Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: UnklGene
With all due respect, Theo, London has become THE center for international finance in the world over the past 15 years, and this is a result of wealth shifting to Asia and the Middle East (these regions have historical ties to the UK, and have used London as their money center for decades). Moreover, many of the immigrants are from other parts of Europe (Poland sending the largest group) and will likely either return home or assimilate within 2-3 generations.

He would have a point if he were talking about Islamics, but most of the immigrants I see in the UK are far from problematic (of course, I don't live there). In the meantime, he has to acknowledge the fact that London has become, in many ways, a post-national city (much like New York and Miami are post-national cities in the United States).

5 posted on 05/31/2008 10:21:36 AM PDT by Clemenza (No Comment)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]


To: Clemenza
he has to acknowledge the fact that London has become, in many ways, a post-national city (much like New York and Miami are post-national cities in the United States).

I think that's true in many respects, but unfortunately Dalrymple's point isn't very clear. He wanders from his initial point (a country adapting its laws to the laws brought by immigrants) to another point, which is the responsibility of the immigrant to assimilate (into a nation, which as you point out, is now no longer a concept that has much meaning to many people).

I think a nation still must enforce its laws on anyone who happens to be within its purview: any immigrant, any person who has committed a crime within its borders, etc. I would have been happier if he had made the point that a country must still stay with its own legal structure, regardless of the attitude of the immigrant.

Our post-national cities, New York and Miami (particularly the latter), have populations that in general come from countries formed in the Greco-Roman/Judeo-Christian legal tradition of the West. They might have different cultural approaches, and they might need encouragement to learn English, but basically, the law is the same.

I think the problem is that London is receiving a large number of immigrants who don't come from this tradition or anything like it, and is making the situation worse by adapting to their legal system rather than making them adapt to its.

9 posted on 05/31/2008 12:59:40 PM PDT by livius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson