any media produced by them for mass consumption must make or break these stereotypes. In the case of such movies as ‘The Whale Rider’, the decision was made to accept and form the basis of the films narrative around the sexism inherent in Maori culture, addressing that burgeoning societal problem reflected by the sexual and domestic abuse statistics within the community. But rather than shedding light on the topic in the way which was brought forth in ‘Once Were Warriors’, where the film is one long statement concerning the aforementioned societal woes in their most explicit and horrific forms, ‘The Whale Rider’ and other films have chosen the path of exploring their social problems through the use of characters that overcome the oppression around them, rather than succumbing to it. When media is produced by and for the Caucasian West or any other majority group, there need be no explanations of why a family is well-adjusted and functional, whereas in many indigenous films those who produce them are bound to provide such an explanation, either by separating the protagonists from their indigenous communities, or by providing side-characters which personify the most vicious stereotypes which are attached to them.

Callum Dunphy

Drowning in a Sea of Green

       When discussing which religious organizations hold the most influence and why, it is important to specify which kind of power we are talking about. While it cannot be disputed that the Catholic Church is the most powerful organized faith in the world, it likely does not have the power to inflict mass suicide among its acolytes, unlike the numerous small to medium sized cults which have done so in the past (most famously in Jonestown). But what the Catholic Church can do is provide funds as well as exoneration and indulgences for whomever they decide are useful to them. It is true of almost all large and well organized groups that they are willing to concede the moral high ground for either financial gain, or in their quest for hegemony. This was the case in Germany during the regime of the Third Reich, where the Catholic Church explicitly condoned the actions of the murderous dictatorship of Hitler so that they might gain a stranglehold on the German youth. Power in these instances usually comes in two forms, firstly the profligate use of funds to either coerce (as with the various schools packed to the brim with children of the Stolen Generation, whether in Australia, Canada, or other nations) religious and cultural conversion; the second form of power is that of the controlling of the minds of the credulous. The latter of these forms of control can often be the most damaging. It is hard to argue that, for instance, the Crusades could have gone forward if not for the variety of papal indulgences offered to ‘pilgrims’ (rapists and pillagers would be nearer the mark). These are of course not exclusive to the Catholic Church however, and have been used consistently by the leaders of Scientology (who have shown that the use of funds can only stretch so far), the leaders of the Sunni and Shi’a faiths, the Dalai Lama, and the numerous state-centered religions including Czarist Russia and Imperial Japan. It is money and credulity of the masses which allowed all of the above examples to thrive in their own ways.

Callum Dunphy

Calling The Kettle Black

Every day I awake and begin my morning ritual of brushing my teeth, making breakfast, etc; but the first thing I do before even crawling out from beneath the covers is reading the news. There are the same filler articles almost every day, a recycling of the previous day’s headlines with a minor variation in narrative. Inevitably, there is always a story regarding either Islam or a particular Muslim. There are only ever two stories being told in these articles, it is either the damnation of Islam, or the damnation of the damnation of Islam (with all of the racial and religious prejudice that each of these entails). The latter are the easier to read, as they are far less vitriolic, but they are also capable of inciting rage and hatred. Whether it is the bending of reality through portraying the ‘Boston Bombers’ as Arab rather than the Caucasians they are (or in the case of one of them, were)[1], the coverage of yet another right-wing bigot proclaiming that we should treat all Muslims as second-class citizens[2], or the reaction to organizations regulated by the former enforcing these kind of policies[3], the news is almost never good. Occasionally there will be a shining light, such as the hiring of bright and talented Muslims by the normally bigoted American right-wing; however, this light is almost always overrun by the darkness of the American politic[4]. It is no surprise that many of us fear Muslims and Islam when we are so constantly bombarded with the notion that they are coming for us, that they cannot be trusted, and that they are the root of all terrorism[5][6]. The root of this fear and mistrust is simple, most people are far too cordoned off in their own limited bubbles to have experienced the peace and love that can be offered by Muslims, and are far too ignorant of the roots and causes of terrorism (which by and large is an overwhelmingly Caucasian Christian activity).

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[1] Anon. "White privilege radically changes the appearance..." Brofiling. http://www.brofiling.com/post/49029017043/white-privilege-radically-changes-the-appearance.

[2] Frumin, Aliyah. "After Boston, we should put Muslims under surveillance, says Rep. King." MSNBC. http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/04/20/after-boston-we-should-put-muslims-under-surveillance-says-rep-king/.

[3] Markon, Jerry. "Tension grows between Calif. Muslims, FBI after informant infiltrates mosque." Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/04/AR2010120403710.html.

[4] Johnson, Drew. "Catching Hell for Hiring a Muslim." The Agitator. http://www.theagitator.com/2012/07/18/catching-hell-for-hiring-a-muslim/.

[5] Anon. "German poll indicates a widespread fear of Muslims and Islam." National Secular Society. n.d. http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2012/12/german-poll-indicates-a-widespread-fear-of-muslims-and-islam.

[6] Csillag, Ron. "52% Of Canadians Distrust Muslims, According To Latest Poll." Huffington Post. n.d. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/26/canadians-distrust-muslims_n_1381239.html.