February 18, 2006
Multi-Cultural Cowardice
In August, 2001 my wife and I landed at Copenhagen (København) for the start of a two week Baltic Cruise. The sights and sounds of Copenhagen with its delightful Danish character, the visual presence of other countries, nationalities and cultures obvious to anyone who was willing to look and the aroma of uniquely Danish Bakeries made this part of the trip a tiny bit of heaven.
Towards the end of the cruise (with yet another five days to go) we were in Berlin on September 11, 2001. These two bits of travel information are now deeply imbedded in my psyche; 9/11/01 for obvious reasons, and Copenhagen and Denmark given the current cartoon controversy.
I've not commented on the cartoon kafuffle for a couple of reasons; first, because I'm still recovering from surgery, but more importantly because one of my lessons learned in life is that I need to think through what I want to tell you dear reader and not go off half cocked. So, this post may be lengthy and for that I apologize in advance.
The so called "evening news" (as opposed to the evening information that someone wants you to see) is replete with images of angry Muslim's rioting over the publication in Denmark of a series of drawings of Mohammad. They are angry because it is disrespectful to show "images" of Mohammad. They are angry because mob thinking has taken over and replaced any ability to reason (and I'm not real sure that reasoning is one of their strong points anyway). Drawings of Mohammad have been made for hundreds of years, commissioned usually by other Muslims. However, that seems to be a moot point. Instead, we are treated to video of death and destruction, the burning of the Danish Embassy, Denmark advising its people to flee the Middle East in general, and Pakistan in particular and even plastic statues of good old Ronald McDonald being torched. This is a culture I'm supposed to respect?
The mentality of those in the mob is not questionable! It is, actually, bizarre. What other culture would brandish signs saying "Behead the cartoonists," or offer million dollar bounties for the death of a cartoonist (apparently too ignorant to understand that there were a dozen different artists involved)? And yet, and yet, we are being asked to "understand" that they have been insulted, that they have had their sacred religion mocked, and that our inability to "understand" is akin to another holocaust.
It strains the fabric of rationality. Thomas Szasz once made quite a stir with the publication of "The Myth Of Mental Illness" in which he basically argued that those labled mentally ill were merely "differently abled" and society was at fault for not doing the right thing. Now, like then, it is the fault of Western Culture and Western Values that has triggered the rioting, death and destruction. What utter nonsense!
Modern western "liberalism" holds forth that multi-culturalism is the only way to go. That the true meaning of a multi-cultural society is acknowledgement that no one culture is better than another, just different.
multiculturalism n : the doctrine that several different cultures (rather than one national culture) can co-exist peacefully and equitably in a single countryIt is increasingly demonstrable that the culture represented by the majority of middle eastern Muslims are in fact, unable to live with others. Does not play well with others as a kindergarten teacher might say of a todler!
Much has been written regarding the failure of European countries to allow assimilation of Muslims into their society and in part, that may be true. But I think another part of this equation needs to be an honest acknowledgement that Muslims (many? most?) do not want to integrate into the society into which they have moved.
Pat Santy of Dr. Sanity has written extensively on Narcissism in a three part series. In part three of her series, she describes what happens to the grandiose narcissist or someone in narcissistic rage, two parts of which include:
(1) The Grandiose Self is dominant, and the individual exhibits:This is obviously a personality disorder that cannot be applied to an entire culture, but, and this is a big but, but, there are aspects of this that absolutely apply. Another "Psych-blogger" Sigmund, Carl and Alfred notes:
• Continual claims for attention and admiration
• Cold and uncaring behavior toward others
• Sees others only as an extension of the Self to be manipulated and/or eliminated as needed; not able to relate to people as people or separate from oneself
• Grandiosity
• Hypochondria, or an obsession with individual body parts and illness and
(3) When the Idealized or Omnipotent Object is dominant, the individual exhibits:
• Rigid adherence to a belief system/ Ideal
• Willingness to sacrifice people for the Ideal ("their own good")
• Others are seen as omnipotent and all-powerful or all-good
• Intolerance of mistakes
• Unforgiving of transgressionsâ€â€especially those against the IDEAL
• Tendency not to acknowledge flaws in the IDEAL
To understand what is perceived to be a moderate Islamic culture, a bit of history is in order. There have been- and there remains- religious and social groups that have successfully transitioned from a narrow and confined world to a broader and more inclusive one. Traditional Catholics and Jews, for example, have successfully integrated into society and have retained their identity and religious identities. In fact, the traditional and 'orthodox' communities of each of those faiths is undergoing a tremendous resurgence.This reality is quite easily attributable to the idea that one can be traditional and at the same time, inclusive and integrated into the community at large. This becomes a reality because the 'reformation' of the community and faith have the blessings of the community and faith. There is more than a tacit understanding that life moves forward. While Christians await the second coming and Jews await the arrival of the Messiah, the understanding is clear. Life as we know it will go on. Our spirituality will have acquired a new dimension, but our day to day lives will not be much different.
