Posted on 02/26/2004 12:46:59 PM PST by quidnunc
When Robert Putnam, a Harvard University sociologist, visited Downing Street three years ago, he said exactly what the government wanted to hear. In his influential book “Bowling Alone”, Mr Putnam had argued that communities were getting more fragmented and mistrustful — in the jargon, they were haemorrhaging social capital. Happily, though, a committed government could staunch the flow with clever social initiatives. People could be persuaded to trust one another, which would make them healthier, happier and less criminal to boot.
Less back-slapping will occur during Mr Putnam's return visit next week, to a private seminar organised by the home secretary. That is because his research has taken a dismal turn. A large ongoing survey of American communities seems to show, uncomfortably, that levels of trust and co-operation are highest in the most homogenous neighbourhoods. People living in diverse areas, it turns out, are not just more suspicious of people who don't look like them; they are also more suspicious of their own kind. Because of that, they suffer socially, economically and politically.
The worries of one of Tony Blair's favourite gurus chime with a growing concern about the social consequences of Britain's biggest-ever immigration wave. Although numbers seeking asylum seem to be tailing off, fears now focus on those expected to come from the ten countries joining the European Union in May. On February 23rd, Britain became the latest EU country to throw up hurried defences against a projected “flood” of immigrants. They will be allowed to work in Britain, but not to claim most welfare benefits.
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(Excerpt) Read more at economist.com ...
When I go ex-pat, I'm not sure if I'll go to Canada (good welfare), Britain (good welfare), or Costa Rica (welfare doubtful, but low cost-of-living). Will prolly max out my U.S. welfare first, though. Like social security will exist in 20 years. Suckers be workin' for ME now.
Here we get reactions like denying that societies were ever close knit in the first place - like a Soviet rewriting of history. And we also get the seemingly preferred notion that, rather than stop doing the thing causing harm, it is preferable to launch yet another grand social experiment to alleviate any distasteful side-effects from the current one.
There is a reason why so many conservatives will pull the lever for even RINO Republicans. Because the consequences of letting liberals run the show are truly awful.
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