Why Multiculturalism?

[davesmom]

Kathleen Wynne insists that multiculturalism is the greatest thing, we MUST promote it!
I'm wondering, what is so good about it? Why do we need it? I can't think of one reason that makes it so desirable.
I think multiculturalism is divisive to society.
On the one hand politicians call for unity On the other hand they promote multiculturalism. One is contrary to the other. Uni = ONE,
Multi= many. We can't have one and many at the same time.
There is very little that unites us in Canada what with the different languages spoken and different cultures that clash.
Has anyone got some serious thoughts on this that they want to share?

 

[Cliffy]

There has been a real push in the world in the last hundred years or so to homogenize everyone into the mindless consumer mentality fostered by media, banks and the corporations. Many indigenous cultures have been completely lost and many other cultures are disappearing at an alarming rate. Multiculturalism helps foster understanding and broadens the mind. The world will be uni-culture soon enough and then the planet will be a hell of boring place of mindless consuming automatons, like little PacMen eating the planet until we become extinct.

Does that help your understanding of multiculturalism?

 

[gopher]

Growing up in New York like I did, my entire life has been one of total immersion in multiculturalism. Because of this I learned to cook many different types of food, enjoyed a wide variety of art forms from every corner of the world, and have always enjoyed being an inveterate reader.

Having one homogenized culture blunts the mind and dulls the senses. Multiculturalism broadens your horizons and greatly enhances your life.

 

[Glacier]

Multiculturalism is neutral. Sometimes it's good, and sometimes it's bad. It might be good in New York, but try living in Dearborn, Michigan as a Jew. Or Malmo, Sweden.

To say that multiculturalism is inherently good is to be racist and bigoted against the Japanese and others who prefer their own culture to Islamic culture. People falsely think that mixing cultures brings the best of all of them. This is false. It can for the most part if the new cultures integrate, but it can also bring in the bad too. If a nation has high immigration from nations with high crime rates, that nation will have high crime rates relative to a nation with no immigration. ie. Japan has fewer murders per year than Canada even though it's 5 times the size.

Islamic immigration is different from all other forms of immigration because they often don't integrate, so within one generation, they are just like mini-Pakistan with Sharia and all that lovely stuff. They don't integrate because their imams tell them not to, and many tell them to work toward the grand jihad of destroying western civilization from within. This is not good.

So, Kathleen Wynne is wrong. Multiculturalism is not a great thing. It can be a good thing, and certainly I'm happy to have a few Indian restaurants around here as a result, but if done wrong, it can be a very bad thing. And no, you are not a racist for saying that some cultures are better than others.

 

[petros]

There has been a real push in the world in the last hundred years or so to homogenize everyone into the mindless consumer mentality fostered by media, banks and the corporations. Many indigenous cultures have been completely lost and many other cultures are disappearing at an alarming rate. Multiculturalism helps foster understanding and broadens the mind. The world will be uni-culture soon enough and then the planet will be a hell of boring place of mindless consuming automatons, like little PacMen eating the planet until we become extinct.

Does that help your understanding of multiculturalism?

No but it does help in understanding your psychosis.

 

[Jinentonix]

There has been a real push in the world in the last hundred years or so to homogenize everyone into the mindless consumer mentality fostered by media, banks and the corporations.

Someone get this guy some Thorazine, stat!
The push to homogenize everyone didn't start a hundred years ago and has SFA to do with media, banks and corporations. Well maybe the media has a part to play to some degree.
The homogenization of the human race is a pipe dream about how if we're all the same we won't have any reason to hate each other anymore. A friend of mine who was a History and Philosophy major had a professor who vomited up some nonsense about how if we were all blind there'd be no prejudice in the world. When he told me that I said, "Well other than language barriers, accents, religion, politics, and potentially smell."

 

[davesmom]

Those are some pretty insightful replies.
I don't think uniculture has ever dulled anyone's mind. If a person has the desire to learn about a variety of art forms and other things from around the world he can do so without being immersed in it.
And exposure to foreign foods is not necessary. We could learn about specialty cuisine too on our own.
I agree that keeping the race pure does keep the crime rate down.
It just seems like their might be fewer wars/conflicts and more harmony in the world if there were less integration of races and cultures.
At one time every nation has its own special national pride whereas now, countries have no image that is especially their own.

 

[VanIsle]

Those are some pretty insightful replies.
I don't think uniculture has ever dulled anyone's mind. If a person has the desire to learn about a variety of art forms and other things from around the world he can do so without being immersed in it.
And exposure to foreign foods is not necessary. We could learn about specialty cuisine too on our own.
I agree that keeping the race pure does keep the crime rate down.
It just seems like their might be fewer wars/conflicts and more harmony in the world if there were less integration of races and cultures.
At one time every nation has its own special national pride whereas now, countries have no image that is especially their own.