The opposite is true of Islam in just about every iteration. The ideology has morphed into one that looks backward. Much of Islam sees 'progress' in faith as a regression to earlier times. That occurs in one of two ways. In one interpretation, as the Islamic prophecies come to pass, life as we know it indeed changes. Technology as we know it becomes verboten- we are to live life in the way Mohammad did, simple and pure. There is another version- that we, kafirs, will exist only to serve Muslims, the fruits of our labors are to be enjoyed by Muslims only.
Is there then a point to this? And of course, my answer is an unequivocal yes. My point is is that we have not been willing to stand up and call bad behavior exactly that, bad behavior. When it comes to Abu Ghraib or Gitmo we decry the behavior of individuals and institutions. When it comes to offending others, we say to ourselves "shame on us." but when it comes to calling down bad behavior by a backwards and intolerant culture, we say nothing.
This cannot stand. If, in the totality of time, any culture is to survive, it must be as a compliment to other cultures. A culture cannot stand by itself and exist worldwide, for as surely as those that uphold Darwin, there will be changes and a culture will alter. This is equally true of a universal Moslem Culture. Should the so-called Caliphate be established, it will soon dissolve into chaos as individuals seek to aggrandize power unto themselves. This is human nature and not just a happenstance.
We of the west must not flinch from this task. A blind allegiance to multiculturalism will benefit no one. It is one thing to tolerate another culture as being valid, it is entirely another to tolerate a culture that seeks your overthrow and demise.
Recently in the news there was a Gay group demanding that Israel pull out of the west bank and cease "persecuting" the Palestinians. Hmmm, what is wrong with this picture. Have these gay folk no idea how the vast majority of the adherents of Islam view homosexuality? Do they not think they may be signing their own warrants? In England, some banks are no longer using that age-old symbol of savings; the ubiquitous "Piggy Bank" because Muslims might be offended by pigs. Excuse me? Did these idiots ever worry about offending Jews who also don't eat pork? Never mind, rhetorical question.
As a society, as western culture we must be willing to call a spade a spade. The intolerance of the “typical†Moslem culture that riots in faux anger at a few damned cartoons cannot be allowed to stand. The entire world must stand up, shout “enough†and be willing to hurt someone’s feelings if need be.
Not to do so is exquisitely illustrated by Cox and Forkum:
It is time to rock the boat and rock it hard!
UPDATE: The Salient, a Harvard newspaper published the cartoons with Editor Travis Kavulla stating that the paper had an obligation to report the news. Listen folks, the cartoon upheaval in the Middle East has cost nineteen people their lives so far, that is more than sufficient evidence that collectively they have lost their minds. The Associate Dean of the college Judith H. Kidd stated in an email to the Salient that: “some segments of the campus...may be sufficiently upset by the publication of the cartoons that they may become dangerous.†Good grief! Warning some that others may become dangerous, and not warning those that "may become dangerous" - "Not On My Watch You Don't."
H/T to Sissy Willis at SISU
UPDATE # 2: Tigerhawk asks if we need to grant tolerance to those who refuse to be tolerant. Good Question and I like his answer. H/T Glen Reynolds who agrees: "Tolerance is a two way street. Those who do not grant it, have no right to demand it."
