We are now waiting at the airport, finally, for a flight home that will likely not be canceled. Back to normal soon, I hope.
On the other hand, when it comes to the fate of the West, hope can be hard to come by. In case you missed them, here are an extraordinarily depressing article at Gates of Vienna, and a long thread at Mangan’s, that make the argument that the accelerating demographic changes in England and Europe — which are taking place with the full support and encouragement of the Socialist and multiculturalist political establishments of those communities — are arguably a form of ethnic cleansing directed against Northern Europe and Britain’s indigenous peoples.
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Maybe hanging around airports inclines one toward gloom.
It’s a good idea to be vigilant. It’s also a good idea to appreciate the arc of history — and to reflect that, even when circumstances were much, much worse than what we confront, people managed to muddle through. Still, we should not be careless of the things that have been paid for with blood and sweat and tears; so it’s a good idea to be vigilant.
Bob, I do indeed think that being stuck in Orlando can bring a civilized person quickly to the edge of existential despair: the place is a God-forsaken swamp, utterly without the least trace of soul or cultural depth, and even the locals we talked to seemed not to like it much. And it is perhaps no coincidence that the posts linked to above did indeed cast me into a deep gloom.
But now, saints be praised, we are finally back in New York — I could kiss the ground! — but I am afraid the problem is still real enough.
So radioactive is this subject that many, or even most, bloggers who write about it do so anonymously: even to discuss it is to be tarred an iredeemable, hate-filled bigot, and lumped in at once with the worst sorts of slavering neo-Nazis. Though I have written a fair amount about Islam, and about multiculturalism, from an ideological and cultural viewpoint, I have seldom, if ever, brought up these issues of basic ethnic survival.
But it’s past time to speak up, I think.
Malcolm – I’m of the opinion that radical islam is more a joke than a threat when compared to some other challenges that western civilization has had to deal with (I’m very dubious about the connection to ethnicity…). That’s not to say that islamist scumbags lack the potential to become a serious threat, but vigilance and clear headedness should suffice to keep that in check.
Bob, that depends on what you mean by “threat”. I agree that the threat of violence posed by jihadists is arguably less dire than some we have faced in the past (though horrendous WMD attacks remain a very real possibility). But in my view that is by far the lesser threat posed by Islam, and by suicidal multiculturalism; much more worrisome is the demographic threat to culture, liberty, and prosperity. Look what’s happening in Europe already, in particular as regards freedom of speech. There are already cities in England that are no longer recognizable as British communities.
Malcolm – I share your admiration for political traditions that have given us a taste of freedom. And I’m all for “in your face” opposition to anybody who wants to undermine freedoms. But I have a very different view of demographics from yours. I see that clear majorities within immigrant communities want western-style freedoms. And I figure that within a couple generations, most people in those communities will learn the tricks of living as a free people.
I wish I could take you to visit a nearby city founded by german immigrants about 150 years ago. About 100 years ago, you might easily have thought you were in a small city in Germany. Today, apart from some obvious place names, and a large statue of Herman, there’s not much about life in that city that suggests teutonic origins.
Just sayin’
Right, Bob, but degree of relatedness to the host culture is important here. (In northern Minnesota, tolerant multiculturalism is when you invite a Swede to a Norwegian picnic.) But if you look at a place like Wembley, we are talking about an influx of people whose distance from the host culture, by almost any criterion – ethnic, religious, linguistic, genetic – is truly enormous.
A Minnesota town settled by Germans is going to look a whole lot more like the rest of the Midwest in a few years than an English town in which all the Britons have been displaced by Somali Muslims is going to look like anything recognizable as England.
Already this is causing tremendous friction and strain. Even if the strain may abate somewhat as decades go by (and it isn’t – it is clearly getting worse and worse, not better), why seek it out? Why on earth pursue policies that just make things more difficult?
Malcolm – If the issue is what sorts of policies should govern our relations with immigrant communities, then I can see why you’re concerned about what’s happening in merry ol’ england. As a matter of policy, they might as well be hacking off their own body parts. But I place the blame for that primarily on Brits who have drunk too deeply from the well of political correctness — not immigrants who are understandably happy to accept any special privileges extended to them. The PC brew far surpasses even the most potent ale as a destroyer of critical faculties.
Bob, I agree 100%. I bear absolutely no ill will toward the immigrants themselves; who could blame them for taking advantage of whatever opportunities they find? They’re just normal human beings. I’d do exactly the same in their position.
No, all the blame for this rapidly deteriorating situation lies with the British and European people themselves, who have acquiesced so supinely to this suicidal PC madness.
That is now beginning to change, I think.
I somehow find your words Bob, ” I see that clear majorities within immigrant communities want western-style freedoms.” followed by Malcolm’s using Minnesota as an example.
To the former I’d simply observe, all it takes is one. As to the latter, isn’t Minnesota home to a fairly sizeable group of Somali immigrants?
There’s this too, al-Shebaab.
JK, I assume that when you say “all it takes is one” you mean that all it takes is one to cause some sort of violent mayhem. That’s true, but the issue here is far more general than terrorism. It is about the way that the essential character and harmony of a formerly well-functioning and cohesive community, at both the local and national level, can be completely destroyed by the introduction of sufficient numbers of immigrants from radically alien societies and cultures.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100315/ts_csm/287667
JK – Yes. I think Minnepaolis is the main North American destination for Somali immigrants. While we’ve had some problems, they have tended to involve adolescent males — no surprise there. Since the immigrants to this area come largely from the “upper echelons” of Somali society, I expect that they will make major contributions over the next few decades. I welcome them.