East vs. West: The Civilizational Debate
With the unfolding of the First Industrial Revolution and the Second Industrial Revolution, the Western world made remarkable progress in various fields, while the ancient countries of the East came to a standstill. This has led Westerners to despise the East and even to claim to be the representative of civilization. However, it is worth pondering whether this view is exaggerated.
In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the West did become the world's leading role, but can it really show the height of civilization in this way?The East, especially China, has a long history, with a complete system of etiquette established as early as the Zhou Dynasty. While the Chinese use chopsticks, Westerners are still drinking blood. Westerners, who claim to be civilized, have made a big splash in American history about the Indians, and the heroes of the Civil War even openly expressed the extermination of the Indians. Is this a representation of freedom and equality?
Black slavery is the darkest page of Western-style civilization. The so-called freedom only refers to the freedom between Westerners, and equality is limited to the West itself. Britain, as the former world hegemon, planted the bane of ethnic infighting when it withdrew from its colonies. China has also been a victim of the Western powers since the Opium Wars, and the ruins of the Old Summer Palace are still clearly visible.
Cultural relics were plundered and civilization was trampled. The Royal Ontario Museum of Canada actually purchased tombs in China, but moved them to Canada in their entirety, not even letting go of the tomb door. How can this kind of behavior be called civilized?The robbers who successfully went ashore to launder their appearance and demeanor can be changed, but their genes cannot be erased.
Civilization is not about appearance, but about sincerity and strength. In the exchanges between people and countries, only sincerity and strength are the most solid cornerstones.