You are right that Europe doesn't have much of a history of assimilation. America has built a history of assimilation, however. Are you telling me Europe's culture isn't as strong as America's?
That's hard for me to believe, considering we built our culture on Europe's.
Hi Pastorius! Long time no see. Good post! I have 2 friends I consider 'best friends'. One came to America from Ethiopia when she was 20 and the other came from Vietnam when she was 18. They are both true blue Americans.
The USA exists for the exact reason we are discussing here.
People who for religious, and cultural reasons could not fit it in, when faced by ZERO economic hope (partly as a result of the first two reasons) ..left, or were expelled. These people were not only glad to be able to leave for place like this, those there were pleased to get rid of them, and aided the process.
Can it be any surprise that with declining and crashing census numbers, the reverse process is destabilizing Europe?
The only way a more disparate culture could have been imported is if Hulagu was at the "gates of vienna" with all HIS minions looking for cabs to drive.
Maybe we can be criticized by these ignoramuses for having no 'culture' by some of these people, but that is our strength.
Well, I'm getting here late--due to work and Christmas preparations. But I did read this essay earlier in the day and have been thinking about it.
I had hoped that this essay would have received more comments because what's said here is so important, IMO.
If you want to talk about race, talk about race. If you want to talk about culture, talk about culture.
Hear, hear!
The term "ethnic nationalism" or some similar variant is confusing, particularly as the terminology relates to the present rift among counterjihadists.
Certainly culture can be racially based; it can also be tribally based, religiously based, artistically based, what have you. But eventually those who are members of a particular culture should be able to transcend race (along with other differences) and bond together based on a common set of cultural values, which can originate from different sources but yet bond to make a strong and viable culture.
Ethnicity implies culture, sometimes strongly so. But here in America we've managed the melting pot pretty well--with some glitches, of course. I don't see that other Western nations have done as well with assimilation, though.
What we in the West now face is that Muslims don't want to assimilate, don't want to be Western. In fact, many decry the very ideals for which the West has long stood.
Ethnic Nationalists want to believe that our culture can only be lived by the people who created the culture, that the Western idea can only be lived and expressed by those who are European. This idea flies in the face of reality.
I strongly agree!
The path of ethnic nationalism will result in the regression, if the the destruction, of Western civilization because the culture will be so fractured by divisions which really should not matter. If we're not careful, we're going to become tribalized. That kind of division will weaken us, as we battle the greatest enemy the West has ever faced.
>The path of ethnic nationalism will result in the regression
I disagree. Sometimes, like in the case of Europe, a nation is defined by the ethnicity of its people.. so in some cases a term like ethnic nationalism is redundant.
As support, I will look at the dictionary:
na·tion (noun) an aggregation of persons of the same ethnic family, often speaking the same language or cognate languages.
In fact , if you look at the eytomology (sp?) of nation you see that ethnicity is the central focus of the word
These are the various etymologies I have found
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME < L nātiōn- (s. of nātiō) birth, tribe, equiv. to nāt(us) (ptp. of nāscī to be born) + -iōn- -ion]
[Middle English nacioun, from Old French nation, from Latin nātiō, nātiōn-, from nātus, past participle of nāscī, to be born; see genə- in Indo-European roots.]
nation
c.1300, from O.Fr. nacion, from L. nationem (nom. natio) "nation, stock, race," lit. "that which has been born," from natus, pp. of nasci "be born" (see native). Political sense has gradually taken over from racial meaning "large group of people with common ancestry." Older sense preserved in application to N.Amer. Indian peoples (1650). Nationality "the fact of belonging to a particular nation" is from 1828. Nation-building first attested 1907 (implied in nation-builder). National is from 1597; national anthem first recorded 1819, in Shelley. Nationalize "bring under state control" is from 1869.
[Image] Will this be my final word on Ethnic Nationalism? No, not if my fellow counter-Jihadis continue to dig themselves in further and further. A friend wrote to me and told me that I use the phrase "Ethnic Nationalist" as a perjorative; that the phrase simply means racist. I do not say that all people who are in the thrall of Ethnic Nationalism are racists. I think many people are confused by the word "ethnic." I think the word is used to mean both culture and race. I think that makes the word lame and useless. If you want to talk about race, talk about race. If you want to talk about culture, talk about culture. Some of the people who are currently siding with Ethnic Nationalists are people who are confused by the word "ethnicity" and thus believe they are siding with those who want to preserve their culture. Hey look, we here in the West have the best culture in the world. Europeans created this culture. Of that there is no doubt. Chinese people did not create Western culture, nor did Africans, nor did South Americans. Europeans created this culture. And, as I said, it is the best in the world. That being said, our culture is, and can be represented by a set of ideas, and these ideas, like all knowledge, can be passed along from generation to generation, from people to people. The West, especially America, has a history of assimilating people. No other culture on the face of the Earth has such success at assimilating people. People come to the West because they like what it has to offer. They like what it has to offer, because it is better than what is offered in their countries of origin. And, they become Westerners because they want to become Westerners. People do not move en masse to China, or Africa, or other sections of the world, because other areas of the world do not have much to offer. Ethnic Nationalists want to believe that our culture can only be lived by the people who created the culture, that the Western idea can only be lived and expressed by those who are European. This idea flies in the face of reality. There are Indians, and Chinese, and Viet Namese, and Africans, and South Americans, and many other peoples, who live in the West as fully assimilated Westerners. Assimilation happens when people are acculturated. It is a cultural issue, not a race issue. Anyone who insists that it is a race issue is a racist. And, anyone who tries to justify such racism by pointing to Japan, or any other country in the world where they enforce any kind of racially-based citizenship is arguing against their racism by appealing to racism. I am not with Japan, or any other nation of people who walls themselves in racially because their culture is not strong enough to withstand people of other races.
