Posted on 11/09/2001 1:23:19 PM PST by TopQuark
In WorldNewsDaily (http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=25275), Pat Buchanan wrote, in particular, the following:
"Western peoples must begin to ask themselves questions our ruling class has kept off the table too long: Are there not some peoples, from radically different countries and cultures, who are far more difficult to assimilate in Western societies than others?"
As is often the case, Pat Buchanan misses the boat. Like he, I am outraged at mass booing (or worse) of the American flag, including that which occurred at a soccer game in Los Angeles. A similar incident in France, to which Buchanan also refers in his article --- and which, significantly, occurred after the September 11 attack --- shows that lack of patriotism on part of some recent immigrants is a problem faced by all western countries.
Pat Buchanan is both wrong and factually incorrect, however, to attribute these facts --- as disturbing as they are --- to some intrinsic inability of some peoples. Not original either; this has been said so many times before --- about Irish, Italians, Jews, Vietnamese. And, time after time, this position has been proven wrong.
The problem with recent immigrants --- whether to U.S. or France or England (read about a sheik from Egypt who a few years ago was given refuge in Great Britain and now wants to fly Islamic flags over 10 Downing Street) --- this problem is indeed new. It is new not because the recent arrivals are much different from the myriad others who came to these shores: it is new because those who welcome them are different. We have drowned in multi-culturalism. We have been intimidated into "shame" about the values aspired to and learned (the hard way, indeed) by the Western civilization.
Throughout our history, the immigrants have been even more grateful and proud to be American than those born here. They will not fail, for instance, to cast their votes on an election night. In preparation for the citizenship exam, they have been told and have taken to heart that to vote is their civic duty. In most cases, these people have paid dearly for their freedom and take their citizenship seriously --- in contrast to some of the people you know who, having been born here, take freedoms for granted and cast their votes if the weather is nice.
It is easy for a newcomer to appreciate newly found freedom. What is not trivial is to learn to respect the freedom of others, as part of exercise of democracy. Even today, democracy --- one of the jewels produced by the Western civilization --- is unfamiliar or misunderstood in many parts of the world. Prerequisites of democracy, such as tolerance to opposing views and civility of discourse, are far from common. Many immigrants are lacking in this very skill, which in this country has been until recently routinely passed from generation to generation. To the extent that immigrants internalized these values, they were Westernized; the laws and the culture allowed them to adhere to their roots in all other ways.
But no longer. The multi-culturalists have won; all values and behaviors are declared equal. The new immigrants no longer have teachers. Many of those who moved here for economic reasons never discover the true meaning of America. All that distinguishes this country from the rest of the developed world is that the stores are conveniently open around the clock. Children’s misbehavior is the parents’ failure. We have ourselves to blame.
For we do nothing when we learn, for instance, that the bylaws of Columbia University essentially allow any female to accuse any male of rape and, without due process, get away with such accusation. Individual persons may thereby be wronged, and essential democratic values are clearly desecrated; but the damage is greater still. The thousands of students of Columbia, let alone the recent immigrants, learn to be on the right side of the faddish ideology, and that the might is right. Yet we do nothing. And, how can we? We are not, after all students or faculty of that university. Well, these students will be running this country in a few years. Our country.
Recent immigrants have nothing to do with this. They merely observe what we do and learn from our own conduct. When they hear about then-Vice President Gore pressuring the immigration officials to process in a hurry --- some even without fingerprints --- hundreds of thousands of applicants so that they could vote for him, the immigrant learn how little we value our own citizenship. When the newcomers to this country hear us referring to our public figures, --- regardless of the party or context --- as “guys,” they learn from us to disrespect our social institutions. And, massive doses of profanity we commonly hear in public --- which even acquired the name of “adult language,” as if one needs to grow up rather than debase himself in order to use it --- tell the immigrant and the tourist alike what we view as civil discourse.
