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Multiculturalism

See OP

  • Total voters
    23
German guy said:
To the OP question (I voted "other"):

Multiculturalism: Yes, of course.

*BUT* within a frame of a society that respects minority rights, religious freedom and a free, open political system. Each of the different subcultures within society must embrace this frame, else it cannot work but will fall apart.

But as long as this frame is respected, multiculturalism should be encouraged: As long as you live and let live, it really doesn't matter how you dress, what you eat, what you believe, how you worship -- and of course it does even matter less which skin color you have, which language is your first language, or which country you or your parents are originally from.

For technical reasons, I'd include language skills of the respective native language: It's necessary for a society to function that all subcultures can at least communicate without greater difficulties.

Some Muslim immigrants still seem to have problems with this concept. But even more so, there are much more, by far much more natives who have a problem with that. Xenophobes who want a homogeneous society, that is ethnically, culturally or racially "pure". Those people are the enemies of freedom and the enemies of an open society. I'd give random Muslim extremists as example, or right-wingers à la Wilders, or Breivik.
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Well stated
I agree...
As long as the Islamists agree to "live and let live", but if not, then we do not want them..
 
earthworm said:
Are we saying that our nation should look to Canada for guidance ?
Or add Canada to the Germany and Japan list ??
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I was using us as a single example. There are other multicultural nations, France being one of the most.

My point is that while some of you worry about having your identity protected, and want a clear concise culture, we up here, and in France, Germany, Norway have multicultural societies but our cultures can still be identified as Canadian, French, German and Norwegian. The Multiculturalism is what forms our countries' cultures.
 
I'm all for muti-culturalism. I don't what someone's race, religion, or (insert other cultural differences here), is. The more diverse a culture is a better. There is only one race and that is the human race.
 
earthworm said:
All people do have things in common.
This may be news to some.
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There are some things that humans have in common even with other species, but trying to live in harmony with them is not feasible, i.e., we humans and the apes have much in common, such as family life, using certain tools, grooming one another, cherishing the children, even anatomical configuration, but it would be folly to attempt to integrate our social activities with them. Therefore, the fact that all humans have commonalities isn't reason enough to declare that everyone should mix and create one universal race of people simply due to those commonalities; n'est-ce pas?
 
Cephus said:
Not enough. If people lack a common identity and common aims, they have no reason to join together to achieve common goals.
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That is common sense, which is sadly lacking in the heads of the collectivists.
 
Juiposa said:
I was using us as a single example. There are other multicultural nations, France being one of the most.

My point is that while some of you worry about having your identity protected, and want a clear concise culture, we up here, and in France, Germany, Norway have multicultural societies but our cultures can still be identified as Canadian, French, German and Norwegian. The Multiculturalism is what forms our countries' cultures.
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But for how long will those countries retain even a remnant of their original cultures after the aliens have become the majority? Think further ahead than tomorrow.
 
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German guy said:
To the OP question (I voted "other"):

Multiculturalism: Yes, of course.

*BUT* within a frame of a society that respects minority rights, religious freedom and a free, open political system. Each of the different subcultures within society must embrace this frame, else it cannot work but will fall apart.

But as long as this frame is respected, multiculturalism should be encouraged: As long as you live and let live, it really doesn't matter how you dress, what you eat, what you believe, how you worship -- and of course it does even matter less which skin color you have, which language is your first language, or which country you or your parents are originally from.

For technical reasons, I'd include language skills of the respective native language: It's necessary for a society to function that all subcultures can at least communicate without greater difficulties.

Some Muslim immigrants still seem to have problems with this concept. But even moreso, there are much more, by far much more natives who have a problem with that. Xenophobes who want a homogenous society, that is ethnically, culturally or racially "pure". Those people are the enemies of freedom and the enemies of an open society. I'd give random Muslim extremists as example, or right-wingers à la Wilders, or Breivik.
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If you were in charge of a zoo, would you have all the beasts mix with one another? Please don't remark that humans are not beasts, which would be a cop-out. The principle is the same.
 
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Juiposa said:
Multiculturalism as a state policy, yes or no?

I bring this up as the man behind the Norway attacks did it on motivation from Norway's open doors policy on immigration.
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Yeah, I think it's a fine policy. It's the kind of policy, I think, that only has a chance in secular/liberal democracies like the United States.

There's this notion that multiculturalism prevents a nation from becoming united, but that idea rests on the false premise that multiple cultures cannot share a political culture. In other words, the idea that Mexican, South African, German, Native American, etc. cultures cannot coexist while their members are united under the American ideals embodied in the Constitution is not only a direct contradiction to the current United States, but also completely illogical.

I like living in a place where I can expose myself to many cultures. And to be honest, I think many immigrants appreciate American ideals more than many non-immigrants since the former tend to purposely come here to experience them whereas many in the latter group either take them for granted or try to turn this country something it isn't. Consequently, the idea that multiculturalism hurts a country doesn't really line up with my experiences so I support it.
 
