Clarion Content

Yes, at the Clarion Content we hate the dated West-East distinction for referring to the countries of the world. It makes us cringe with its implied down the nose sneer at the seen-as backward or less-developed, and its relevance as Asia changes, gets lets and less. It messes up what the Clarion Content frequently criticizes young people for blurring, the distinction between stupidity and ignorance. Unintelligent and unlearned are in no way the same. Unlearned does not imply unintelligent, necessarily either. Using 1st world vs. 3rd world is no better and maybe worse, because of the inherent hierarchy in the naming, the implied this way is better than that way. Using North-South is not a a panacea either, and it reflects a dated, colonialist way of looking at the world. No one, outside of Russia, is exactly longing for the good days of aligned and non-aligned either. But what is one supposed to say? Phoenix is the kidnapping capital of the civilized world? Sounds ugly right? And there are places where the rule of law doesn’t apply that kidnapping is far more pervasive than Phoenix, like Ciudad Juarez and Cartagena.

Labels: Politics, thought