Neither are immigrants responsible for the murder of liberal education in this country. On the contrary, they cherish the educational opportunities open to them. They are also the last to embrace the currently rampant moral relativism. It was an American-born university student, for instance, who recently said in class: “I disagree with Hitler but who is to say that he was morally wrong.” Do not blame immigrants for producing an ignorant and morally obtuse generation, the members of which cannot even name major events or figures of American history. It is our fellow citizens, born and bred in the USA, who express amazement upon hearing that they do not need a passport to enter New Mexico (is it not a foreign country?). It is they who, for fear of flying, ask travel agents to organize a bus trip from California to Hawaii.
As heirs of previous generations, we all, regardless of which country or continent we may hail, ought to be proud of our Western values. To ascribe, as does Pat Buchanan, some intrinsic inability of some peoples to acquire such values is wrong and indefensible, however. This great country, as well as Western civilization as a whole, has paid dearly to free itself from the institutionalized racism. So expensive of a history lesson will not be forgotten.
By advocating prejudice Pat Buchanan misses the boat. This includes the boat that brought his Irish forefathers to the American shores.
White liberals set the agenda, black, brown and blue zone whites provide the votes.
Most of those you used for your analogy come (came) from Judeo-Christian backgrounds. If Buchanan is emphasizing the inherent differences which exist between Islam and Western beliefs then I think he is correct. Therefore, included in the groups you noted above would be all those who have experienced the oppression of Islam, ex. Hindus, Buddhists, Lebanese Christians, Copts, etc. In other words, his observations are correct as related to Islamicism.
Get real. Pat is not talking about people who came here legally, went through immigration, populated an empty country, learned the language, joined our armies, became citizens and brought their children up to be good Americans first.
Go ask Sharon what he thinks of open borders and unrestricted immigration. Is he prejudiced?
Yep, "shut the fugg up" is just the civility of discorse I was talking about.
As you demonstrate, it is clearly superior than that of "massive immigration from 3rd world cultures."
I guess his comments last week about the Jews on Wall Street should be interpreted that "some people assimilate too well" into American society.
You can't have it both ways, Pat.
Ah, exactly what did Pat say last week?
I would like to add that multiculturalism is almost a religion now. The U.S. govt. promotes pluralism as almost a god, and all religions, all truth claims, and all cultural practices are deemed equally valid and true. Did you hear Bush recently - "God bless America" - which god would that be? God is Islam, Jesus Christ and all other gods are deemed equally valid. This can't be - the various conceptions of God contradict each other. Of course, this is relativism and is hogwash. Nevertheless, I wanted to vomit at that service at the National Cathedral when an imam got up to speak.
Of course, any sane thinking person knows that not all ideas and truth claims are equally valid as logic and the law of non-contradiction do not allow it.
Pat didn't say anything about "intrinsic inability".
He did talk about "radically different countries and cultures" that make immigrant adjustment and assimilation into our culture more difficult.
That is NOT "intrinsic inability".
Go take your false accusations of racism and bigotry elsewhere.
Have you talked to those people?
I mean those in the boat carrying Pat's Irish ancestors? Most people who came here were runnign from something. What they found upon arrival depended on those who were here, including the welfare systems. Incidentally, in those times the welfare system existed, too: it was administered by churches rather than the government.
You can read them for yourself.
Buchanan Fears Jews on Wall Street posted 10/24/01.
He did talk about "radically different countries and cultures" that make immigrant adjustment and assimilation into our culture more difficult.
That is NOT "intrinsic inability".
One of the points I made was that the making of a citizen depends not only on the immigrant but also on how and into what kind of culture he is being assimilated into. The first is intrinsic to the immigrant, and the second is extrinsic. Look it up.
Go take your false accusations of racism and bigotry elsewhere.
Now you show what you really stand for. No, thanks; forgive me, but I'll stay where I am.
Yep, just off the boat. Have a problem with that?
You gonna investigate where I live, too?
OK, OK, I back off. Since you were here first, you have more privileges: you can type in bigger letters if you want.
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