Wednesday 24 November 2010

Cultural and Linguistic Relativism

According to the theory of linguistic relativity, language influences thought - the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.
The sole argument used by the Council of Europe - the European Commission of Human Rights (13 May 1982) and the European Court of Human Rights (end May 1985) - to enable foreign men to live in the UK through marriage was that preventing them from doing so was "discrimination against women".
In English as soon as the word "discrimination" is mentioned there's an automatic feeling of wrong-doing.
In Japanese there are two words for "discrimination": "sabetsu" means "unfair treatment"; while "kubetsu" means "distinguishing right from wrong/good from bad".
Judges discriminate. If they can't, they shouldn't be there.
The Queen's Christmas message in 2004 was all about Asians and Africans living in Britain. "Discrimination still exists," said the Queen disapprovingly.
Discrimination ought to exist. The more discrimination the better. It's a normative prerequisite for justice.
I'm afraid I'm old enough to remember Englishmen's complaint in the 1940s: "The Americans are over-paid, over-sexed and over here." To which the Americans' reply was: "The British are under-paid, under-sexed and under Eisenhower!"
If some countries are rich and peaceful, while others are poor and war-torn, then it is obvious who wants to live in which country. Women living in a rich and peaceful country have nothing about which to complain.
British women may be regarded as lucky to live in these islands, but they may also have the privilege in being able to live abroad through marriage. There is nothing in the European Convention on Human Rights about privileging people.