U.S. Socialist. said:
I'm all for muti-culturalism. I don't what someone's race, religion, or (insert other cultural differences here), is. The more diverse a culture is a better. There is only one race and that is the human race.
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Are you saying that negroid, Caucasoid, Oriental, etc. are not races? If not, what are they?
 
Basher said:
Are you saying that negroid, Caucasoid, Oriental, etc. are not races? If not, what are they?
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Race is a social construct that doesn't have a scientific basis.
 
theplaydrive said:
Yeah, I think it's a fine policy. It's the kind of policy, I think, that only has a chance in secular/liberal democracies like the United States.

There's this notion that multiculturalism prevents a nation from becoming united, but that idea rests on the false premise that multiple cultures cannot share a political culture. In other words, the idea that Mexican, South African, German, Native American, etc. cultures cannot coexist while their members are united under the American ideals embodied in the Constitution is not only a direct contradiction to the current United States, but also completely illogical.

I like living in a place where I can expose myself to many cultures. And to be honest, I think many immigrants appreciate American ideals more than many non-immigrants since the former tend to purposely come here to experience them whereas many in the latter group either take them for granted or try to turn this country something it isn't. Consequently, the idea that multiculturalism hurts a country doesn't really line up with my experiences so I support it.
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Can you name a stable nation where there is wide-spread diversity of racial segments of population? Israel?
 
theplaydrive said:
Race is a social construct that doesn't have a scientific basis.
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That isn't responsive to the question. If that is so, then humanity must be a construct; n'est-ce pas?
 
Basher said:
Can you name a stable nation where there is wide-spread diversity of racial segments of population? Israel?
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The United States - unless there's a civil war I'm not aware of.
 
Basher said:
That isn't responsive to the question. If that is so, then humanity must be a construct; n'est-ce pas?
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That is the only response to your question. Race is a social construct - it doesn't have a scientific basis. Humanity has a scientific basis - it isn't a construct.
 
theplaydrive said:
The United States - unless there's a civil war I'm not aware of.
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Stability isn't the absence of civil war, and if you consider America to be a stable country, you haven't been keeping up with the news. Sorry to burst your bubble.
 
theplaydrive said:
That is the only response to your question. Race is a social construct - it doesn't have a scientific basis. Humanity has a scientific basis - it isn't a construct.
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But you said the human "race," which implies that humanity is a race, and then you say that there are no races, which doesn't follow. Have you looked up the word "race" in a dictionary?

race (ras) n. 1. One of the major zoological subdivisions of mankind, regarded as having a common origin and exhibiting a relatively constant set of genetically determined physical traits.
 
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Basher said:
But you said the human "race," which implies that humanity is a race, and then you say that there are no races, which doesn't follow. Have you looked up the word "race" in a dictionary?
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US Socialist said "human race" - I, however, said nothing of the sort. Like I said before, race is a social construct.
 
Basher said:
Stability isn't the absence of civil war, and if you consider America to be a stable country, you haven't been keeping up with the news. Sorry to burst your bubble.
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The United States is pretty stable country.
 
theplaydrive said:
US Socialist said "human race" - I, however, said nothing of the sort. Like I said before, race is a social construct.
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It is also defined in the dictionary, so check it out.
 
Basher said:
But you said the human "race," which implies that humanity is a race, and then you say that there are no races, which doesn't follow. Have you looked up the word "race" in a dictionary?

race (ras) n. 1. One of the major zoological subdivisions of mankind, regarded as having a common origin and exhibiting a relatively constant set of genetically determined physical traits.
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It's a linguistic blip that you are taking far too seriously. Most of biological science has realized that race is not the stiff category that it was once thought of in Victorian times. Racial classifications is really only helpful in creating broad, liquid but subjective groupings from similar geographical regions. Once you start to delve into the specifics, race, as a classification, falls apart under scrutiny.
 
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theplaydrive said:
The United States is pretty stable country.
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Tell that to the people who are being robbed, raped, murdered, mutilated and abused by one segment of the population daily. Tell that to the people who have been rooked out of their life savings by charlatans like Madoff. Tell it to the folks who have lost their life savings due to the benevolence of the bankers who steal their property ...
 
Basher said:
Tell that to the people who are being robbed, raped, murdered, mutilated and abused by one segment of the population daily. Tell that to the people who have been rooked out of their life savings by charlatans like Madoff. Tell it to the folks who have lost their life savings due to the benevolence of the bankers who steal their property ...
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Care to identify a time when everything was perfect so we can compare and contrast?
 
RadicalModerate said:
It's a linguistic blip that you are taking far too seriously. Most of biological science has realized that race is not the stiff category that it was once thought of in Victorian times. Racial classifications is really only helpful in creating broad, liquid but subjective groupings from similar geographical regions. Once you start to delve into the specifics, race, as a classification, falls apart under scrutiny.
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I don't see it that way, and I would imagine most other people wouldn't either, but have it your way if you insist.
 
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