Relativism Vs American Imperialism

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a household where political debate was part of my routine: dinner tables yielded fierce discussion daily and from the age of twelve I frequented Speakers’ Corner, speaking alone on two occasions. As my interest in advocacy and social justice evolved, I chose to exercise my democratic freedoms by joining the Labour party, and even won my own Head Boy election on a democratic mandate. Whilst debate and discussion simulated my imagination, I wanted to understand how to make a difference. Thus, I have become used to critically analysing current events, from EU membership to the refugee crisis, conscious that political theory interprets public life but also raises intellectual questions. For example, if human rights are universal, does that imply a duty to impose democratic values worldwide, or would that constitute cultural imperialism? Or should we see democracy, as Plato did, and as Modern Greek elections might guide us to see it, as an emotive and fickle force inclined to emotion rather than rational decision-making? …show more content…
Christopher Hitchin’s “Old Enough to Die” revealed, shockingly, that America executes more juveniles than any country that we know of. To me, this appears to highlight Plato’s fear: opinion over knowledge. Owen Jones’ “The Establishment” concurs by painting a picture of various British institutions holding disproportionate control by hiding behind a facade of democracy, to the advantage of the wealthy and powerful