In a Reuters video via the Globe and Mail, German Chancellor Angela Merkel
reiterates her belief that multiculturalism in Germany remains ‘a lie,’ telling immigrants to ‘obey our values and traditions and learn German’
Those fleeing from war and persecution will find protection with us. Those who found refuge and protection with us must obey our laws, values and traditions. And in order to understand us, they must learn the German language. All this, dear friends, is integration. all this is the exact opposition of multiculturalism. It remains true that multiculturalism leads to parallel societies and multiculturalism therefore remains a lie.
The Germans were always specific in learning German. There is a Sprachdiplom involved and this has been a requirement for decades.
Heil true Aryan culture!
Multiculturalism is a way of saying that the host culture is of no special value. If I were visiting Germany, it would be as a Canadian. If I was allowed to emigrate to Germany, I’d spend the rest of my life learning German culture.
When I was 20, I had an option to be stationed in Germany and declined it. So what I am saying is my opinion if I actually had some desire to live there.
Of course being a German no longer would entail patronage of the Lutheran or the Catholic faiths. The actual modern German culture is a refined humanistic system plus their common language. Christ, I would be happy to work in the BMW motorcycle factory for minimum wage. After all I am currently retired and years ago graduated in manufacturing technology (no longer available) in one of Alberta’s technical institutes.
My reason for being un-attracted to Germany, forty years ago, probably was I knew quite a few German immigrants who came to Canada for a better life and learned English and usually said nice things about our politicians and our national parks. More than one of my German acquaintances, from back in the seventies, mentioned that they probably wouldn’t own their own house back home and their motorcycles would definitely be a lot smaller.
She’s quite right. Community is not for nothing. Without it, as Canada has discovered, you don’t have a country. You have a mall. And when the shops close, as they always do, you have nothing.
So… The leader of a right wing Christian political party doesn’t believe in multiculturalism… Shocking.
I guess I should start appropriating… Uh… I mean learning an Iroquoian language.
Tolerating French and English is a betrayal of our Iroquois cultural roots.
We atheists love blindly following tradition, don’t ya know.
Heheh.
I really don’t understand why a minority group like atheists or Humanists would appalled the idea of cultural uniformity. I oppose many traditions and laws of Canada. The laws I obey and try to help change. The traditions I’m not interested in or oppose I ignore.
Should we be applauding cultural uniformity and opposition to dissent and free expression?
Our culture is not dead. You are actively involving with it effecting change and promoting improvement. The evolution of a great humanistic culture is possible. Germany’s Christian Democratic Party will hopefully soon become the Democratic Party. Randy’s description of a mall instead of a country is salient poetry.
“Randy’s description of a mall instead of a country is salient poetry.”
I think the more traditional description is a “marketplace of ideas”, but given the number of Canadians who are averse to the more extreme forms of capitalism, ‘mall’ is certainly a more sensitive and inclusive choice.