Asian Values vs. Western Values

I felt compelled to contribute to what will undoubtedly be a flood of submissions reacting to Jayson’s rant.

First of all, what a wonderful piece, well-written and oh so true. Hopefully it will lift the veil of arrogance and ignorance surrounding the issue of farang-Thai relationships. As somebody who used to live in Singapore, I can confirm that Jayson’s observations also ring through in a Singaporean context, even though cultural and language issues are far less of a problem in a largely English-speaking country.

The thing I liked best about Jayson’s piece though is that it shines a light on the almost unbelievable levels of delusional thinking and unyielding arrogance that shines through some of the farang submissions on the site. I suspect a large number of we-are-so-much-better-than-Thai-men submissions owe their cringe-inducing tone of racial and cultural superiority to the nationality of the author. More often than not, they turn out to be Americans, the only western nation of course that still gets to lord over an empire in Asia. Europeans used to be like that too, but after self-immolating in the fire of the world wars and thus loosing their empires, they were forced to eat some humble pie and were taken down a few notches. Americans though, still behave as if they owned the place. Which, quite frankly, they do, though their grip is slowly slipping, as smarter governments in Asia find ways to circumvent the American colossus. I suspect Americans’ superiority complex is simply a reflection of the classical imperial mindset, of which the Brits and French were shining examples of in their time.

These days, Europeans and other farangs are content to bask in the sunshine of American power, which they no doubt see as a confirmation of superior western values. What is not said, but secretly implied is that western values are white values really and the dark-skinned or slant-eyed natives are incapable of absorbing them due to some inherent fault of character. It never seems to occur to them that Asian, or rather Confucian values, are in many ways superior to Western ones. Having observed both sets of values working in practice over a number of years, I would like to announce a winner: Confucian values have won. Western values? What values? You mean the right to spray graffiti on the filthy, crumbling walls of a London underground station while dogging your pissed-drunk looks-like-a-whore-but-acts-like-a-princess feminist-liberated girlfriend? Well, thank you so much for giving me my freedoms, but I prefer the sort of freedom, where people act and dress decently, criminals, not ordinary people get punished and where you can walk down a street without half the male population of Nigeria chasing you down with long knives. I prefer values where illegal immigrants are treated like illegal immigrants, criminals like criminals and ordinary citizens like ordinary citizens. What we have in the West, is that illegal immigrants are treated like ordinary citizens, criminals like illegal immigrants and ordinary citizens like criminals. Well, at least we still have our liberal western values to cling to, don’t we?

Perhaps some would conclude from my rant that I am anti-western, anti-American or anti-British. Or that I think that Western values are inherently inferior to Confucian values. Not so. What the term Western values denotes these days is not an actual set of values, but a lack of them. It is not that I don’t respect traditional British or American values, I do. However, upon close examination I am forced to conclude that the values that once made the West great have completely disappeared in their birthplace, whereas many Asian nations have embraced them, combined them with traditional Confucianism and are in the process of creating societies that resemble 19th century European ones.

The Chinese are often said to be the new Americans and I tend to agree, but I would add that Singapore is clearly leading the way, while the rest of Asia eventually follow. If one looks at Singapore’s often criticized justice system, one finds that it has largely held onto the principles that the British established during their reign, and has refused to follow Britain down the drain in creating a social-liberal criminal’s paradise. By old British standards, Singapore’s supposedly draconian laws are quite mild really, nobody’s sent into exile for stealing a chicken, caning and hanging were of course introduced by the colonial authorities for the simple reason that they have worked elsewhere. The results are plain to see when one walks down a theoretical dark Singaporean street, without ever having to worry about being mugged or even verbally abused by yobs. In fact, yobs do not appear to exist in Singapore, a clear indication of how much a bit of discipline can accomplish.

Anyone who has ever been to a school in Asia knows how respectful and well-behaved Asian students are with their elders and teachers. Corrupt officials in China are hanged. In the U.S. they get cushy jobs with Goldman Sachs and are celebrated as heroes. Asian people save money and invest for the future, whereas Westerners have already spent their children’s inheritance and own little more than debt. In the West lazy, good-for-nothing people get social services, free money and even free accommodation at times. In Asia they get nothing and are forced to work instead of living off other people’s hard earned money. In the West taxes are therefore exorbitant, while in Asia they are low and encourage entrepreneurship, hard work and continued education.

I could go on and on, but it should be clear to everyone by now how the West is slowly suffocating in socialism, liberalism, political correctness and feminism, while Asia will have none of it. It is crystal clear to me, that not so long from now, the flow of farangs to Asia as expatriates, tourists and sex-tourists will cease and then reverse. Your children will be serving rich Asians, and not vice versa. So better drop the attitude that you accuse western women of having and try to spot it within yourself first.