Some Agreement: Multi-Culturalism Fails

[Kathianne]

Diversity on the other hand...

An article I strongly agree with:

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/...lturalism.html

March 05, 2011
A Requiem for Multiculturalism
By Noel S. Williams
Stop the presses! The British, French and German heads of state agree on something: Cameron, Sarkozy and Merkel have all recently declared multiculturalism a failure.

Like the related dogma of diversity, multiculturalism is so deeply embedded in the lexicon of liberalism that it has become axiomatic. Proponents hold it so dear that the faintest doubt poses an existential threat.

With the stakes so high, agnostics face sanctimonious wrath: if you don't believe in multiculturalism there is simply something wrong with you; maybe you're even nuts. While I have reservations I think I'm basically sane, and I sure as heck hope the aforementioned world leaders are operating with a full deck.

It's important to distinguish between diversity and multiculturalism, which are often lumped together in liberal orthodoxy. Diversity is inherently good; but multiculturalism too often leads to separation and resentment that foments extremism.

True diversity goes beyond quotas or controversial agenda-driven calls to promote this group or that. It's a sincere effort to incorporate diverse skills, to encourage various problem-solving methods and to harness disparate talents towards solving complex problems. This kind of diversity is indeed axiomatic in a democratic society, standing alongside such precious tenets as freedom of speech, the rule of law and equal rights...

Read the whole thing. Years ago some got into a lively discussion about Nationalism and why it leads to wars and other behaviors not good for living things.

Multi-culturalism is very much tied to Nationalism, but within a nation. Tribalism and feuds get carried on and retaliation is sought. Language and culture of the 'home country' are preferable to the group over assimilation.

[darin]

Great find, Kath. Thanks!

[Kathianne]

Great find, Kath. Thanks!

Quite welcome!

[Psychoblues]

Here is a very similar piece that I hope you all can appreciate, but especially for you, Kath:

Source: The Washington Monthly

By: Steve Benen

PRONUNCIATION GUIDE.... One of the low points in the right's criticism of Obama during the presidential campaign came in October, when some conservatives started complaining about the Democrat's pronunciation of "Pakistan," with a soft "a."

The National Review's Mark Stein complained at the time that Obama prefers the "exotic pronunciation." He added, "[O]ne thing I like about Sarah Palin is the way she says 'Eye-raq'." The National Review's Kathryn Jean Lopez posted an email that argued, "[N]o one in flyover country says Pock-i-stahn. It's annoying."

Keeping this spirit alive, the National Review's Mark Krikorian argued that the proper pronunciation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor's name doesn't work for him, and he'd like to see other join him in rejecting it. Krikorian started this yesterday...

So, are we supposed to use the Spanish pronunciation, so-toe-my-OR, or the natural English pronunciation, SO-tuh-my-er, like Niedermeyer?

...and expanded on this today.

Deferring to people's own pronunciation of their names should obviously be our first inclination, but there ought to be limits. Putting the emphasis on the final syllable of Sotomayor is unnatural in English (which is why the president stopped doing it after the first time at his press conference) ... and insisting on an unnatural pronunciation is something we shouldn't be giving in to. [...]

This may seem like carping, but it's not. Part of our success in assimilation has been to leave whole areas of culture up to the individual, so that newcomers have whatever cuisine or religion or so on they want, limiting the demand for conformity to a smaller field than most other places would. But one of the areas where conformity is appropriate is how your new countrymen say your name, since that's not something the rest of us can just ignore, unlike what church you go to or what you eat for lunch. And there are basically two options -- the newcomer adapts to us, or we adapt to him. And multiculturalism means there's a lot more of the latter going on than there should be................................................ .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ......................................

More: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/arc..._05/018361.php

It's not a very long read at all and it makes a lot of sense to me!!

Psychochoblues