UPDATE # 3: Dymphna of Gates of Vienna(scroll down in the comments) notes:
Islamophobia is on the rise because Islamists are volatile, supremacist, and very much loose cannons in the public sphere. Islamophobia is the result of Muslim behavior. It wasn't a bunch of yeshiva students who set off bombs in London or Madrid.Sounds right to me!Unless Islam can shed its present violent acting-out, Islamophobia will continue to rise. Bombs, hate talk, demands for special treatment, and contempt for the country in which they live will endear them to no one."
UPDATE # 4: Ed Morrissey says:
When our media has the testicular fortitude to report on terrorists honestly, then they will have gained the moral authority to lecture any White House on censorship and the responsibility of fully informing the public. Until then, such demonstrations as we saw this week by the White House press corps only stands as a perverse monument to the media's hypocrisy and venality.H/T Instapundit
UPDATE # 5: One of the commenters on Bill Quick's Daily Pundit said it as well as can be said:
Newspapers and Television news shows are not showing the cartoons out of fear of what that might cause. Terror at what might happen to them, their homes, their lives.Terror, as in 'Terrorism'.
The West's shining fundamental tenet, the First Amendment, has been attacked by Islam, terrorized.
And it fell faster than the World Trade Center.
No planes were needed, no bombs. No innocent victims needed to have their heads sawn off.
They used our foolish nature, our tolerance, our multiculturalism, our determination to believe the best about people and fashioned it into a spear--and rammed it into our heart.
They didn't merely destroy buildings this time. They took aim--and hit, our very souls.
Linked at The Bullwinkle Blog
GM - good to see you are back to your feisty self!
I think the west has several problems that are restricting adequate thinking on this issue
1) As you identified, one problem is multiculturalism as it is actually taught and practiced - which is a bit worse than what you said. Multiculturalism, at least in the US, teaches that all cultures are SUPERIOR to our own - and by the actions of its advocates, that the less like our culture it is, the better is a culture. In France, they probably teach the same thing, but carve out an exception for French culture which is, of course, superior in all ways. But anyway, multiculturalism of one form or another cripples society's analysis and feelings towards these problems.
2) Many in the west see the problem as minimal. I have run into a very large number of blog commenters (most on slashdot.org) who truly believe that the greatest threat to civil liberties - anywhere in the world - is the Bush administration. I have challenged them to publish a cartoon highly offensive to Muslims on their site. In other words, these idiots are so fixated on the Bushitler fiction that their thinking is as deranged as that of the Muslim mobs.
3) Muslim terrorism works. Some in the world use terrorism routinely. Ask Salman Rushdie or Theogh Van Gogh, and now the first publisher of the cartoon who has acquired a private security detail, or the drawers of the cartoons, who have a $1,000,000 bounty on their heads. This has a more than slight chilling effect. I would suspect that some of the cases illustrated by the removal of pig symbols are motivated by a fear of reprisals stronger than mere economic boycotts. How many would publish, on their blogs or web sites, some of these cartoons? I can already hear the rationalizations.
4) Muslim rage works to the advantage of dictators of Muslim countries. It is the old trick - redirect anger outwards instead of at the regime. In fact, I suspect from the behavior of the new Iranian president that he wants us to bomb the nuclear facilities for exactly that reason (or perhaps he really is so nuts that he things this will bring on the mideastern chaos needed for the arrival of the last imam).
5) Inferior cultures face great stress in the face of European/American modern societies. Yes, I said inferior, because the cultures lack the ability to change with new challenges. We have seen examples in the US with some reservation based Indian tribes. The people who "leave the rez" and assimilate get along fine. Those who stay on the reservation and cling to their culture do not. I live 4 miles from a reservation in which the resulting cultural disintegration manifests itself as a wide variety of social dysfunctions - alcoholism to murder. The Arab cultures, combined with modern Islam as put forth by the loudest voices, face this problem. Some other Muslim cultures, as far as I can tell, do not. But they may have little defense against the virus of extremism. Time will tell.
6) The way in which most Muslim cultures regulate access to women, and also create large families, creates a pool of frustrated, angry young men. If you want to have a war, or any other sort of violence, sexually frustrated, angry young men are what you need! Men of a certain age are dangerous enough as it is (which is one of a couple of reasons they make up the bulk of any armed service). Add in the sexual frustration caused by Islam (or other misogynistic societies that are selectively aborting female babies) and you have ready gunpowder for all sorts of explosions.
