quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity

That's debatable, thompson. Why don't you start a new thread on early American history and see if anyone bites

quote:

ORIGINAL: thompsonx
Sanity:
I am sorry...you were not aware that the U.S. had invaded Mexico and took half of their country?  It was in all the history books.  How could you have missed it?
thompson

quote:

ORIGINAL: LadyEllen

The question then becomes, how do we unify different cultures to unite us as a nation.

Assuming of course, we have dropped the "send 'em 'ome" mentality which is a non starter.

E

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ORIGINAL: EPGAH

Are you implying that a common language can be a great unifying factor, and different languages simply divide and confuse, a la the Tower of Babel?

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ORIGINAL: kdsub

…I think a common language in any country would lessen racism

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ORIGINAL: philosophy

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ORIGINAL: kdsub

…I think a common language in any country would lessen racism

...agreed, but with a pretty big caveat. It would be true provided that there were no other languages in the first place. The problem comes with enforcement. Let's imagine a fictional country where 50% speak gobbledigook, 25% speak gibberish, 15% speak blahblahblah and 10% speak balderdash. It is decided to make gobbledigook the official language on the basis of the most people speaking it. Racism instantly has a new way to define itself.

In a later post you gave the example of meeting Mr Mohammad in the street......you wave and smile, he waves and smiles back. No official language necessary. No enforcement of official language necessary. No repression of minority language necessary.

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ORIGINAL: popeye1250


There's a (very) old saying; "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

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ORIGINAL: philosophy
.....did you know that the Romans didn't repress the religions of the places they conquered? In fact they erected statues to them in Rome itself. In a very real sense Rome was astoundingly multicultural......their only requirement was to obey Roman law, the same position i've been espousing all the time on this thread.

quote:

 multicultural Romans and Christianity
The Emperor Valerian instituted the state-sponsored persecution, which lasted for about three years, from 257-259. The final, and longest, state-sponsored persecution had its inception under Emperor Diocletian, and it lasted, in the western portion of the empire, for around two years, 303-305, and around eight years in the eastern portion, 303-311. Concerning this persecution, Michael Grant remarks: "As never before, the motive of the Great Persecution which began in 303 was the total extirpation of Christianity: it was a struggle to the death between the old and new orders"

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ORIGINAL: thompsonx
Sanity:
It would appear that your position is that you do not care to discuss anything that is contrary to your preconceived notions of reality.
Do you feel that the boards are just a place for you to post your opinion and not make any effort to sustain a discussion.  Isn't that a lot like spray painting on a wall in the middle of the night and then scurrying off to giggle at those who come to clean up your mess?
Your profile says you are an adult.  Is that what you feel is adult behavior?
thompson

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity

That's debatable, thompson. Why don't you start a new thread on early American history and see if anyone bites

quote:

ORIGINAL: thompsonx
Sanity:
I am sorry...you were not aware that the U.S. had invaded Mexico and took half of their country?  It was in all the history books.  How could you have missed it?
thompson

quote:

ORIGINAL: philosophy

quote:

ORIGINAL: popeye1250


There's a (very) old saying; "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

.....did you know that the Romans didn't repress the religions of the places they conquered? In fact they erected statues to them in Rome itself. In a very real sense Rome was astoundingly multicultural......their only requirement was to obey Roman law, the same position i've been espousing all the time on this thread.

quote:

ORIGINAL: philosophy

quote:

ORIGINAL: kdsub

…I think a common language in any country would lessen racism

...agreed, but with a pretty big caveat. It would be true provided that there were no other languages in the first place. The problem comes with enforcement. Let's imagine a fictional country where 50% speak gobbledigook, 25% speak gibberish, 15% speak blahblahblah and 10% speak balderdash. It is decided to make gobbledigook the official language on the basis of the most people speaking it. Racism instantly has a new way to define itself.

In a later post you gave the example of meeting Mr Mohammad in the street......you wave and smile, he waves and smiles back. No official language necessary. No enforcement of official language necessary. No repression of minority language necessary.

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ORIGINAL: aviinterra

I think they have a point.
Having traveled extensively, I can attest that the rapid influx of immigrants into every cornor of the world has added no single benefit to any society, esp. in Europe. Riots, crime and hate from all sides have produced a homogenized, uncaring, and frightfully jaded as well as apthatied generation. All that we cherish- that which pops into our minds when we think of for example Italy- has now been slowly pounded down until it no longer resembles anything, unless it can be marketed.
For example, someone here stated that China is the largest and oldest multi-cultural society. I beg to differ. Perhaps once it was. Since the 1950s, China has had a sinofication policy, which forcibly moved Han Chinese into other parts of China with the express intent of creating a uniform culture. Sure, some tribe can keep their pretty colorful costumes as long as tourists will buy into it, but underneath they are all supposed to be Han, and that is what they are after 50 years of systematic eradicatin of China's culture by China itself. Heck, the Red Guards in the 70s wanted to torch the Forbidden City and were only stopped by an army unit that had slightly more brains. But they did manage to destroy thousands of ancient walls, temples, etc. In parts of China there is nothing left of old China, just the smog of new China. Same can be said of the Taliban- remember those big Buddah statues?
Multi-culturism paves over individual cultures to create a one world culture, where everyone will speak the same tongue, dress alike, eat the same processed food and watch TV as the last shreds of their rights are eliminated.

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ORIGINAL: Politesub53

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ORIGINAL: philosophy

quote:

ORIGINAL: popeye1250


There's a (very) old saying; "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

.....did you know that the Romans didn't repress the religions of the places they conquered? In fact they erected statues to them in Rome itself. In a very real sense Rome was astoundingly multicultural......their only requirement was to obey Roman law, the same position i've been espousing all the time on this thread.

I cant believe you said that....Tell that to the Christians fed to the lions as a test of God,  Phil.

......history is fun

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ORIGINAL: charmdpetKeira

Isn’t the idea of a “melting pot” contradictory to the idea of being multi-cultural. Isn't the purpose of a melting pot, to integrate the objects placed into the pot until they all become one new entity; in effect, erasing the lines of individualism?

quote:

ORIGINAL: philosophy

quote:

ORIGINAL: popeye1250


There's a (very) old saying; "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

.....did you know that the Romans didn't repress the religions of the places they conquered? In fact they erected statues to them in Rome itself. In a very real sense Rome was astoundingly multicultural......their only requirement was to obey Roman law, the same position i've been espousing all the time on this thread.