In light of David Cameron's recent assertion that multiculturalism has failed, I stumbled across an article by Mark Steyn, for the telegraph, arguing: "multiculturalism" is really a suicide cult conceived by the Western elites not to celebrate all cultures, but to deny their own. And that's particularly unworthy of the British, whose language, culture and law have been the single greatest force for good in this world.
Although his comment was made during the Labour government's reign, his comment is arguably more relevant today with the changes the Tory party are calling for.
Steyn's argument that multiculturalism has been suicidal to British identity has completely missed the point of what multiculturalism aims for - the celebration of ALL cultures. It also demonstrates an utterly ethnocentric view of what he defines as 'good in this world'. A purely one sided approach to this has been taken and Steyn needs to open up his eyes to the good in all parts of the world and society.
I am not saying multicultural strategies have been flawless but their shortcomings are not so severe that going back in time to a renewal of assimilation to British culture only, as both he and Cameron suggest, is necessary. We have gone too far in today's society, especially with the influences of individualism to try and merge us all into one being. There is too much beauty in our difference to assimilate and that is what Britishness now represents. Instead we should focus on our differences as a unifying identity and come together with a conjoined interest in what we can learn from one another.
To read Steyn's article click the below link:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3614135/Britain-has-been-in-denial-for-too-long.html
Friday 18 March 2011
Wednesday 16 March 2011
Have the rising number of rights granted to women, lead to a rise in male oppression?
Since my last blog about parenting and male/female rights, I've been thinking about their rights surrounding the choice to have a baby or an abortion. This highly controversial topic highlights many issues regarding women's bodies and moral issues.
And so purely in the case of women who do not feel morally obliged to have a baby, is it fair that she should make the decision over whether or not to have the child? Or should the potential father be allowed some say too? Any decision to do with the mind or body of a person, I argue would lead the ultimate decision to be made by that person. However, the choice of having a baby affects both the prospective mother and father and so in this case because a woman's body comes into play too, a male's opinion is secondary and so in the case that he wants the opposite outcome to the prospective mother, he will probably lose out.
Has female liberation, which grew out of their oppression by men flipped the coin on its head and now oppresses men in some situations?
I would argue yes.
Men have lost out on certain rights at the hands of women and this does not adhere to what feminism sought to achieve - equality with men - but perhaps in some situations, all that can be attained is the lesser of two evils?
And so purely in the case of women who do not feel morally obliged to have a baby, is it fair that she should make the decision over whether or not to have the child? Or should the potential father be allowed some say too? Any decision to do with the mind or body of a person, I argue would lead the ultimate decision to be made by that person. However, the choice of having a baby affects both the prospective mother and father and so in this case because a woman's body comes into play too, a male's opinion is secondary and so in the case that he wants the opposite outcome to the prospective mother, he will probably lose out.
Has female liberation, which grew out of their oppression by men flipped the coin on its head and now oppresses men in some situations?
I would argue yes.
Men have lost out on certain rights at the hands of women and this does not adhere to what feminism sought to achieve - equality with men - but perhaps in some situations, all that can be attained is the lesser of two evils?
Saturday 12 March 2011
Cleaning out the soul
Yesterday I witnessed something I find myself keep going back to.
As I was leaving the gym locker room, a girl was abusing the cleaner to help her find a receipt she lost which she steadfastly made her search through the bin for.
This really got to me.
Not only for her disrespect at the woman's job as a cleaner and not a slave; but also at her inherent racism. The cleaner was from East Africa and so the girl undignified herself even more by speaking to her as though she was thick and could not understand English - an attitude she would not have taken had the cleaner been Bristolian and with a bit of bite. But with someone she felt she could dominate, she did so and demonstrated outrightly her ignorance.
But above all this I blame myself. For seeing this and standing by. Saying nothing.
Why did I choose to walk away when I could see this injustice and know it needed to be confronted?
I don't know. I don't have the answer. But it's been eating me up ever since.
As I was leaving the gym locker room, a girl was abusing the cleaner to help her find a receipt she lost which she steadfastly made her search through the bin for.
This really got to me.
Not only for her disrespect at the woman's job as a cleaner and not a slave; but also at her inherent racism. The cleaner was from East Africa and so the girl undignified herself even more by speaking to her as though she was thick and could not understand English - an attitude she would not have taken had the cleaner been Bristolian and with a bit of bite. But with someone she felt she could dominate, she did so and demonstrated outrightly her ignorance.
But above all this I blame myself. For seeing this and standing by. Saying nothing.
Why did I choose to walk away when I could see this injustice and know it needed to be confronted?
I don't know. I don't have the answer. But it's been eating me up ever since.
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