The sad thing is that Europeans and Americans are averting their eyes from all of this. Too many either are in denial (an expected psychological response made easier by the pablum from the elite) or have their fears misfocused on the Bushitler devil. While they fear the NSA "domestic" wiretaps (do they consider customs inspections to be domestic spying?), their real freedom of expression has already been limited by the threat of Muslim terrorism.
Posted by John Moore at February 18, 2006 12:40 PM
GM, you're quite correct that this dispute has metastasized far beyond a simple dispute over the limits of "free speech". Rather, the extreme response to the cartoons publication has shifted the forum to a dispute over the boundaries of civic discourse. In particular, if we allow violence, threat of violence, intimdation, and intensity of passion to become acceptible means of dissent, then we completely undermine our freedom of expression, freedom of belief -- and indeed the foundation of Western political institutions, instutions born of centuries of struggle and shed blood and rooted on reasoned debate and persuasion, established on the rule of law rather than the rule of force.
Another key point that has not been as well recognized is that the primary battlefield of this cartoon controversy is not Islam versus the West (serious as this may be), but rather a battle within Islam in which militant and extremists are attempting to intidmidate opposition and impose its interpretation of true Islam on other, moderate believers. If we in the West back down here, we will undercut the more moderate elements within Islam and thereby hand the religion over to the extremists.
That is, this issue is not just about us, it's more about the future of Islam -- a future that will assuredly have a dramatic impact on our lives and our children's lives and the future of the Westen civilization (as well as the future of Christianity and Judaism).
Posted by civil truth at February 18, 2006 03:13 PM
Let me first say that I affirm the right to free speech and violence in response to speech is unacceptable. But your critique of arabs or muslims or whomever you're angry at is way off base.
First, John Moore's definition of multiculturalism is ridiculous. A brief story: I'm tutoring a high schooler in English/History. She's American, but her parents were immigrants and she grew up speaking Japanese and a little Korean in the home. She works hard, but she's still got a ways to go to catch up with the native English speakers. In her history class, she's been studying the experience of "outsiders." That includes African Americans (post-civil war I think?), late 19th century Irish on the east coast, and turn of the century Chinese in California. My student is most interested in the travails of the Chinese and so she's looking to write her essay on the Chinese experience. That is what multicultural education is about. Nothing about demonizing white people. Nothing that indicates that other cultures (do the Irish count?!!!) are better. Just offering students a chance to get involved in their learning by finding stories in our history that are about people similar to them.
2nd, your take on Muslims is horrifying. Right wingers are so quick to complain that the media focuses on the bad news from Iraq because that's what gets headlines, yet you are willing to judge all Muslims by the MINORITY that behave terribly enough to earn headlines. When my girlfriend was in Morocco during 9/11 she saw zero people dancing in the streets. Most people were kind and the family she stayed with openly cursed Bin Ladin. Most of the problems you guys attribute to Islam, I attribute to fundamentalism. It only takes a little human research to learn that your generalizations are obscene in scope.
John Moore, #4 is right on. #5 is disgusting.
Posted by Mavis Beacon at February 18, 2006 07:31 PM
John Moore: "Muslim rage works to the advantage of dictators of Muslim countries. It is the old trick - redirect anger outwards instead of at the regime."
Islam has been doing this for centuries. Blame, blame, blame--instead of accountability. And until that changes, Islam is incompatible with democracy because democracy requires self-responsibility.
By dividing the world into Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb, Islam makes itself incompatible with Western ideals. Hence, the cartoon jihad.
Posted by Always On Watch at February 18, 2006 08:30 PM
GM,
Delighted you are well enough (or angry enough) to weigh in.
While it might be true that it isn't a majority of Muslims that are terrorists, or terroristic, it only takes a brutal minority to whip up some and to cow others. Lots of "sheep" in the world, methinks.
This is a BIG subject which could have me writing all night, but I will give you (and others) a break.
Final Comment: I do wish more of our youth (and now that includes young to middle-aged professors) had been the recepients of military training AND world travel. I know my perspectives were/are greatly broadened by seeing other places and peoples....and not just the tourist destinations and joints.
