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PaperclipPerfector  1yr ago (text post)   32666 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of July 17, 2023

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And it works. Back when I was younger there were fierce debates over "multiculturalism" as opposed to "assimilation". It was an intra-white culture war that has gone away almost entirely these days, as the immigrants we used to argue about have grown in number and taken their own role in shaping the course of our society. It turns out they mostly don't want to be stuck in racial ghettos and seen as seperate from the majority. The multiculturalists have found themselves with nothing to defend and the assimilationists have found themselves with nothing to attack.

I love the idea, even now as I'm thoroughly burned out on it, there's something about it that I find appealing. The problem is that even if it isn't exactly like Marxism - lovely in theory (and only if you don't ask too many questions), but mountains of skulls in practice - it seems to occupy the same zip code. Right now I believe this is a path only available to young nations, who have a wild frontier, and a lot of building to do, but it gets a lot harder when they've already established themselves, and harder still when they fought bloody wars to keep what they've built. Not impossible, mind you, it's still possible for someone to fall in love with a place and "go native", as it were, but it takes a lot more than just showing up somewhere.

Also, you have me at a disadvantage here, since I cannot tell you how things are in your own country, but I'm very skeptical of the idea that "multiculturalism" was so thoroughly rejected. From the few (virtual) glances I took at your country, it seems a lot like the UK - some (mostly common) people putting up a heroic fight against it, and almost all of the elites (including "conservatives") hellbent on ramming it down people's throats.

Also, you have me at a disadvantage here, since I cannot tell you how things are in your own country, but I'm very skeptical of the idea that "multiculturalism" was so thoroughly rejected. From the few (virtual) glances I took at your country, it seems a lot like the UK - some (mostly common) people putting up a heroic fight against it, and almost all of the elites (including "conservatives") hellbent on ramming it down people's throats.

To be clear, I'm not saying that "multiculturalism" was rejected. The elites never conceded that point, nor were they defeated. And the word still bubbles up alongside other buzzwords like "diversity" or "inclusivity".

I'm saying the idea that the word originally signified and the fight around it just sort of withered on the vine. Our immigrants predominantly do not simply create little enclaves for themselves and their co-ethnics. They mix and interact with everyone else and adopt local attitudes and customs. I eat chicken parm with Colombians, play 500 with Indians, and go to the footy with Chinese.

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