September 26, 2006
Multiculturalism defined...incorrectly
Multiculturalism Breeds TerrorismMulticulturalism—a creation of leftist, Western, nihilistic, post-modern philosophy professors—begins by promoting "cultural relativism," which holds that all cultures are of equal value; no culture is better or worse than any other. Logically, this serves to de-value Western values, such as reason, science, productiveness, and each individual's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, by equating them with the most irrational and destructive practices of primitive, mystical cultures such as voodoo medicine, the subjugation of women by men, genital mutilation, and even cannibalism. As essentialized by Peter Schwartz, "Multiculturalism is the debased attempt to obliterate values by claiming that they are indistinguishable from non-values." For the correct definition, see Multiculturalism Defined.
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13 comments:
Writerfella here --
Quite a wormy can of mixed nuts, this posting. Obviously the various minds brought together here, among the few times they coincide and actually agree, seemingly are stating that if a given human society is 'multi-cultural,' it becomes incapable of giving rise, in and of itself, to discrimination, bias, or even segregation on the basis of race, gender, nationality, religion, or sexual orientation. And just where is that 'multi-cultural' society that lacks such quantities? Does it exist now or has it ever existed at all? I'd like to go there, even for just a visit. Or is it instead like OZ, however one defines that name, which is 'over there' and 'just beyond the horizon'? A idyllic figment of imagination contained in the 'collective unconscious'? A philosophical point that stays inside its own poetry and never emerges into definable reality? Otherwise, it lays outside writerfella's ordinary reach like 'string theory' or 'chaos time and fractal equations.'
The most writerfella got out of the milieu was that 'xenomorphs' is spelled with an 'x' rather than a 'z'.
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
When you say "this posting," are you talking about "Multicultural Breeds Terrorism" or "Multiculturalism Defined"? Sounds like the latter to me.
I'm the guiding light behind the compilation of thoughts in "Multiculturalism Defined." As such, I'm pretty sure I didn't say that a multicultural society can't give rise to discrimination or bias.
Indeed, a monocultural society may be less discriminatory than a multicultural society because there's no one to discriminate against. But while a multicultural society may foster intolerance, it also may foster the tolerance needed to overcome it.
If so, the result is a better society overall. People who have learned to respect and trust "others" are better off than people who have never met "others" and don't know any better.
Writerfella here --
If that were true that "a monocultural society may be less discriminatory than a multicultural society," then how does one explain the isolationist society of Iceland? The US has military presence there, but military members 'of color' cannot leave the base environs by language of the US treaty with the Icelandic government. When George Lucas was going to film STAR WARS -- THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, he chose Iceland as his filming location. But amid the negotiations, he was informed by the Icelandic authorities that, if he had cast or film crew members that were of non-white races in his company, they could not leave their hotel rooms at all. Instead, Lucas moved his production to Finland and thus face no such restrictions.
And writerfella respectfully would ask to be shown a picture of an intolerant multicultural society "fostering the tolerance to overcome (their intolerance)."
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Writerfella here --
POSTSCRIPTUM: Oh, and Martin Lipton may have meant, "confusing multinationalism with multiculturalism," where as he wrote, "confusing multiracialism with multiculturalism." The two terms in question are not the same things.
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Writerfella has a good point, that monocultural societies might be monocultural BECAUSE of discrimination.
Also, due to some unfortunate situation with human nature, you can have monocultural societies with discrimination problems. There are some black countries (such as Haiti) where there is discrimination based on how black you are.
Writerfella here --
Oh, yes, I saw that SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE skit, where Eddie Murphy was asked in an 'interview' if it was true that 'light-skinned Blacks' were more successful than 'dark-skinned Blacks'. Yes, he said, and then the next question was, 'Is it also true that some successful 'light-skinned Blacks 'also burst into flame spontaneously (which Michael Jackson had done that particular week when his hair was touched by fireworks), and the answer again was 'Yes.' Talk about a discrimination issue becoming 'a trial by fire'!
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
I was thinking of our multicultural society when I wrote, "But while a multicultural society may foster intolerance, it also may foster the tolerance needed to overcome it." Don't you think we've grown more tolerant than we were, say, 50 or 100 years ago? I do.
Writerfella here --
Well, so one might have hoped. But to all apparent signs, intolerance and discrimination merely became more 'de facto' than ever it was. Consider again that my cousin Milton could not get a roughneck position with ANY of the scores of oil drilling rig sites in southwest Oklahoma. I was with him for over half of his making the rounds and by my own observation, I never saw one brown or black face among any of the crews.
If anything, either the levels of bias and racism went into hiding and thus never went away, or they were refurbished and retargeted to become aimed at gays and Lesbians, against whom such matters are nowhere near being illegal. And after 9/11, Arabs and even Hindus and people from SE Asia and Oceania came into more than their share of harrassments and racial hatred here in the US.
I remember Fritz Leiber's short story in DANGEROUS VISIONS, "The Day After The Day The Martians Came." Newspaper and TV reporters are in a D.C. hotel bar watching coverage of the seal-like aliens that landed close by at the White House. And the crowd of professional cynics starts sniping and making aspersions and jokes about the Martians' intelligence, parentage, sexual practices, and possible religious beliefs. Then it is announced that a second spaceship is about to land at Dulles Airport. The reporters rush out, leaving only the bartender and the Black janitor in the bar. The old Black man tries to make his own Martian joke, which falls flat. And the bartender says, "Henry, you of all people shouldn't be trying to make those kinds of stupid jokes. Leave them to the ones who really know how to make them. And remember that whatever happened today makes no difference at all."
And the old Black man starts sweeping again, and says, "Well, them Martians may not make a lot of difference to you. But they sure are going to make a lot of difference to me."
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Your comment reminds me of The Seminal Moment in GREEN LANTERN #76. Check it out.
I don't read Green Lantern anymore, but I recall John Stewart being my favorite one. Did you read the "Mosaic" series this character headlined?
I may have read one issue of MOSAIC, but no, basically not. I did read the comic introducing John Stewart and many of his early adventures.
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