A couple years ago I went to a wedding reception in Edison, New Jersey. The wedding itself had taken place in India. It was an arranged marriage freely entered, and the couple seemed VERY happy. The parents of a school friend of mine, educated Indians, had an arranged marriage, and again they were happy - thought that families made wise and benevolent decisions for their children. That marriage is going on fifty years now.
Three days a week I go to Lakewood, NJ, which is 70% ultra-orthodox Jewish. Arranged marriages, freely entered, are very common among them, and while I can’t judge the happiness of any of those marriages, family and community are strong there.
Arranged marriage is here, all right. There’s nothing repugnant about it, as long as it is not forced.
“Arranged” marriages are not “forced” marriages.