Multiculturalism and the Death of National Character
I was drawn to this theme by an article I read in that English magazine of thoughtfulness, The Spectator, written by Ferdinand Mount and entitled, One Nation under her Majesty. Mount laments the decline of any definable national character in favour of the polyglot cultures of the globe. He points out that there is a disconnect between the British intellegentsia and patriotism. The left, which has control not only of the government, but also of many of its purveyors of culture, has retreated into a nihilistic vendetta against much of traditional English social culture. As Mount puts it, "As the spirit went out of socialism in the ordinary sense, the left groped about for another means of expressing itself. If it were no longer possible to purify the nation by abolishing the capitalist system and seize the commanding heights of the economy, then at least one could purify the atmosphere. The national culture could be bleached and leached, leaving more or less a blank space where any citizen was able to write his or her own preferences. The nation could become one giant cultural mall."
Mount could have been talking about Canada. As I have mentioned previously in another blog, a correspondent has informed me that in one area of the Maritimes, the 6 o'clock news is now dominated by an all female, all Asian-Canadian line-up. The whites, who once ran the show, have all been sent to NB's hinterland to give their reports. The CBC does not consider this odd, even though visible minorities don't make up 1% of that province. Every Christmas, principals get in a tizzy about whether to have Christmas pageants. Ironically, it is rarely the visible minorites who complain; rather it is the loonie left. Muslims and Hindus can barely imagine this religious disenfranchising happening in their own native countries. If it weren't for Adrienne Clarkson being 1. Chinese-Canadian, 2. a gold-plated member of the left intellegensia, and 3. a former CBC host, then the left would try to abolish her office, as it reeks of Euro-centrism.
As for the television lineup of presenters, Bud, they're softening up the underpopulated areas of Canada for a massive influx of refugees / immigrants, I would guess -- and they won't be from Europe. Of course, that would spread the economic drain on the sytem that cities like Toronto are experiencing around Canada -- to the schools, for example.
As for Adrienne Clarkson and abolishing the office of Governor General, that will come, Bud. I honestly think the ultimate object of not reigning in quickly our pseudo queen's extravagance, along with that of her champagne socialist husband, was to allow it full flower and then Canadians would become so angry, they would be happy to support the abolition of the office of the Queen's representative as an utter waste. NJC
