“Cultural appropriation” is a popular term used by social justice warriors (SJWs) to vilify those who adopt ideas, styles, dress, expressions, cuisine or social practices from cultures not their own. That used to be known here as the American melting pot, but SJWs claim this is a form of racial oppression. Well, the United Nations has decided that “cultural appropriation” has become a big issue — so much so that delegates from 189 countries are gathering for a specialized international committee meeting in Geneva in order to declare the practice illegal and work toward creating international laws to prevent it.

The goal of the UN, says James Anaya, dean of law at the University of Colorado, should be to “obligate states to create effective criminal and civil enforcement procedures to recognize and prevent the non-consensual taking and illegitimate possession, sale and export of traditional cultural expressions.” You heard that right — the UN should require governments of the world to create laws which prevent citizens from engaging in the traditions of other cultures. This is ironic given that the constant mantra from the UN and the Left has been calls for greater diversity and globalism. This is a call to tribalism.

In reality, this UN special committee is working to prevent the cultural and economic development of some nations, and the U.S. in particular. Our entire history is one of engaging in the adoption and blending of a multitude of various cultural traditions and practices into one — e pluribus unum. The UN evidently views the concept of a melting pot as racist and oppressive. Just another issue for those disgruntled nations within the UN to use to demonize the U.S.

And that really seems to be the point. Much of the world rejects those foundational values espoused in the U.S. Constitution. Whether it is the right to bear arms or the right to freedom of speech, those are values that many of the world’s intellectual elites find repugnant, because those rights prevent them from controlling people. Liberty prevents them from being able to rule the world according to their own ideals. It allows for the common man to express his own opinions and values. To put it bluntly, this is an attempt to squelch that Liberty.