Cultural Relativism

The issue raised about the use of one's own cultural standards and beliefs to judge another cultural is very similar to what happened in the Ibo society in "Things Fall Apart".  Both cultures were at fault for this.  The missionaries came to Africa because they believed the Africans were misguided in their cultural and religious beliefs.  The Africans in some cases reacted so harshly toward the missionaries because they too believed the other was misguided in their beliefs.  This idea of the culture one belongs in being the correct one and all of the others being wrong is still very common today.  For example, the U.S is trying to rebuild the Iraqi government because they believe the Iraqis are wrong and democracy is the only right way.  The reason Al Queda attacked the U.S and other countries around the world is because they believe their beliefs are the only right ones and they want everyone else to either believe exactly what they believe of they should not be alive at all.  This is a problem that will be around as long as humans are alive because we cannot see and fully understand why others believe the way they do and accept it and move on.
I agree with the idea of cultural relativism that people do tend to believe that their way of doing things is the right way and everyone else is wrong.  I also believe that there are shared values among all cultures.  As human beings, we all share common traits because our brains and hearts are all the same.  Murder is wrong in all countries.  Although we call the terrorists killing people murder and say that it is wrong, in their minds it is justified.  The common thought that murder is wrong is the killing of someone else without real motives; for example, killing your father because you wanted his life insurance money.  I am not saying that the terrorists are right and we are wrong, but I think that we too often judge others based on our standards and do not try to see it through their eyes.  The Palestinians believe they are promised Israel in the Bible and the Israelis believe they should get it because it was given to them after the second world war.  Every religion in the world believes that they are the only right one and all others are praising fake gods or will go to hell.  I think that as people we will never accept that we may not be the only correct ones because we are too afraid that we may be the wrong ones.  Although every idea and value is not always correct, there is often many correct ideas and values.

Good vs. Evil

The main conflict in Beowulf is the conflict between Beowulf and Grendel.  This conflict is often depicted as the battle of good versus evil; Beowulf being the good and Grendel being the evil.   However, both sides believe they have a just cause they are fighting for.  This is very much like the conflict between Israel and Palestine.  Some people see this as the fight between good and evil, each side sees the other as the evil.  As in Beowulf, both sides believe they have a just cause they are fighting for.  The Israelis are fighting to defend their land they were given after World War Two as a safe haven from the Nazis and other antisemitic people.  The Palestinians are fighting for their land that was taken to make Israel and the land that they believe was given to them in the Bible.  However this battle is not so black and white as the one in Beowulf.  Many people see a clear distinction between the good and evil in Beowulf.  That good and evil is not so clear in the conflict in the Middle East.

I believe that there is not a clear distinction of which side is right and which side is wrong in the Palestine-Israeli conflict or in the fight between Beowulf and Grendel.  I think that both sides have valid reasons for wanting to fight and being angry.  I think that people take sides because it is easier to make things black and white and to choose a side than it is to say that yes there is a gray area and there really is not a right or wrong.  This is why I want to be an international mediator.  I want to show people that conflict can be worked out without one side being wrong and the other being right because nothing is ever just black and white.

The Hypocrisy of Mitt Romney

Many people have criticized Ayn Rand for going against her beliefs and calling her a hypocrite.  She thought that people should live independently and hated government intervention.  However, she was above her ideals and took out medicare and social security when she found out she had cancer.  These are two things she despised.

This is not unlike what Mitt Romney has done.  As a governor of Massachusetts he passed a health care bill similar to Obama Care.  This is something that he always bragged about and talked about how great it was for his state.  It really did help a lot of people.  Although he passed a health care bill in his state he bashes Obama Care and talks about how it will destroy our country.  He is only doing this because if he did not, he would not have made it this far in the election.  If this is not hypocrisy I don't know what is.  Who knows what he would do if he were to be elected?

Ayn Rand and Mitt Romney are both very similar in their actions and ideals.  Both of them are conservatives and both of them are hypocrites.  Maybe Mitt Romney should have learned his lesson from Rand because people have asked him about what he plans to do with health care and why he changed his mind.  His response is that it is different with the whole country compared to a state.  I suppose it was different when it was Ayn Rand's life on the line and not some strangers.  Both of these people are huge hypocrites.