[Ligeia]

The elites of American society don't believe in the idea of a melting pot any more but preach multiculturalism, Buchanan said. "The fundamental theme of multiculturalism now is anti-American culture, anti-Western culture."

A book I read promoting multiculturalism claims the melting pot idea has always been a myth and the more accurate metaphor would be a tossed salad because each aspect of the whole retains its own identity. One of my hopes for the silver-lining consequences of September 11 will be the end of the anti-Americanism and anti-Western attitudes so heavily promoted by the left for the past few decades. Buchanan is right when he says conservatives "are the remnant that preserves American culture until the rest of America wakes up." It's a heavy burden but if not us, who?

[KC_Conspirator]

Pat seems to always come up with some good data and sound premises, such as "Multiculturalism is anti-American and anti-Western", but then always jumps to ridiculous predictions.

[My2Cents]

The multiculturalists would rather that the US look like the Balkans -- with each little group tearing at every other little group's throat.

The multiculturalists preach "diversity" because they don't believe in anything that should be the basis of unity in our society. Traditionally, the founding principles of the nation were what unified us: a commitment to certain inalienable rights, including the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But that doesn't work for them, because they want everyone to think like they do, and the concept of individual liberties flies in the face of this conformity to their agenda and way of thinking. So, if they can't get the nation's cultural values to change, then destroy the culture.

[Tauzero]

bump for good Irish boys

[jadimov]

I agree with KC. Pat starts well and then implodes

...By the end of the 21st century, they are expected to be only 2 percent to 3 percent...

This assumes the poor nations will be able to continue at today's growth without any Malthusian disasters. If we weren't supporting them with below market price food and medicine, they wouldn't be in as good a shape as they are in now.

...They are coming for jobs. My ancestors came to become American...

And America had jobs. People immigrate to find a better way of life. Mexicans are different because they live next door. Canadians do the same thing but they look like more like us. I'm sure the European immigrants would have loved to have been able to return back to visit the homeland often. It was just too far to travel.

...it takes time to assimilate millions of people...

That it does. I would like to see a couple changes to current immigration policy. (1) An Amendment that requires one of your parents to be a citizen for you to be born a citizen even if you are born on American soil. The parent could be born a citizen or naturalized. Otherwise you have to go through the naturalization process. (2) The immigration window should open and close in cycles of ten or twenty years. That would give the country time to absorb new immigrants.

[JimSEA]

There is a difference between the immigrants to America today, many of them from Mexico, and his own immigrant ancestors, Buchanan said. "Why are the Mexican immigrants today different? They are coming for jobs. My ancestors came to become Americans."

Pat's ancestors were lucky. My Irish ancestors came here because they were starving. Potato famine you know.:)

[uncbob]

They are coming for jobs. My ancestors came to become Americans."

BS They came to escape oppression, or for for the economic opportunity and for the oppertunity to rise above their birth status

[Landru]

Well, it is in peril.

Been in peril for some time now, too.

[tracer]

"....and the more accurate metaphor would be a tossed salad because each aspect of the whole retains its own identity."

And because now the whole salad is coming out as a load of s#%&.....

[Aquatic]

Buchanan is a tribalist savage that has a big problem with enlightenment and civility. Send him to a deserted island where savages belong.

[RobbyS]

Geographers remind us that the Western Hemisphere is divided into three Parts: Northernmost of these is Anglo-America. The English language is the basis of the culture of this region. Should Mexican and other immigrants from "middle-America" demand parity for their language, then they must undermind this basis. This would in turn undermind the politics of Anglo-America, since our governmental system depends on the historial and literary achievements of the past few hundred years.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Re: Liberal Multiculturalism, Moral Relativism & the Decline of Civilization

Pat has a few points. But, as usual, he gets it only about half right. There have been a number of different subcultures and regional cultures in American society among the white population who originally came from Europe. True, they rallied around the flag, the constitution, the English language, and Western Christian morality for most of our history. The spiritual and moral drift away from Christianity may be more significant than a preoccupation with foreign immigrants. Non-white peoples in the Third World have not caused the moral drift in American society. Whether that drift and cultural decline will continue at present rates for the next century or so is a debatable question. There have been cultural revivals and population explosions in previous periods of the history of Western civilization. Addressing the moral decay of American society may be more relevant than placing the emphasis on Third World population levels. Still, as always, Pat provokes debate on controversial and strategic topics even when he opens himself to the charge of xenophobia, racism, and nativism. At any rate, he still has the right to speak his mind on immigration policies and the fate of Western civilization.

The idea that Western Christian culture should be honored, celebrated, and promoted by our institutions can be defended without falling into the trap of sounding like a racist (as liberals accuse Pat). That said, the apocalyptic imagery of barbaric Muslims invading and dominating Western civilization is one that, after 9/11, perhaps many of the liberal secular humanist kooks promoting population control among Americans and Europeans should ponder. The idea that all cultures and civilizations are morally equal, one of the key tenets of the moral relativism propagated at Ivy League universities even when many also seem to think that Western culture is the source of all evil and oppression, should be challenged. Americans should also examine how their own respect for human life has been diminished by liberalism, scientism, and secular humanism.