Asian values
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| —Anders Behring Breivik, white nationalist mass murderer |
Asian values is an umbrella term used to describe a viewpoint of people from the Asian demographic, specifically from East and Southeast Asia. The definition is diverse, which means it cannot easily be defined with the addition of ethnicity and region but there are commonly shared views on what is considered important.
The term was globally applied by 1990 by Singapore's prime minister Lee Kuan Yew who suggested that Singapore has its own set of values native to their country and people, hence its national needs and planning are based on this. It is an idea based on "Asianism" which is largely influenced by Eastern values such as social conservatism, traditionalism, meritocratic elitism and Confucian-style family values. This view has been supported by other Asian countries, including Japan especially under Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Asian values are not usually thought to be compatible with Western liberal democracy or individualism. Asian values favors collectivism, strong leadership and an organized society to address its needs, the positions of power through their own democratic processes. The idea is based on the idea of societal governance and principles, without forcefully adopting Western values or assuming Westernization as mandated in neoliberalism.
The idea of Asian values has been criticized by leftists within Asia and by some human rights groups in the West, stating they are inherently authoritarian and promotes classism and discrimination against minorities. Indeed, Northeast and Southeast Asia still have gender discrimination, homophobia, and strict attitudes toward children.
Because of Asian values, while the Southeast/East Asian region is as economically rich as it is in the Western world, with some even more so, it has a much more conservative, authoritarian-like attitude, and preferential social culture than the West. This could explain why many Western conservatives or alt-rightists who are against political correctness and multiculturalism often praise Southeast/East Asian societies, who seek to emulate it back in the West.
Asian values-oriented figures
- Shinzo Abe
- Rodrigo Duterte
- Hong Jun-pyo
— South Korean neoconservative populist - Hun Sen — Prime minister of Cambodia
- Hwang Kyo-ahn — South Korean paleoconservative populist
- Lee Kuan Yew
- Lee Hsien Loong
- Mahathir Mohamad — Former prime minister of Malaysia
- Prayut Chan-o-cha — Prime Minister of Thailand
- Xi Jinping
- Nguyễn Phú Trọng — de facto top leader of Vietnam
See also
Notes
- ↑ the original Norwegian text "Det interessante spørsmålet blir jo; hvorfor blir ikke Japanere og Sør-Koreanere demonisert som nazister og fascister? Svaret vet vi…"
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