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How do we think about taking down controversial statues in the UK? How do we think about taking down controversial statues in the UK?
We have every right to take the statues down We have every right to take the statues down
How dare they tear down our statues How dare they tear down our statues
We should approach the statues issue with caution We should approach the statues issue with caution
The statues sustain structural oppression The statues sustain structural oppression
The controversial statues celebrate evil acts The controversial statues celebrate evil acts
The controversial statues venerate evil people The controversial statues venerate evil people
The controversial statues oppress UK ethnic minorities The controversial statues oppress UK ethnic minorities
The controversial statues represent UK history inaccurately The controversial statues represent UK history inaccurately
Having controversial statues in a museum sanctifies evil Having controversial statues in a museum sanctifies evil
The controversial statues legitimise racism The controversial statues legitimise racism
The controversial UK statues destroy the intellectual health of the public The controversial UK statues destroy the intellectual health of the public
Controversial statues hide deep injustice Controversial statues hide deep injustice
The controversial statues debate shows how Britain's democratic channels have failed us The controversial statues debate shows how Britain's democratic channels have failed us
This is the revolutionary resistance we have been waiting for This is the revolutionary resistance we have been waiting for
The people tearing down controversial statues are erasing British history The people tearing down controversial statues are erasing British history
We must defend British culture against those who tear down controversial statues in the UK We must defend British culture against those who tear down controversial statues in the UK
The violent mob are race traitors The violent mob are race traitors
We have been forced to accept multiculturalism against our will We have been forced to accept multiculturalism against our will
All lives matter, so tearing down controversial statues in the UK is wrong All lives matter, so tearing down controversial statues in the UK is wrong
The police are working in the interests of the enemy when they support those who tear down controversial statues The police are working in the interests of the enemy when they support those who tear down controversial statues
Non-whites should go back to where they came from rather than tearing down controversial statues Non-whites should go back to where they came from rather than tearing down controversial statues
This is an attack on the white working class This is an attack on the white working class
The controversial statues are an attack on the UK's white majority The controversial statues are an attack on the UK's white majority
We should find ways to give more context to these controversial statues in the UK We should find ways to give more context to these controversial statues in the UK
Controversial statues have an educational purpose in the UK Controversial statues have an educational purpose in the UK
Our approach to storytelling UK statues is flawed Our approach to storytelling UK statues is flawed
The UK controversial statues debate is about the decline of the West The UK controversial statues debate is about the decline of the West
The UK controversial statues debate is an opportunity to think about how we look at history The UK controversial statues debate is an opportunity to think about how we look at history
The controversial statues are a distraction from the real issue at hand in the UK The controversial statues are a distraction from the real issue at hand in the UK
We should focus on the UK's present, not its past We should focus on the UK's present, not its past
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How do we think about taking down controversial statues in the UK?
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We should approach the statues issue with caution

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The UK controversial statues debate is about the decline of the West

This battle over whether or not to take down controversial statues is really a proxy for a larger battle about the decline of Western authority in geopolitics.
Greg Johnson
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The Argument

The Deline of the West is a 2 volume book and thesis on the cycle of civilizations throughout history, published in 1918 and 1922.[1] He argues that Western civilization has passed its Cultural stage and is now in a stage of decay. [2] This point is driven home by one of his beliefs that once a civilization has reached its stage of decay, it will embark on a crusade to put forth its moral code on the people of the world.[3] This would explain the tearing down of statues by not only protestors but the government alike. [4] We must focus on avoiding this period of decay, rather than perpetuating the cycle.

Counter arguments

Oswald Spengler’s thesis on current Western civilization can not be considered as a philosophical issue of today, because he was not only wrong about the “inevitable path” of 2 of the 8 cultures referenced in his books, he also argued that Western civilization is already in decline at the time of writing these books, which were published 100 years ago.[5]

Proponents

Premises

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3096566/west-decline
  2. https://faculty.webster.edu/corbetre/personal/reading/spengler-decline.html
  3. https://faculty.webster.edu/corbetre/personal/reading/spengler-decline.html
  4. https://www.lancaster.gov.uk/news/2020/jul/revealing-our-past-council-looks-to-reveal-district-s-hidden-history
  5. https://faculty.webster.edu/corbetre/personal/reading/spengler-decline.html
This page was last edited on Tuesday, 6 Oct 2020 at 12:02 UTC

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