Published on 12:00 AM, November 09, 2012

Why blame Western culture?

I note how often 'western culture' is blamed for the deterioration in behaviour and morals. I would like to assure your readers, sir, that what passes for 'western culture' today is what I do not recognise as my 'culture' at all, as one brought up in the England of 60 years ago!
I think it arrived, with the 'winds of change', fanned by the growth of a ruthlessly commercial media, especially television, that soon realised that actively promoting rudeness, lasciviousness and violence was highly profitable. It met little or no resistance from governments, the upper classes, educational establishments or family life. It was indulged and, not surprisingly, it has spread. It somehow convinced people that this was 'modern' and 'liberal'.
I was brought up with a strict sense of the 'done thing' which, apart from the disgraceful way in which some minorities were treated, provided firm and good guidelines for society. Wearing skimpy clothes and lots of make-up was NOT the 'done thing'. Once a girl's hair reached her shoulders, it had to be tied back. Dead bodies were not seen on TV, nor gross behaviour. The sort of thing we see in the trailers of films today, would have been unthinkable.
In some areas, even of cities, many left the key to the back door under the mat and the man delivering fish or meat would put it in your kitchen and pick up the money you left him on the table.
I do not remember hearing any of the Anglo-Saxon words even through four years at Oxford University. These were words men did not use in front of 'nice girls'. Yet, I heard an employee on the phone in a Dhaka bank manager's office saying, “Oh, sh*t!” Such words are universally used today.
So please do not blame 'western culture', dear readers. Your 'culture', too, has taken to these standards as a duck to water!