I see zero problem with any other culture coming to Canada. we have a large beautiful country. Where the problem lies is not with being multicultural but with people of other cultures not really wanting to be Canadians. I believe that if you are going to take up permanent residence in this or any other country - learn and speak the language. We are not multi language. Wear what you want EXCEPT for legalities such as voting and getting your driver's licence. In those two instances in particular, the face must be bared. Follow the rules of your new country. Don't Expect your new country to follow the rules of the country you left. You left for a reason. Immigrants have moved to,this country for a couple hundred years or so. They did the right thing. They left the country they left behind them. They were not a drag on society (not saying everyone new is), they lived hand to mouth until their lives improved - by their own hands - not by free handouts from the government. They made themselves blend in. Tourists walk around speaking a different language. They are not staying. If you are - again- learn the language and use it when you are out and about. Use your language at home. Teach it to your children if you don't want them to forget but remember, they are going to live in an English speaking world and children not only want to fit in, they want their parents to as well. Why women allow themselves to be covered (draped) in long gowns and burkas is a mystery to me but - I am proud to live in a country where the men in my life don't drag me down and disrespect me with such. I met an arab women today. A wonderful young hard working woman. Very friendly, doing her very best to speak the language, dresses like other Canadians and works two jobs to pay her bills. How can anyone disrespect that?

 

[Ludlow]

Someone get this guy some Thorazine, stat!
The push to homogenize everyone didn't start a hundred years ago and has SFA to do with media, banks and corporations. Well maybe the media has a part to play to some degree.
The homogenization of the human race is a pipe dream about how if we're all the same we won't have any reason to hate each other anymore. A friend of mine who was a History and Philosophy major had a professor who vomited up some nonsense about how if we were all blind there'd be no prejudice in the world. When he told me that I said, "Well other than language barriers, accents, religion, politics, and potentially smell."

who said anything about milk

 

[Danbones]

i know from the native view point multikulturaism in canada is a concept that hasn't worked out to well.
but then the aparthied states and religions are soooo reprehensible
genocidal even

 

[taxslave]

I see zero problem with any other culture coming to Canada. we have a large beautiful country. Where the problem lies is not with being multicultural but with people of other cultures not really wanting to be Canadians. I believe that if you are going to take up permanent residence in this or any other country - learn and speak the language. We are not multi language. Wear what you want EXCEPT for legalities such as voting and getting your driver's licence. In those two instances in particular, the face must be bared. Follow the rules of your new country. Don't Expect your new country to follow the rules of the country you left. You left for a reason. Immigrants have moved to,this country for a couple hundred years or so. They did the right thing. They left the country they left behind them. They were not a drag on society (not saying everyone new is), they lived hand to mouth until their lives improved - by their own hands - not by free handouts from the government. They made themselves blend in. Tourists walk around speaking a different language. They are not staying. If you are - again- learn the language and use it when you are out and about. Use your language at home. Teach it to your children if you don't want them to forget but remember, they are going to live in an English speaking world and children not only want to fit in, they want their parents to as well. Why women allow themselves to be covered (draped) in long gowns and burkas is a mystery to me but - I am proud to live in a country where the men in my life don't drag me down and disrespect me with such. I met an arab women today. A wonderful young hard working woman. Very friendly, doing her very best to speak the language, dresses like other Canadians and works two jobs to pay her bills. How can anyone disrespect that?

That is because the lady of which you speak is trying to be a Canadian, probably without a hyphen. My wife comes from Germany but she connsiders herself Canadian too. No hyphen.
Basically you cannot have a strong national identity and be multi culti. Mutually exclusive ideas.

 

[davesmom]

I see zero problem with any other culture coming to Canada. we have a large beautiful country. Where the problem lies is not with being multicultural but with people of other cultures not really wanting to be Canadians. I believe that if you are going to take up permanent residence in this or any other country - learn and speak the language. We are not multi language. Wear what you want EXCEPT for legalities such as voting and getting your driver's licence. In those two instances in particular, the face must be bared. Follow the rules of your new country. Don't Expect your new country to follow the rules of the country you left. You left for a reason. Immigrants have moved to,this country for a couple hundred years or so. They did the right thing. They left the country they left behind them. They were not a drag on society (not saying everyone new is), they lived hand to mouth until their lives improved - by their own hands - not by free handouts from the government. They made themselves blend in. Tourists walk around speaking a different language. They are not staying. If you are - again- learn the language and use it when you are out and about. Use your language at home. Teach it to your children if you don't want them to forget but remember, they are going to live in an English speaking world and children not only want to fit in, they want their parents to as well. Why women allow themselves to be covered (draped) in long gowns and burkas is a mystery to me but - I am proud to live in a country where the men in my life don't drag me down and disrespect me with such. I met an arab women today. A wonderful young hard working woman. Very friendly, doing her very best to speak the language, dresses like other Canadians and works two jobs to pay her bills. How can anyone disrespect that?