Again, glad you are "up and around".
Posted by Tad at February 18, 2006 10:18 PM
GM...as fate would have it, I too was in Berlin on Sep. 11 2001. At the time, I was in my SAP Basis Admin course and had been there for over a month.
It was quite an ordeal when I flew back to the US a week later.
Posted by Liberty Dog at February 19, 2006 12:19 AM
GM,
I attended last German-American blog carnival. Regarding Islamic violence, I found an interesting comment in the following link.
"Islamic civilization may yet produce its Edward Gibbon, a sincere religious voyager who ends up scrutinizing the foundations of his civilization with a skeptical, cynical, and, at times, profoundly unfair irreligious eye."
See http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.23872,filter.all/pub_detail.asp .
I sent a trackback to your January 30 post, which is on State of the Union address. I shall appreciate your attention to this.
Posted by Shah Alexander at February 19, 2006 06:51 AM
Mavis B. writes "2nd, your take on Muslims is horrifying. Right wingers are so quick to complain that the media focuses on the bad news from Iraq because that's what gets headlines, yet you are willing to judge all Muslims by the MINORITY that behave terribly enough to earn headlines. "
Mavis, I suspect that you do not see the irony in your words. Care to recall the bashing of almost all Christians over the words of Pat Robertson? In fact, your term above "right wingers" is exactly the same thing, seemingly lumping all conservatives in with those on the far right. Now, I acknowledge that this is no more fair than than many righties calling all lefties communists socialists etc. but there it is.
I'm down on ALL Muslims because there have been damn few, DAMN FEW who have been willing to stand up to the mob. Silence is all that is necessary for the mob to continue. In this case, I believe that the tradition of western inclusion (with all its problems) is superior culturally to the Muslim idea of the Caliphate. And this is not out of the Muslim mainstream. It is a central fact of the Muslim faith and I find it as repugnant as Christians believing they have the only way to atheists beliving there is no way to animists believing that the animal way is the way... (that was said with tongue in cheek if you will).
I have a strong belief in Almighty God, and I believe that Jesus the Christ was in fact his son and that through this, I will ascend into heaven when I die. But, and this is important Mavis, I am not God almighty and I don't get to make the rules. I can have a faith, but it is tempered by my intellect that is also God given.
Most Muslims on the other hand (not all by any stretch of the imagination) are absolutely dogmatic regarding the reestablishment of the Caliphate, by force if necessary. See this from a prominent Muslim or this one from another "psych" blogger here
And, lastly, see this article for a real close look at the shame/guilt issues involved in the two cultures
P.S., I agree with your re: Multicultural EDUCATION, we used to call that "social studies and geography" In academia, where I spend part of my life over the last 19 years, Multiculturalism actively TEACHES that there are no differences in the values of cultures, that all are of equal value. Tell that to women forced to undergo clitoredectomy, wear burkahs; to gay's about to be stoned for homosexuality or for young ladies about to be whipped for the crime of being a rape victim. No sir, culturs are NOT of equal value and I refuse to give in to that bit of PC.
Posted by GM Roper at February 19, 2006 10:00 AM
Many of the same complaints and difficulties in this "religious war" can be studied by looking at our nation's recent history with differences between white and black cultures (broadly defined.) Note that I did not say "civil rights" issues, because racial differences and conflicts typically do not involve civil rights--but, often economic disparities and the choices to act in socially offensive and criminally unacceptable ways while hiding behind a "noble" cause, as that provides a cover of protection.
Yet, for decades, we have seen the "diversity" crowd excuse and justify riots, civil disobedience, and disproportionate population within the justice system saying that "we" have been so wrong that these results are entirely understood and "our" fault. There has been little accountability for individual choices and actions. That does not bring changes, yet provides some measure of "guilt protection" for the excusers from the left, while encouraging more of the same improper behavior by violators of peace.
Now, we see the same pattern with these same apologists over radicals within Islam. Only, this time, it's not civil rights" but "religious beliefs." (Note: Protection of religious beliefs do not extend to other main stream religions--especially Christianity, as "they" are the oppressors.)
