Invasive species... What about invasive societies?
 

I don't know if I will come across as a racist or elitist for this post - if I do, that is certainly not my intent.

We take all sorts of measures to prevent the spread of invasive species (the Carp thread got me thinking about Asian carp invading our water ways).

Why don't we take similar measures to preserve our cultures?

I recognize that some First Nations groups consider the English, French, and Spaniards who came to North America 300 years ago to be an invasive society but let's face it, those tribes likely killed off or displaced other tribes who predated them.

Discuss - why is it OK to prevent the spread of Zebra muscles (my boat was checked at a Mandatory watercraft inspection last week), but we allow (and encourage) societies to flourish that chisel at the backbone of North American culture? I am all for inclusion, but I also believe in respect, tolerance, and compassion for our neighbors. Many of the invasive societies have a 'me first' attitude which is the part that angers me.

PARF in...3....., 2...., 1......

When I was hiking through New Zealand years ago, at every new place I went, I thought, "I hope the gaudy, advertising-EVERYWHERE, conspicuous consumption (for every demographic level) American culture/virus doesn't infect this place."

Protecting your home and way of life shouldn't be a PARF issue but somehow it gets so easily twisted.

Is it because as soon as you single out a group of people as a threat people start screaming intolerance or racism?
Being critical is one thing but being overly critical is just not on. Everyone deserves a chance. If the stuff up? Send them packing.

And we should be discussing issues like this.

Some societies, such as the chinese, did recognize their own self invasive nature and attempted at regulating with the one child policy.

Other groups, such as caucasians from Europe and north America, are in need of the opposite policy if they want their group to survive, since 1.3 child per familly is below the renewal rate.

Then you have the muslims, who are clearly an invasive species with 5-8 children per familly, and conscioulsy use it as a weapon to take control over the societies they invade.

Overall I see the trend that the poor have more children, while the rich tend to he self limiting, and this has an impact on how our societies evolve.

There you have the big generalizations :).

I think you are ignoring history. All societies evolve or die and are supplanted by new ones. Don't you suppose Britains were saying the same things about the Angles and the Saxons when they were moving onto the island ?
We tend to get caught up in the idea the way things are now are the way they always will be. That's likely what the Spanish were thinking when they owned Florida, Texas and California.

Best
Les

great observation.

kinda makes our future look bleak!

The Nordic states have done a fairly decent job in recognizing that their nation's cultural identities are very susceptible to delusion from outside influence. They have very restrictive immigration controls to help them protect the idea of what their countries look like. (for better/worse economically)
They also have policies to insure immigrants adopt the language and find work. It is not just who you let in, it is also how inclusionary they are in the host society.

Multiculturalism, is what is practiced in Europe--and it is a bad idea. When you move to a state, you need assimilate the cultural practices and societal norms of the host nation. You can't really force people to do these things, they need to be incentivized. The truth is we need immigrants--a lot of them, and all kinds, from all different social strata and educational backgrounds. What we need to improve is the process by which they become American and adopt that identity, not just its privileges.

European culture is the most invasive in history. We subjugated entire continents and forced our culture on them. In post-colonial times we lost some of our "manifest destiny" arrogance and began to recognize the value in local cultures and have begun to preserve what's left of them.

It's not the same with invasive non-human species. Invasive species like zebra muscles and Japanese honeysuckle don't have the intellectual capacity to recognize the damage they are doing, so we do need to eradicate them.

Define the American Identity.

Is it kids playing stickball in the streets or is it Friday Night Football under the lights?

Is it lobster and crab or breakfast tacos?

Do you pronounce Mary, Marry, and Merry the same way or do you pronounce each distinctively different.

Are we Catholic, Christian, Mormon, Jewish?

Even multi generational Americans of European lineage have a different "American Identity".

The American Identity is the sum of it's many varied parts.

Good one. I think of the differences a subtle, but boy my Georgian neighbor and his wife "Mairy" ARE different.

there are now taxation policies in Vancouver, to lessen the influx.
supposedly a 50-75% decrease in sales of homes to foreigners.
for better or worse.

If, in the big picture, it is ok for the First Nations to have killed off earlier tribes, and it is considered ok that europeans basically wiped out the american indians, then it follows that it must also be ok for the next group to wipe out the current group.

I think Darwin called it survival of the fittest.

If we are not fit enough to hold on, then do we deserve to be here?

Not so. Sweden is done. Invaded by non-adaptive muslims.



Stomach I have to disagree with your suggestion that we don't have a true identity. it is the backbone of our multiculturalism and runs throughout. we aren't just various cultures existing together (which cannot and does not happen happily anywhere on the planet thanks to islam) with zero adaptation to American ideals.

and when asked I reply ..I'm an American' and I state this proudly..

ST, you & I come from the same place..
born there,speak it, have passport, blah blah..
yet ..we will never be considered 'real' by locals..

Rika

i schwetz schwäbisch.

Makes a huge difference when you bust that out.

Everyone from Berlin to Innsbruck knows you're a homie.;)

It is natural for any group of like minded individuals to initiate their way of thinking. Take for instance those proposing sharia law. Generally speaking majority rules. There will always be incursions and pressure from other groups. This is normal in peace time. However when the chips are down and a big war is impending such as WW2 then the various groups combine to fight the oppressors. Look at the number of First Nations people who joined the armed forces during WW2.

On a micro level if my neighbors' tree roots grow in to our yard then you get the idea....

Islam is diametrically opposed to the western liberal values of self determination. Make no mistake about that. Further Europe went and is still going (Balkans) through a war with Islam. MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT IS A WAR OF CIVILIZATIONS. Western liberalism or the theocratic Islam. With Islam you throw yourself right back to the 7th century, and that goes for your advancement of technology as well. All you would to have is one Mullah proclaim that technology is apostasy and that is it for technology. Allah Akbar.

lol ST.
stimmt schon...
selber aus der Pfalz / Plattdeutsch..

Rika