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Other countries don't want to be forced to surrender their cultures. Why is the U.S. required to do these things?
Other countries have boring, homogenous cultures, and mostly no one wants to emigrate to those places. We're quite popular for damn good reasons.
The USA is the best country in the world, IMO, because we're the very opposite of that type of singular culture or mindset, where anyone not like x is an outsider. Immigration from everywhere defines our very culture itself. We already eat Mexican food, Chinese food, and Italian food. If 5% more Mexicans come in then we might eat a slight more amount of Mexican food. Sounds delicious to me. And we'll still speak English (the language of the world), we'll just have a higher percentage of people who are bilingual. Bonus.
Our culture can never be surrendered or compromised, because our culture is itself defined by the ever changing dynamic mix of cultures that call this beautiful land home. And, look at the huge success that's brought us. That's the great thing about a melting pot, is that when you melt down metals, they become a stronger alloy. (I honestly love that term, melting pot.)
The UK has benefited from their increased immigration lately. They are also a bit of a vibrant cultural melting pot- London is perhaps the capital of the world.
The main thing that they're doing better, is making sure that the immigrants arriving there are contributing their fair share of taxes. We could and should reform our system in the US to try to address that problem. Give these immigrants a document and a number, and say welcome, to all who are peaceful and come in good faith. Let's track immigration and make them legal and taxpaying. Let's quit focusing on demonizing.
Run a background check, hand them a work visa, and tax them. Enforce border security but make the lines move and make it an easy process. Illegal immigration would plummet if we re-think the whole concept.
The border security resources that we have, should be spending all of their time and efforts going after criminals. Not decent-meaning immigrants just wanting to work some labor and make some money. Those folks could and should be a welcome boost to our economy and common prosperity and growth.
Me? As an African-American, I would have preferred my ancestors to be free to make their own choices on their own land. Without colonization or resource exploitation, the continent would be have been as wealthy as any other if not even more so.
But by nobody's actions today did that happen. Seems you make a lot of your statements less through the acceptance of what was and more by what you wish was. The past happened. Nothing can fix past brutalities.
By your own admission no one race should dominate the direction of where we go next. Yet all you focus on is how bad Northern Europeans have been and how much is owed to your race. This, by itself is Euro-centric.
Your perspective of the nature of world history has been skewed to a singular purpose. Take some World History classes to broaden your scope.
I can list a large number of black rulers whose brutality would rival the cruelty of Europeans. Perhaps no one taught you about those? It's been the nature of ambitious men of all flavors.
But it isn't necessary to talk about Africa in the past. They are still living with slavery, often by their own countrymen, and burning witches and political dissidents alive in the streets. Little boys are being handed firearms and forced to be soldiers, little girls are being mutilated and forced into wedlock. Atrocities which are happening now, not in centuries past.
And you, living in relative luxury, want reparations?
Other countries don't want to be forced to surrender their cultures. Why is the U.S. required to do these things?
The Natives here surely didn't want to be forced to surrender their cultures. Why were they forced to do these things by the US, particularly the children?
But by nobody's actions today did that happen. Seems you make a lot of your statements less through the acceptance of what was and more by what you wish was. The past happened. Nothing can fix past brutalities.
The consequences of yesterday's decisions still resonate today. There are a number of ways to work towards making amends; I've suggested one relatively low-cost solution several times in this conversation.
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By your own admission no one race should dominate the direction of where we go next. Yet all you focus on is how bad Northern Europeans have been and how much is owed to your race. This, by itself is Euro-centric.
I have primarily focused on Native/Indigenous Americans. As it happened, enslaved Africans and their descendants suffered as well and we are not quite seventy years removed from legal discrimination.
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Your perspective of the nature of world history has been skewed to a singular purpose. Take some World History classes to broaden your scope.
I received A's and B's in my history classes...but thank you for your concern.
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I can list a large number of black rulers whose brutality would rival the cruelty of Europeans. Perhaps no one taught you about those? It's been the nature of ambitious men of all flavors.
Except I've been talking primarily about the Americas, specifically the US. Whatever cruelties Black rules imposed onto others, they didn't takeover Europe let alone the Americas.
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But it isn't necessary to talk about Africa in the past. They are still living with slavery, often by their own countrymen, and burning witches and political dissidents alive in the streets. Little boys are being handed firearms and forced to be soldiers, little girls are being mutilated and forced into wedlock. Atrocities which are happening now, not in centuries past.