We shouldn't be surprised at justification and continuation of bad behavior, because history does not teach us to learn from previous mistakes, but history teaches us to understand what happened when we duplicate them again. Only, this time, our lives and world peace are at stake, so the apologists need to be willing to accept deaths or willing to allow reasonably broadened means necessary to stop threats against us. It's time to make real choices and to quit postponing them.
Posted by Woody at February 19, 2006 11:43 AM
Mavis speaks of multiculturalism in the educational sense and not in its practice. GM's right, we used to just call it Social Studies and there is nothing wrong in studying other cultures.
In practice, it is disasterous. Sharia law in particular runs counter to laws in western society where all are perceived as equal under the law. Sharia law firmly establishes that all women, Muslim or not, and kaffirs are subordinate to Muslim males. Islam is a socio-political system as well as a religion. They can not be separated. When Muslims migrate to another country they form large, separate groups and do not integrate, rather they seek to impose their values, customs and laws on those around them. This is to allow them more freedom of movement in their host country without being tainted by customs or laws long established there. They are then free of insult, pork and whatever other facets of daily life of other cultures offends them.
And no, it's not ALL Muslims. But it's the ones with the most power and influence over the others that keeps the momentum going toward their goal. They come up against little or no resistance at all from their followers. Fear and guilt is instilled early on in life and is reinforced everyday.
So many Muslims come out of the Mid-East and move to western countires to escape that oppression only to be followed and made subservient again by their Imams who are heavily bank-rolled by the governments they run from and they never learn how to seek their own personal destinies.
No nation can retain its own identity for long with those who ignore the problems of multiculturalism and those who practice it. And a nation without a strong identity of its own and laws that are equally applied to all will not last long.
Posted by Oyster at February 19, 2006 12:10 PM
And oh, BTW. GM. So good to hear from you! I'm having computer issues and haven't been around much at all. As soon as my parts arrive in the mail, I can take care of the issues and stay booted up for more than five minutes at a time.
Keep on keepin' on, my friend!
Posted by Oyster at February 19, 2006 12:21 PM
I too had reserved comment on the cartoons and this decaying cult for similar reasons. Illness and a conscious decision to think things through, rather than taking to the keyboard and writing what I already know to absolute reality. You have now saved me the trouble of doing most of it so thank you.
Just because you are the only sane person in an asylum, it doesn't make the the others normal.
Best
Cass
Posted by Cancergiggles at February 20, 2006 06:02 AM
Millions of Americans Riot at News of Paris Hilton Cartoons
Not for the humor impaired...
Posted by E. Nonee Moose at February 20, 2006 03:02 PM
Mavis,
You miss the point. I am talking about multicultualism as an actual political force. The net result is that our culture is always to blame. This may not be the textbook definition of multiculturalism, but certainly is the effect of it. If you scratch a multiculturalist, you find a western culture hater.
All you have to do to understand how multiculturalism actually works is to sample some college online newspapers ( I used to do this whenever I needed some political correct insanity to lampoon ). There is a branch of our society which spends its time attacking our culture - on many issues including those that fall under the rubric of multiculturalism. - and it thrives best at academic institutions.
This has nothing to do with teaching people from another culture. My brother specialized in that for over 20 years - in Saudi Arabia and then Japan with his Japanese wife. His son was raised to be equally fluent in Japanese and American culture and language, to give him maximal choice.
Posted by John Moore at February 20, 2006 07:44 PM
There is a branch of our society which spends its time attacking our culture - on many issues including those that fall under the rubric of multiculturalism. - and it thrives best at academic institutions.
Attacking our culture or critiquing it? Can you distinguish the difference between the two?
Posted by E. Nonee Moose at February 21, 2006 11:31 AM
E, while you were responding to another's comment, here's my two cents. A critique, by its definition, is the act of criticizing. If you mean that some are offering an analysis of our society, then fair analyses wouldn't always highlight the negative.
Posted by Woody at February 21, 2006 12:16 PM
fair analyses wouldn't always highlight the negative.
If it ain't broke then don't fix it. If it is broke... well, then it's pretty obvious what you need to do. If all they are doing is pointing out what needs to be fixed then that's fine by me. The 'nattering nabobs of negativity' serve their purpose.
Posted by E. Nonee Moose at February 22, 2006 06:48 AM
