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April 1, 2006
This extract about demographic change and cultural difference is from an interview with Niall Ferguson on the Religion Report on the ABC's Radio National.
Niall Ferguson is arguing that most of the conflicts that have gone on in the past decade or so, have been internal ethnic conflicts within Huntington's civilisations rather than Huntington's thesis of conflicts between civilizations, and that there should be pressure on Muslim communities within liberal democracies into assimilate. Why not both? Or is he challenging the neo-con ciivlization view of 'us' and 'them.' Ferguson then says:
There's a sense that you just can't pretend any longer that there's been a successful integration and assimilation of immigrant communities. And I didn't even mention the bombings in the London Underground, did I? So ultimately any sensible liberal society removes the bans on topics of discussion when those topics of discussion are so obviously important. We have to be able to talk about processes of social integration and assimilation, we have to be able to talk about shifts in demographic balances openly, because if those things are made taboo, then the only people who are able to talk about them, end up being people on the political right. Now I don't regard this as something which is the exclusive monopoly of people on the right.
Do we have this problem---there hasn't been a successful integration and assimilation of immigrant communities(Muslim communities) --- in Australia? I don't see thast we have.
Stephen Crittenden asks: But it's true, isn't it, that people on the left of the spectrum have been very reluctant to think in these terms, let alone speak in these terms?
Why should we when it is not really a problem in Australia. It's a few people on the fringes, isn't it? However, that opening by Crittenden gives Ferguson the opportunity to have a go at the left. Ferguson says:
Well I think this has marginally been out of cowardice really, or wishful thinking. There's been a wishful thought in Western society for some time, and that thought was that multiculturalism would be a stable entity, that if one allowed multiple religions and ethnicities to coexist, everything would be fine in a liberal society because free speech would be respected by all concerned. But unfortunately an intolerant minority, and I stress that it is a minority within Muslim communities, is determined not to respect the free speech and other liberal values that people in the West take for granted, and that's the big problem, that liberals have to grapple with as much as conservatives, and I really feel quite strongly.
But we have always had minorities who refuse to accept liberal values on the right and the left. That doesn't justify dumping multiculturalism and making the shift back to the old policy of integration and assimilation.
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I think we are starting to see the rise of latte-conservatism. An out of touch intellectuals trying to foise policies on Australians that they dont seem to want.
Lou Dobbs in the US recently said that only the US flag should be flown. He used the term, "celebrate our commonality rather than differences" which is troll-speak for assimilate.
Which is ironic from my point of view. Australian assimilations should be aware that kind of speak goes both ways. Oh noes I am being oppressed.
Americans dont care. The town that I am currently living in has flags of all nations hanging up and down the street. No reason. They just thought it would be colourful. Americans are secure in their country, culture and flag that this isnt an issue for them.
Pretty dopey I think.