Some African countries are indeed destabilized to the point where those atrocities you list indeed occur. Others are relatively thriving. I do wonder, once again, what would have happened without European colonization - including arbitrary country lines that created tribal imbalances that cause a fair amount of the strife you highlight - resource extraction, and colonial indebtedness.
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And you, living in relative luxury, want reparations?
I have not used the word "reparations" in this conversation. I *have* suggested a truth and reconciliation committee based on what was accomplished in South Africa. But given that Virginia's current Governor was able to win his campaign mostly on fear of a graduate-level course of study - or the unwillingness to name the concern more precisely as accurate and inclusive history - we are sadly a long way from that.
Other countries have boring, homogenous cultures, and mostly no one wants to emigrate to those places. We're quite popular for damn good reasons.
The USA is the best country in the world, IMO, because we're the very opposite of that type of singular culture or mindset, where anyone not like x is an outsider. Immigration from everywhere defines our very culture itself. We already eat Mexican food, Chinese food, and Italian food. If 5% more Mexicans come in then we might eat a slight more amount of Mexican food. Sounds delicious to me. And we'll still speak English (the language of the world), we'll just have a higher percentage of people who are bilingual. Bonus.
Our culture can never be surrendered or compromised, because our culture is itself defined by the ever changing dynamic mix of cultures that call this beautiful land home. And, look at the huge success that's brought us. That's the great thing about a melting pot, is that when you melt down metals, they become a stronger alloy. (I honestly love that term, melting pot.)
The UK has benefited from their increased immigration lately. They are also a bit of a vibrant cultural melting pot- London is perhaps the capital of the world.
The main thing that they're doing better, is making sure that the immigrants arriving there are contributing their fair share of taxes. We could and should reform our system in the US to try to address that problem. Give these immigrants a document and a number, and say welcome, to all who are peaceful and come in good faith. Let's track immigration and make them legal and taxpaying. Let's quit focusing on demonizing.
Run a background check, hand them a work visa, and tax them. Enforce border security but make the lines move and make it an easy process. Illegal immigration would plummet if we re-think the whole concept.
The border security resources that we have, should be spending all of their time and efforts going after criminals. Not decent-meaning immigrants just wanting to work some labor and make some money. Those folks could and should be a welcome boost to our economy and common prosperity and growth.
You offer some great ideas!
And yeah: it's interesting that London - who some would joke had some of the blandest food around as recently as twenty years ago - is now a culinary destination!
I stopped being a spelling police years ago. I will admit I did it.
The fact that racists use arguments doesn't mean the arguments are racists. I'm Jewish. Am I a Nazi if I drive on the Autobahns? Balance of my response is to your next post.
You made my point. Why is the United States different from other states that religiously enforce their immigration rules and laws? Other countries don't want to be swamped with people seeking public assistance. Other countries don't want to be under pressure to sacrifice their national working (as opposed to official) languages. Other countries don't want to be forced to surrender their cultures. Why is the U.S. required to do these things?
Where have I talked about Nazis? Which post? Please be specific. I want to review it. Because I thought we were talking about the United States.
No, I didn't 'make your point'. I made my point -- that I have never advocated to loose borders. Never. A strict adherence to the immigration quota system was much preferable.
Where did I say that the United States was "required to do these things"? Again, please be specific.
Other countries have boring, homogenous cultures, and mostly no one wants to emigrate to those places. We're quite popular for damn good reasons.
The USA is the best country in the world, IMO, because we're the very opposite of that type of singular culture or mindset, where anyone not like x is an outsider. Immigration from everywhere defines our very culture itself. We already eat Mexican food, Chinese food, and Italian food. If 5% more Mexicans come in then we might eat a slight more amount of Mexican food. Sounds delicious to me. And we'll still speak English (the language of the world), we'll just have a higher percentage of people who are bilingual. Bonus.
Our culture can never be surrendered or compromised, because our culture is itself defined by the ever changing dynamic mix of cultures that call this beautiful land home. And, look at the huge success that's brought us. That's the great thing about a melting pot, is that when you melt down metals, they become a stronger alloy. (I honestly love that term, melting pot.)
The UK has benefited from their increased immigration lately. They are also a bit of a vibrant cultural melting pot- London is perhaps the capital of the world.
