It's time for an East - West dialogue

by R.S.Karunaratne

In the days of yore, an Easterner had visited one of the leading European countries only to receive a mild surprise. The story goes that people got round him and raised his coat from behind to verify whether he had a tail! This is an indicator to the Western attitude towards the East.

There was a time when Westerners considered Easterners as barbarians. However, so much water has flowed under the bridge that they no longer think of us as uncivilized human beings. On the contrary, the more sophisticated of them come barefooted and walk down our lanes to seek spiritual salvation.

Apart from certain basic differences in complexion, size and language, Westerners are more or less like Easterners. Yet why do we still look up to the West to guide our destinies? The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and various other political and economic organizations have been dictating terms to the East. We obey them even to the point of derogating our self-respect.

A careful survey of the industrial map of the world would reveal the stark fact that nature has been very fair in bestowing her gifts to the West and the East. About 75 p.c. of the iron, copper, chromium, manganese, nickel, gold, aluminium and uranium are found in the West.

However, this does not mean that the East is deprived of these natural resources. There are perhaps a vast number of untapped resources such as gold and crude oil in the East. While the West is exploring every possibility of tapping her resources, the East remains contented with imported materials.

New economic order

The Eastern countries are struggling to bring forth a new economic order but every attempt towards a new economic goal seems to fail as they do not have the necessary technological know-how or liquid cash to invest in exploration projects.

This dual disability has compelled the Eastern countries to import every commodity, technology and raw materials from the affluent West. This unhealthy trend is bound to create a long term economic problem especially to the poorer countries in the East.

The dependence on the West is seen in many other fields too. For instance, petroleum is a pre-requisite to any industry. In times to come it would be replaced by newer energies.

The dramatic and sometimes unethical rise in the price of petroleum products has produced innumerable problems to developing countries such as Sri Lanka. When the Middle East oil resources dry up, the East will be compelled to rely on the West for supplies of fuel.

Although the use of coal is fast receding, it is found in abundance in Great Britain. But Eastern countries have not probed the possibility of producing coal in their own countries. Meanwhile, a major portion of iron is produced in Great Britain. In fact, it was the people of that country who pioneered the modern steel industry which was followed by a series of remarkable inventions and discoveries.

When it comes to food, the East is still dependent on the West to a great extent. We are so used to the bread eating habit that the price of bread is in fact beyond our control. The West has the power to regulate the price of wheat flour and we are at their mercy.

Birth-control

Despite the popularisation of birth-control methods, the population in Eastern countries is ever on the increase. China and India are struggling to feed the people with their limited resources. However, the West has solved the population boom to a certain extent.

When it comes to general health standards, the situation in the East is much to be desired. People in the East largely depend on native treatment and this has resulted in the proliferation of quacks who masquerade as medical men. The ignorance and gullibility that go along with it have caused many untimely deaths - not to mention the cases of chronic diseases which have been aggravated by mal-treatment.

In the sphere of religion too the situation is very intriguing. The modern sciences and technology have upto a certain extent undermined the very foundations of orthodox religions.

Despite scientific evidence to the contrary, people in the West seem to believe in God and creation. Once Soren Kierkegaard said: "There is not a scrap of evidence to prove the existence of God, but I'm going to jump the gap and believe in Him."

Meanwhile, advanced thinkers like Bertrand Russell do not pay much attention to established religions. What Russell says in his controversial book - "Why I am not a Christian" - has remained valid even to date. According to Russell, "all the great religions in the world - Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Communism - are both untrue and harmful.

Eastern philosopher J. Krishnamurti too says that faith in religion or God is not very significant. According to him, what is important is to understand what we are and not what we think or what we think we should be.

Sanctity of marriage

Where marriage and family life are concerned Easterners seem to be more reasonable and humane than their Western counterparts. In Western countries the fundamental difference of male and female is rapidly fading away. Even the sanctity of marriage does not exist in Western societies.

Women's liberation movements have been largely instrumental in their demand for parity with men. When married couples in the East are trying to come to a compromise whenever they find life is not easy going, their counterparts in the West fight it out in divorce courts. The modern trend towards pre-marital sex has eroded basic moral codes.

Similarly sexual promiscuity has paved the way for more marriages to go on the rocks.

Although modern communication methods have shrunk the world into a global village, the East and the West have not merged still. Westerners who had a long history of Western Civilization seem to be guided by Reason. When Aristotle said, "Man is a rational animal," he was thinking of the Western man. Easterners, meanwhile derive much of their philosophy from Buddhism and Hinduisim.