Though there is an ever-increasing pool of rivals, I doubt that there exists a more prolific bogeyman in academia (and the media circles obsessed with their pretend expertise) than so-called "Western Imperialism."
The fear that Western society viewed itself, and in many respects still views itself, as technologically, intellectually, morally, and scientifically superior to the rest of the world, keeps a vast majority of tenured professors up at night. Pacing the floors and wringing their hands over the dastardly efforts of predominantly white saviors attempting to do good by remaking other cultures in their image, it's consensus on the left that the scourge of imperialism did not effectively end with the world wars.
Truthfully, I don't disagree that an imperialistic mindset still dominates in the West. Pinpointing the location of its genesis these days, however, is where I depart from the mainstream.
I had to laugh when I came across the response of one online commenter to the recent question of whether Western imperialism still haunts our modern era.
While humorous, I think Tom is just a few words off. Eliminate "the minds of" and he pretty much nailed it. Though I wouldn't expect them to agree, or even to be capable of enough honest introspection to consider the possibility, it is breathtakingly clear that there are no more profound or obnoxious proponents of an imperialistic mindset then those very leftist agitators who are making it their religious mission to convert young people to their dogmatic campaign, and to destroy any adult who stands in their way.
To prosecute their crusade, they thankfully forgo the conquistador's sword, settling instead for the soft tyranny of cultural conformity: "believe like us, think like us, speak like us, proselytize like us, or be socially shunned, economically punished, and morally shamed."
Consider that for all of their preening talk about the preeminence of multiculturalism, these predominantly white liberals – the ones running college campuses, or the ones dutifully lapping up their professor's sermons and obediently regurgitating them on social media, or the ones championing their wisdom from perches of arrogant journalistic condescension – they have no regard or appreciation for "BIPOC" (a term they coined to refer to "black, indigenous, people of color) culture when it conflicts with the ideals of progressivism.
For instance, consider the map below and recognize that while white liberals dismiss with prejudice the male/female gender binary as well as the exclusivity of man/woman marriage, they are attempting to imperialistically impose those decidedly Western values on Asian cultures who reject them.
Perhaps those of us who promote the biblical idea of marriage would find more cultural success by declaring our allegiance to the East-Asian view of marriage instead?
Similarly, here is a map showing the acceptance of abortion on demand throughout the world. Notice how white liberals conceitedly and consistently seek to impose their values on native African cultures.
Maybe the pro-life movement would do well to rebrand itself as merely proponents of a pan-African view of human life and let these proud multiculturalists tell us how that's evil?
It becomes abundantly clear: insofar as BIPOCs can be used to advance the philosophical tenets and religious doctrines of progressivism, they are useful. When they resist those values, they are degraded, defiled, dismissed, or destroyed.
Exactly like arrogant ideological imperialists would do.
