Us Versus Them.

The real problem that tears our society apart.

A few days ago, I watched a YouTube video about obligatory cultural class in Norway to all refugees especially if they came from middle eastern countries like Syria or Iraq. If you want to watch it yourself, you can watch it here.

These classes were intentionally meant to help these people understand Norwegian culture. But it also also meant to suppress the crime rate all across the country especially for the crimes related to cultural differences between their hometown and Norway, like the way women dress related to rape committed by middle eastern men.

Let’s be honest here. In my opinion, these classes are not ways to help these asylum seekers to behave well in society. But instead, these classes are meant to help Norwegians (or Europeans in general) feel safe from these “barbaric” people, who were forced to flee their own countries due to conflicts which are happening there. There is fear for these “savages” who live among them, the “civilized” people. Fear that is even proudly shown in the EU referendum and national election by many parties and politicians in Europe.

Although it is an interesting topic to discuss, I am not going to talk about criminology or political stuff in this essay. Instead, I am about to talk about one particular line from the video that stuck in my head.

“So, you’re saying that we shouldn’t stare at women in short dresses? But equally, some Norwegians look at women who wear very traditional hijab and assume they’re ignorant and backward. We have to learn, but they also need to learn about us too.”

This particular line stuck in my head because it actually describes something subliminal, hidden deep in their unconscious mind. It is about the us-versus-them mentality. This is a real problem in our society whether you realize it or not.

After reading the story above, you might be thinking that it happened only in Europe due to refugee crisis years ago. But actually, it happens to all kind of people and all across the globe too.

For example, it has been happening to people of color in America. And even in the last few years, it happened also for Central Americans, especially Mexicans due to “border crisis” brought to the surface by President Trump. White Americans fear that those people will take away their job, increase the crime rate, and even threaten their or their kid’s life.

In 2020 this also happens to Chinese and Eastern Asians all across the globe due to the current coronavirus outbreak, not excluding Indonesia especially with the Chinese-phobia lingers in our midst since the late 1990s. From economic to the health issue, all kind of reason is used to discriminate these people, even if they are innocent.

One same thing that has been happening here. We see other people based on their race, their nationality, their religion, or even their sexual orientation, as a threat. It is US versus THEM. The funny thing about this mindset is often, both sides think the same way. They think that they are the right ones, and the others are just complete garbage.

For example, in the video the Muslims think that it is right to wear hijab, so a woman who wears a short skirt is “inviting” to be raped, meanwhile, the Norwegians think it is right to dress however they want and think that the hijabis are terrorist or backward people.

Both sides think it is us who are right and they are wrong. None of them wants to admit that none of them is completely right nor completely wrong. This happens also all across the globe and this mentality just tears people apart, live in a small box with people who look and think like us only. The box of same identity or way of thinking.

Maybe it happens to you too these days. Maybe you think that people with a different political opinion are idiots. Maybe you think that people who spent their money on disposable things are morons. Or maybe you think that people who break the rule to stay at home during this pandemic are stupid arse holes. Those thoughts are us-versus-them mindsets too. We made a box to classify these people as “WE, the right and smart ones” or “THEY, the wrong and stupid morons”.

These boxes were no longer meant to be protection against outside threat. But instead it is used to keep “other species” away from us. We are distancing ourselves from others intentionally. No matter you like it or not, in the end we all are humans and we all live in the same world. Why do we have to make boxes to differ ourselves from other people?

Having differences does not mean that we are not the same. The sad truth is we live in an interconnected world, yet now we are more disconnected than ever.