I have to say, what bothers me about Western arrogance is how it pertains to views of the third world. Like the idea that Africa would magically be all better if they just had nice democratic leaders. Instead, why not foster democratic ideas in tandem with African ones? This would create an organic form of democracy that would be entirely African, rather than an imposed Western system. And who is to say that Western ideas are the best? Best for the West, perhaps (though definitely not always), but best for the entire world... hardly.
As for your doctor example... I had my kids at home with a midwife and wouldn't go to an OB/GYN unless there was a medical problem. My big reason is because doctors are trained in medical problems, not the natural process of childbirth. Doing things like putting women on a 12 hour time limit for laboring, when things are going fine for both mom and baby (of course it's different if mom is pooped and/or baby is in distress), is just silly and has led to the US's 30% c-section rate, which isn't good for moms or babies. Don't even get me started on OBs who think every woman needs an episiotomy...
As for your doctor example... I had my kids at home with a midwife and wouldn't go to an OB/GYN unless there was a medical problem. My big reason is because doctors are trained in medical problems, not the natural process of childbirth. Doing things like putting women on a 12 hour time limit for laboring, when things are going fine for both mom and baby (of course it's different if mom is pooped and/or baby is in distress), is just silly and has led to the US's 30% c-section rate, which isn't good for moms or babies. Don't even get me started on OBs who think every woman needs an episiotomy...
