US a progressive society?

It has been the most culturally dominant nation in the history of the world.

In less than 200 years, American culture, values, business, ideology have found their way to every nook and cranny of the Earth. The vanguard of Western civilization.

Indeed, those countries whose values and cultures were substantially different from the American culture were viewed as something less than acceptable.

In particular, Asian, African, and Middle Eastern cultures were seen as retrograde, having to develop further.

The great schism between the developing world and developed world is seen beyond mere economics but to also include other intangibles.

One measuring stick that is often used to hold the mighty US above the rest of the world is how it treats its women. The rest of the world is told how repressive they are towards women, and gender equality is measured against the American standard.

Women in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other nations often are the subject of this American pontification.

In France recently, for example, the repressed Oriental woman in her head scarf was juxtaposed with French, aka Western, aka American, values of the liberal woman.

Ironically, when the occasion arose for the great American masses to show the world how progressive they were by electing their first woman President, they failed once again.

Hillary Clinton was the first woman of a major political party to be nominated as a presidential candidate.

In 1872, Victoria Woodhull ran for President of the US, and in 1984 and 2008 Geraldine Ferraro of the Democratic Party and Sarah Palin of the Republican Party were vice presidential candidates. This year the glass ceiling was seriously poised to be shattered. But after the results came out America was found wanting as Clinton failed to get the votes required to capture the Oval Office.

Protesters have taken to the streets of various American cities denouncing President- elect Donald J Trump. Unfortunately, Trump is only reflective of the deep-seated values embedded in America. Clinton supporters claim she won the popular vote, but this victory is only a marginal one of about two million.

So clearly America is in conflict with itself, being torn apart internally by its conflicted vision of itself. What appears to be the most regressive and base elements of American values have “trumped” over the progressive image America sells to the rest of the world.

Now the so-called repressive societies still have on the surface a greater commitment to their own advancement, willing to painfully challenge themselves and their cultural norms. So an Islamic country like Pakistan elected a female Prime Minister in Benazir Bhutto, India elected Indira Gandhi, Lu?sa Dias Diogo was Prime Minister of Mozambique, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was President of Sri Lanka, Saara Kuugongelwa- Amadhila was Prime Minister of Namibia, Ciss? Mariam Ka?dama Sidib? was Prime Minister of Mali, Mame Madior Boye Prime Minister of Senegal, Elisabeth Domitien was Prime Minister of the Central African Republic, Sheikh Hasina Wazed was Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Han Myeong- sook was Prime Minister of South Korea, Sylvie Kinigi (born 1953) was Prime Minister of Burundi, and Agathe Uwilingiyimana was Prime Minister of Rwanda.

This list is not exhaustive by any means nor does it include European, Caribbean, or South American women leaders.

The countries, some may argue, are close to the orbit of American influence of norms and values. Yet the source of progressiveness remains alien to this example of gender equality.

These societies which have been labelled as repressing women managed to rise above themselves and elect women as leaders, contrasting sharply with the US which prides itself on being at the tip of the spear of gender equality but has failed repeatedly to go beyond its sexual prejudice.

The country that spawned the Salem witch trials appears to be still trying women by medieval western civilization standards.

DEVANT MAHARAJ via email