Well said! I believe you have eloquently expressed the sentiments of most Canadians.
Multiculturalism is not a new thing in Canada but the immigrants of old had much more in common that those of today. Their cultures were not so much different, many of them spoke English in their home countries and they had a much different attitude.
There seems to be a lot of dislike for each other among new immigrants that has nothing to do with Canadians.

That is because the lady of which you speak is trying to be a Canadian, probably without a hyphen. My wife comes from Germany but she connsiders herself Canadian too. No hyphen.
Basically you cannot have a strong national identity and be multi culti. Mutually exclusive ideas.

This is true. And this is where our Constitutional freedoms go too far, I think. There needs to be more clarification on freedom of religion especially as well as the rights that are automatically given with entry into Canada.

 

[lone wolf]

Multiculturalism was supposed to be like taking a trip and never leaving the farm. Instead, all these people with chips on their shoulders came over and brought their stupid wars with them. The original concept was colourful. In reality, it's red

 

[EagleSmack]

I see zero problem with any other culture coming to Canada. we have a large beautiful country. Where the problem lies is not with being multicultural but with people of other cultures not really wanting to be Canadians. I believe that if you are going to take up permanent residence in this or any other country - learn and speak the language. We are not multi language. Wear what you want EXCEPT for legalities such as voting and getting your driver's licence. In those two instances in particular, the face must be bared. Follow the rules of your new country. Don't Expect your new country to follow the rules of the country you left. You left for a reason. Immigrants have moved to,this country for a couple hundred years or so. They did the right thing. They left the country they left behind them. They were not a drag on society (not saying everyone new is), they lived hand to mouth until their lives improved - by their own hands - not by free handouts from the government. They made themselves blend in. Tourists walk around speaking a different language. They are not staying. If you are - again- learn the language and use it when you are out and about. Use your language at home. Teach it to your children if you don't want them to forget but remember, they are going to live in an English speaking world and children not only want to fit in, they want their parents to as well. Why women allow themselves to be covered (draped) in long gowns and burkas is a mystery to me but - I am proud to live in a country where the men in my life don't drag me down and disrespect me with such. I met an arab women today. A wonderful young hard working woman. Very friendly, doing her very best to speak the language, dresses like other Canadians and works two jobs to pay her bills. How can anyone disrespect that?

I think you're going to be disappointed in the coming years.

BTW... that is a very conservative opinion. Here in the US you'd be considered a racist and a bigot in our liberal circles... probably even a Trump supporter.

Multiculturalism was supposed to be like taking a trip and never leaving the farm. Instead, all these people with chips on their shoulders came over and brought their stupid wars with them. The original concept was colourful. In reality, it's red

May I ask who has the chips on their shoulders and brought their wars with them?

 

[lone wolf]

May I ask who has the chips on their shoulders and brought their wars with them?

I can't even exclude Portugal, Spain, Holland, France and England - even though they came long before multiculturalism became a buzzword

 

[EagleSmack]

I can't even exclude Portugal, Spain, Holland, France and England - even though they came long before multiculturalism became a buzzword

I really don't think THOSE migrants have chips on their shoulders....

.... but I get what you're saying Wolf.

 

[HarperCons]

Kathleen Wynne insists that multiculturalism is the greatest thing, we MUST promote it!
I'm wondering, what is so good about it? Why do we need it? I can't think of one reason that makes it so desirable.
I think multiculturalism is divisive to society.
On the one hand politicians call for unity On the other hand they promote multiculturalism. One is contrary to the other. Uni = ONE,
Multi= many. We can't have one and many at the same time.
There is very little that unites us in Canada what with the different languages spoken and different cultures that clash.
Has anyone got some serious thoughts on this that they want to share?

I think multiculturalism is divisive to society.

multiculturalism created classism, hierarchies? no. probably not.

 

[Ludlow]

That's a pretty big word my suggestion is to put it the list for your local spelling bee

 

[lone wolf]

I really don't think THOSE migrants have chips on their shoulders....

.... but I get what you're saying Wolf.

I was a kid of British heritage (but more Newfoundland than anything) who moved into an area that was settled by Scots Presbyterians and Irish Catholics almost a hundred years before. Old hate dies hard....

The fist I really saw of chips on shoulders and portable wars came on the Broadview in TO when Indians and Pakistanis bashed heads there....

 

[AnnaG]

erm Canada started out as a multicultural country. Before that there were simply areas of the planet where humans found relatively comfortable habitats to live in.
What shows up the bad side of cultural diversity is mostly politics, greed, and the two aggressive religions.