I am a cultural capitalist. If their culture can't survive in the free market of ideas, then their culture deserves to die.
10 Comments
Close this window Jump to comment form>The West, especially America, has a history of assimilating people.
What is the evidence of this happening in Europe before the 20th Century?
Monday, December 10, 2007 4:20:00 pm
You are right that Europe doesn't have much of a history of assimilation. America has built a history of assimilation, however. Are you telling me Europe's culture isn't as strong as America's?
That's hard for me to believe, considering we built our culture on Europe's.
Monday, December 10, 2007 4:23:00 pm
Hi Pastorius! Long time no see. Good post! I have 2 friends I consider 'best friends'. One came to America from Ethiopia when she was 20 and the other came from Vietnam when she was 18. They are both true blue Americans.
Monday, December 10, 2007 4:38:00 pm
Eyes,
I have similar experiences. That's why I can't understand this seemingly sudden shift to Ethnic Nationalism among my cohorts.
Glad you liked the post.
:)
Monday, December 10, 2007 4:48:00 pm
The USA exists for the exact reason we are discussing here.
People who for religious, and cultural reasons could not fit it in, when faced by ZERO economic hope (partly as a result of the first two reasons) ..left, or were expelled. These people were not only glad to be able to leave for place like this, those there were pleased to get rid of them, and aided the process.
Can it be any surprise that with declining and crashing census numbers, the reverse process is destabilizing Europe?
The only way a more disparate culture could have been imported is if Hulagu was at the "gates of vienna" with all HIS minions looking for cabs to drive.
Maybe we can be criticized by these ignoramuses for having no 'culture' by some of these people, but that is our strength.
Constant, unrelenting, revolution.
Change unabated.
And now I have to go out for a chinese mexican fusion lunch
Monday, December 10, 2007 6:05:00 pm
Well, if we have no culture, we sure do have a great life.
But, you are right about the constant, unrelenting revolution. It's a rush.
Monday, December 10, 2007 6:22:00 pm
Well, I'm getting here late--due to work and Christmas preparations. But I did read this essay earlier in the day and have been thinking about it.
I had hoped that this essay would have received more comments because what's said here is so important, IMO.
If you want to talk about race, talk about race. If you want to talk about culture, talk about culture.
Hear, hear!
The term "ethnic nationalism" or some similar variant is confusing, particularly as the terminology relates to the present rift among counterjihadists.
Certainly culture can be racially based; it can also be tribally based, religiously based, artistically based, what have you. But eventually those who are members of a particular culture should be able to transcend race (along with other differences) and bond together based on a common set of cultural values, which can originate from different sources but yet bond to make a strong and viable culture.
Ethnicity implies culture, sometimes strongly so. But here in America we've managed the melting pot pretty well--with some glitches, of course. I don't see that other Western nations have done as well with assimilation, though.
What we in the West now face is that Muslims don't want to assimilate, don't want to be Western. In fact, many decry the very ideals for which the West has long stood.
Ethnic Nationalists want to believe that our culture can only be lived by the people who created the culture, that the Western idea can only be lived and expressed by those who are European. This idea flies in the face of reality.
I strongly agree!
The path of ethnic nationalism will result in the regression, if the the destruction, of Western civilization because the culture will be so fractured by divisions which really should not matter. If we're not careful, we're going to become tribalized. That kind of division will weaken us, as we battle the greatest enemy the West has ever faced.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007 2:21:00 am
>The path of ethnic nationalism will result in the regression
I disagree. Sometimes, like in the case of Europe, a nation is defined by the ethnicity of its people.. so in some cases a term like ethnic nationalism is redundant.
As support, I will look at the dictionary:
na·tion (noun)
an aggregation of persons of the same ethnic family, often speaking the same language or cognate languages.
Friday, December 14, 2007 6:23:00 am
In fact , if you look at the eytomology (sp?) of nation you see that ethnicity is the central focus of the word
These are the various etymologies I have found
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME < L nātiōn- (s. of nātiō) birth, tribe, equiv. to nāt(us) (ptp. of nāscī to be born) + -iōn- -ion]
[Middle English nacioun, from Old French nation, from Latin nātiō, nātiōn-, from nātus, past participle of nāscī, to be born; see genə- in Indo-European roots.]
nation
c.1300, from O.Fr. nacion, from L. nationem (nom. natio) "nation, stock, race," lit. "that which has been born," from natus, pp. of nasci "be born" (see native). Political sense has gradually taken over from racial meaning "large group of people with common ancestry." Older sense preserved in application to N.Amer. Indian peoples (1650). Nationality "the fact of belonging to a particular nation" is from 1828. Nation-building first attested 1907 (implied in nation-builder). National is from 1597; national anthem first recorded 1819, in Shelley. Nationalize "bring under state control" is from 1869.
Friday, December 14, 2007 6:27:00 am
Old word.
New set of circumstances.
Friday, December 14, 2007 3:10:00 pm