against "human rights imperialism" and a reaffirmation of indigenous
values, as can be seen in the support for religious fundamentalism by
the younger generation in non-Western cultures. The very notion
that there could be a "universal civilization" is a Western idea, directly
at odds with the particularism of most Asian societies and their
emphasis on what distinguishes one people from another. Indeed, the
author of a review of ioo comparative studies of values in different
societies concluded that "the values that are most important in the
West are least important worldwide." In the political realm, of
course, these differences are most manifest in the efforts of the
United States and other Western powers to induce other peoples to
adopt Western ideas concerning democracy and human rights.
Modern democratic government originated in the West. When it has
developed in non-Western societies it has usually been the product of
Western colonialism or imposition.