The Death Of Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism, loved by the left, loathed by the right, is once again in the spotlight, not as a successful model for social structure, but as an idea that has seen its day.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that it has “failed utterly” in her country. The-right wingers want to get rid of those who refuse to adapt to the wider culture, while those on the left, of course, decry this sentiment as racist. Given Germany's history, people are fearful of anything that would lead the rest of the world to see a re-emergence of fascism, but worry that the character of their nation is being irrevocably changed.
In Canada, politicians are making all the right noises to make us believe that multiculturalism makes for a strong nation. What they fail to produce is evidence to support this theory. A look at the facts leads to a very different conclusion. This is a country that has a large per capita immigration quota, much of it from Asia and the Middle East. One of the results of this, is cultural communities that exist almost as independent states.
In America the “melting-pot” ideal has fallen victim to waves of immigrants who have no desire to be absorbed into the mainstream. The United States is becoming a land of individual ethnic societies, each with its own agenda. “Divided we fall,” is becoming more than a catch-phrase.
An aging population and low birth-rate make immigration essential to the growth of Western societies. What is troubling for many, however, is the lack of willingness by newcomers to adopt the culture of their new home. Rather than seeing our lifestyle as something to embrace, they shun it as inferior and decadent. Some ethnic groups have become quite aggressive in denouncing “corrupt” Western culture, and seek the right to live by their own laws, as a state within a state.
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