As the Economist reports, Conservative British Prime Minister David Cameron gave a resounding endorsement to what were once termed liberal values and against the sort of state multiculturalism that defends the separatism of immigrant communities, including radical Islamism, and opposes their cultural integration into Western society.
Cameron declared that the state needs actively to promote values of “freedom of speech and worship, democracy, rule of law and equal rights regardless of race, sex or sexuality.”
Added the Conservative PM:
Under the doctrine of state multiculturalism, we have encouraged different cultures to live separate lives, apart from each other and the mainstream. We have failed to provide a vision of society to which they feel they want to belong.…
We need a lot less of the passive tolerance of recent years and much more active, muscular liberalism.
His remarks, not surprisingly, were dismissed by progressives.
Relatedly, columnist Abigail R. Esman describes how the liberal media’s refusal to investigate and report on the wave of honor killings of young women by their families in Islamic immigrant communities led her to reassess her progressive politics.
More—Here vs. There. It’s worth noting that, unlike the British Conservative party, the U.S. Republicans are under the sway of a powerful and well-organized religious right contending for influence with a more libertarian, small-government “leave us alone” faction. That’s a challenge on the right that will have to be confronted for many years to come before we see a Republican president call for “equal rights regardless of race, sex or sexuality.”
Moreover, Britain’s Conservatives are in a governing alliance with the Liberals against the leftwing, union-dominated Labour party. In the U.S., our traditionally liberal party, the Democrats, are now controlled to a large extent by public-sector unions. So we no longer have a pro-market liberal party. That leaves us with a rightwing party dominated by social conservatives and a leftwing party driven by redistributionist unions. Hence, our sad political predicament.
8 Comments for “Western Values vs. Multiculturalism”
posted by Houndentenor on
This is the place where I part ways with both the left and the right.
As someone who has devoted his life to the perpetuation of western classical music, I resent those who would throw out the western canon because it was created by “dead, white, Europeans”. At the same time, that does not mean that I devalue the art, culture and history from other parts of the world. Far from it. I don’t know why I can’t celebrate my own cultural heritage while acknowledging the amazing accomplishments of other cultures. It’s not a contest.
I’m also appalled at those on the left who chose to ignore human rights abuses in the rest of the world or in non-Christian/non-western cultures (including those now existing in the west). We either support human rights for everyone or we do not. That doesn’t make me a conservative. I also witnessed the beginnings of a corporate elite push-back against those who wanted to punish companies that were still doing business with the genocidal regime in Sudan.
To me the right/left issue here is a false dichotomy. We either stand up for human rights for everyone, or we do not. Ignoring rights abuses for the purpose of not offending other cultures or so we can profit by doing business with the oppressors are equally evil positions and anyone espousing either needs to be called out.
posted by Tom on
Were it that conservatives in our country embraced, promoted and insisted upon “equal rights regardless of race, sex or sexuality” as core values. What do you suppose we could do to bring that idea across the pond and get the conservative presidential candidates speaking out for “equal means equal”, as PM Cameron does?
posted by Houndentenor on
A couple of years ago I tried having an email exchange with GayPatriotWest and quickly discovered that to him “equal” meant making us all wear Chairman Mao-style grey suits and giving everyone the same salary no matter what job they did. I kid you not. So I have learned to avoid using the word “equal” when talking to the far right. I try to work in concepts like freedom, personal responsibility and other buzzwords that make them wet.
posted by Tom on
Wow. No wonder the far right has trouble with “all men are created equal” and thinks that “Equal Justice Under Law” means, well, God knows what they think it means. But I’m sticking with “equal means equal” because, well, it does.
posted by Houndentenor on
The idea that the government should treat all citizens the same is anathema to those who think that being white, male and economically privileged entitles them to special rights.
posted by another steve on
What do you suppose we could do to bring that idea across the pond and get the conservative presidential candidates speaking out for “equal means equal”, as PM Cameron does?
Support GOProud and the Log Cabin Republicans (or at least don’t attack or belittle their efforts).
posted by Tom on
LCR seems to me to be doing good work. The DADT lawsuit was a driving force behind repeal, and LCR’s refusal to drop the lawsuit until DADT repeal is implemented is critical to keeping the pressure on, just to make sure that nobody from either party plays games at this point. Whether you agree with them or not, LCR’s positions are clear, and they stand behind them.
I’m not so sure about GOProud.
Like others commenting, I am having a hard time figuring out what GOProud really stands for, how hard GOProud intends to push, and on what.
Where does GOProud stand on marriage equality, for example, other than to say that it shouldn’t be determined by the federal government?
GOProud’s legislative agenda is carefully drawn, it seems to me, to avoid important issues — for example, the agenda calls for “Standing strong against radical regimes that refuse to recognize the basic human rights of gays and lesbians, women and religious minorities.” but says nothing about the push, within some quarters of the Republican Party, to recriminalize sodomy.
I think that the next year or two is going to be critical for GOProud. I don’t think the young gays in the Republican Party — and there are plenty of them — are going to stand still too long for that kind of fancy dancing.
posted by Wilberforce on
You people are delusional.
All of a sudden you champion liberal culture when you’re threatened by Islamic fundamentalism? Please. The funny thing here is that you guys don’t know the first thing about Western culture.
You think the dems are controlled by unions, despite Obama’s corporate rescue and grow policies of the last two years.
You ask how to get the GOP to respect equal rights. Oh my. The party is built on the unrestrained economic rights of the individual, and a unquestionable contempt for civic obligations.
Again, I find all your arguments to be shallow abstractions meant to conceal extreme selfishness.
The bottom line for this issue is not to impose Western values on others, but to use law to stop those others from violating our rights. It’s called supporting domestic tranquility.