There is not a surefire rule of thumb by which we can
determine what social norms must be declared acceptable and what must not.
There are, however, a number of principles to which we must adhere because our
survival as a species depends on them. For example, we know that the
commandment “Thou shall not kill” must be adhered to because if we did not, we
run the risk of killing each other to extinction. And there are many other
examples.
Other than that, each of the hundreds of cultures and
subcultures that exist today or have existed since the beginning of time, has
adopted a set of social norms that did not develop randomly but was dictated by
the evolutionary route that the nature of the environment has imposed on the adherents
of the culture, and the circumstances that formed as a result. Because the
circumstances have a tendency to change, the cultures have allowed the social
norms to adapt.
But until this happens, a society which remains isolated for
a long time will develop a set of norms that work for its members, and then go
into a period of stagnation during which time little or no change will occur.
It stays in this condition till visitors from another culture who adhere to
different norms come by for a sojourn of some duration. A culture shock may
ensue after which each society will acquire norms from the other, and be happy
with them. Normally, the transformation will happen peacefully unless the
culture shock is so severe, violence is triggered and one of the cultures is
physically annihilated or totally assimilated by the other.
Adaptation to the environment and to other conditions is not
only a human trait but one that belongs to all organisms. It takes place when
the change is gradual enough to give time for adaptation to happen and be
passed on from one generation to the next. This is how members of the fauna and
flora have flourished to become many species, and this is why it has been
possible to domesticate animals of all kinds.
Human beings are no different in many respects, but they
enjoy one exception that is a trait unique to them. They are intelligent, which
gives them the power to think independently. This is a blessing that can also
be a curse if and when it is misused. Thus, the trait must be viewed as a
double edged sword that made human progress possible but also caused humanity
to almost annihilate itself on a few occasions.
That trait has also allowed human beings to develop a
concept called fairness. And most of the conflicts that were generated between
individuals, clans, ethnic groups and nations were caused by someone feeling
they were not being treated fairly by someone else. The trouble is that with
time, the word “fairness” took on definitions that range from the simple notion
of apparent equality to the contorted notion that “I deserve more than the next
guy because I have special birthrights.”
A careful study of the conflicts that have plagued mankind
since the beginning of time can be traced to that contorted notion as well as
the reaction to it. The reality is that when someone says “I deserve more
because I am superior,” someone else will react by challenging him with the
saying “I am more superior than you are … and this makes you inferior to me.”
It is this kind of dialogue, however elusively it may be expressed, that is at
the root of most contemporary problems.
At some point in the distant past, a group of people
elevated that contorted notion to the level of religious belief and turned it
into an ideology to live by. They have been the cause of every major conflict
that has plagued mankind ever since. They went through several transformations,
now calling themselves Jews, Zionists or what have you. Wherever they went
throughout time, they entered into conflict with someone, and paid dearly for
it.
This has put them at odds with the entire human race but
they were never deterred, and they never relented. They are at it again,
calling on the superpower of the day, where they have some influence, to pit
itself against everyone on the planet to protect their right to do what they
want without being accountable for anything. This mentality can be detected in
the article written by the notorious Claudia Rosett under the title: “The
U.N.'s Grotesque Gaza Inquiry” and the subtitle: “An inquiry into Israel 's alleged abuses wins approval from Iran , Syria ,
and Sudan .”
It was published on August 22, 2014 in National review Online.