Western nations refer to themselves as developed, democratic and tolerant. They claim to stand for what other countries should aspire to be. If comforts like good motels and ice-cold beer are a measure of being developed, they are indeed that. Democracy is about freedom of movement and speech, and being able to vote governments in and out; that is also the case in each. When it comes to tolerance, though, I am not so sure.
Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board ignited fierce debate this week when it granted a white South African man asylum on the grounds that he had been persecuted in his homeland by blacks. Brandon Huntley, 31, claimed he had been attacked seven times by assailants who called him a 'white dog' and a 'settler'. South Africa's ruling African National Congress has doubted the allegations and called the board's decision racist. Others have suggested that the issue is more one of either opportunism or South Africa's high crime rate. Canadian immigration officials, no doubt fearing that the independent body's ruling could spawn a flood of similar assertions, are looking into the matter.
Few countries are as welcoming to refugees as Canada. Its policies towards minorities and the social welfare network that supports citizens in need have won global acclaim. My perception of Canadians is that they are tolerant of other races and nationalities, and always politically correct. This is nonetheless a sweeping statement; racism, religious intolerance, homophobia and a host of other social ills exist in every society.
The US pop star Madonna brought this clearly home in a concert in Romania last week. Her call to a 60,000-strong audience in Bucharest for Europeans to end discrimination against Roma - commonly referred to as gypsies - was met by loud boos. There are about 15 million Roma in Europe, 2 million of them estimated to live in Romania. Discrimination against them is widespread across the continent; they generally live in poverty and are denied equal access to education and health care.
Barack Obama may have been elected America's first black president, but this has not ended racism in the nation. Blacks, hispanics and other minorities continue to be discriminated against by police, employers and sectors of the white majority. Media reports continually highlight gaps in educational attainment, income and judicial treatment. Equal-rights advocates admit there is still some way to go before the nation that proudly proclaims itself the 'land of the free' can truly deserve that tag.
My homeland, Australia, has for decades been trying to right the wrongs its white majority has inflicted on the aboriginal minority. People of my mother's generation still generally refuse to accept that compensation is necessary.