The main thing that they're doing better, is making sure that the immigrants arriving there are contributing their fair share of taxes. We could and should reform our system in the US to try to address that problem. Give these immigrants a document and a number, and say welcome, to all who are peaceful and come in good faith. Let's track immigration and make them legal and taxpaying. Let's quit focusing on demonizing.
Run a background check, hand them a work visa, and tax them. Enforce border security but make the lines move and make it an easy process. Illegal immigration would plummet if we re-think the whole concept.
The border security resources that we have, should be spending all of their time and efforts going after criminals. Not decent-meaning immigrants just wanting to work some labor and make some money. Those folks could and should be a welcome boost to our economy and common prosperity and growth.
There are two points I would like to contest here, although I will say that I find your overall 'tone' reasonable.
First, I've never felt that we've been a 'melting pot'. More like a mixing bowl. Hence 'China town', 'Japan Town', ethnic enclaves in many cities, and so forth.
Second, I have a feeling that I would be more restrictive on numbers immigrating. We do not have unlimited resources.
Third, one of the biggest failures of government and law enforcement in this country in my long lifetime was the near-avoidance to tackling the Latino gang problem, and that is certainly related to illegal immigration.
But by nobody's actions today did that happen. Seems you make a lot of your statements less through the acceptance of what was and more by what you wish was. The past happened. Nothing can fix past brutalities.
By your own admission no one race should dominate the direction of where we go next. Yet all you focus on is how bad Northern Europeans have been and how much is owed to your race. This, by itself is Euro-centric.
Your perspective of the nature of world history has been skewed to a singular purpose. Take some World History classes to broaden your scope.
I can list a large number of black rulers whose brutality would rival the cruelty of Europeans. Perhaps no one taught you about those? It's been the nature of ambitious men of all flavors.
But it isn't necessary to talk about Africa in the past. They are still living with slavery, often by their own countrymen, and burning witches and political dissidents alive in the streets. Little boys are being handed firearms and forced to be soldiers, little girls are being mutilated and forced into wedlock. Atrocities which are happening now, not in centuries past.
And you, living in relative luxury, want reparations?
You're correct -- for the most part, nothing can fix past brutalities. However, I'd be more proud of this nation if we admitted those past brutalities. There are so many to name.
Some societal reparations might be appropriate. Individual reparations are unworkable...and in fact undefinable.
First, I've never felt that we've been a 'melting pot'. More like a mixing bowl. Hence 'China town', 'Japan Town', ethnic enclaves in many cities, and so forth.
That's a fair point in many cases. Obviously a lot of the diversity is on paper. It's these people in one area and these people in another. But, progress is at least being made on that front. It's definitely less that way now than it ever was in the past, at least.
And there's always things that bring people together. Go to a pro sports game, and you typically see all races there from a whole metro area, all mixed together, which is pretty cool.
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Second, I have a feeling that I would be more restrictive on numbers immigrating. We do not have unlimited resources.
And neither are unlimited people trying to come in. That could be a concern, but I think we could adapt to the growth.
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Third, one of the biggest failures of government and law enforcement in this country in my long lifetime was the near-avoidance to tackling the Latino gang problem, and that is certainly related to illegal immigration.
End the international war on drugs. That's half our problem right there, and most of the gang problem.
There are two points I would like to contest here, although I will say that I find your overall 'tone' reasonable.
First, I've never felt that we've been a 'melting pot'. More like a mixing bowl. Hence 'China town', 'Japan Town', ethnic enclaves in many cities, and so forth.
Second, I have a feeling that I would be more restrictive on numbers immigrating. We do not have unlimited resources.
Third, one of the biggest failures of government and law enforcement in this country in my long lifetime was the near-avoidance to tackling the Latino gang problem, and that is certainly related to illegal immigration.
I don’t disagree with more restrictive immigration, but as long as employers continue to hire undocumented workers, particularly in some fields, this problem isn’t going to resolve. I think it’s false to say that most liberals want open borders. I don’t know anyone who wants that, but the current methods for solving the problem aren’t working or really helping.
While we don’t have unlimited resources right now, we do have a lot of areas where employers aren’t able to fill their positions. Some have even had to close despite relatively high wages. I went to a restaurant in summer 2021 that ended up closing because it couldn’t get workers even paying $20/hour with benefits. I would not be opposed to something like what we have for farm workers- temporary visas for people to work these jobs when there is a shortage.
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