Re: Timor again (sorry Lou)

[Macdonald Stainsby <mstainsby@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"James M. Blaut" <70671.2032@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> said:

> Joao:
>
> You don't like "multi-culturalism." I hope that the meaning of this
term is
> different in Portugal than  it is in the US, becvase NO progressives
here
> are opposed to multiculturalism, and for very good reasons.
>
> Leave it at that.
>
> Jim
>

As a NORTH American, living in Canada, the only "official" Multi-
Cultural country that I'm aware of, let me say I DO oppose it, at least
in modern form. What it amounts to is a few good things, but the
greatest lie that could possibly permeate this racist country.

MC has the following advantages: It allows for monetary breaks to be
given to newly establishing peoples in the form of building cultural
centres, and the like. It provides some channels on the TV called the
multi-cultural channel, and they produce shows in Chinese (both
Mandarin and Cantonese), Persian, Polish... the list goes on, but this
is roughly where the "good" stops. (BTW there is no N Amer. Indian
programming on the channel, at least not that I've stumbled across).

The MC slogan, and it is a bit more but only a bit more than a slogan,
makes liberals go all fuzzy with warmth about how wonderful Canada
treats immigrants. It helps to reinforce the belief that Canada
is "better" that Canada is not a "melting pot", that this is actually
the main way in which Canadians "overcome" the "past" (get over it-
you've got full rights!). So long as there is a "society" set up
somewhere they will explain it is simply impossible that Hondurans are
being harrassed on the basis of race in Downtown Vancouver.

This is the kind of liberalism that is more damaging, often, than
anything doled out by conservatives.

A Pakistani friend of mine was in an argument with a white liberal
acquaintance awhile ago. She was literally turning purple at the
thought that Canada wasn't REALLY MC. He had to draw out over and over
many different examples of how his life was not the cultural paradise
she was declaring was his legal right. She kept going back to the
slogans we are fed daily here.

It's a very putrid lie.

************
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Macdonald Stainsby