On Multiculturalism

It is frequent now-a-days to hear form the right wing politicians and media that multiculturalism has failed. That immigration is a threat to our culture and way of life. This way of thinking is rooted in nationalism, the idea that our land belongs to us by virtue of being born in it, that outsiders do not deserve to live in it. There is even degree romanticism about nationalism. In England it brings up memories of a great empire, in Scotland about rugged highlanders in kilts wielding great swords and fighting for freedom. In the Norse countries there are memories of Vikings, great warriors and navigators. I get this, I appreciate history and I get the glamour of the past. But with the knowledge we have today hostility to multiculturalism is absurd.

Even a basic understanding of genetics is enough to know that a closed population will inevitably weaken itself in its limited gene pool. This was known even before scientists cracked the mystery of DNA; almost every culture has a moral hostility towards incest. The truth is that the more we mix with people from far way the better our offspring will be in genetic terms. Genetic diseases will be less likely and the variety of genes will make them stronger and more intelligent. This is a natural fact.

But there is also a sociological fact. People imbued in multiculturalism are much more likely to view humanity as a unified whole. They relate to everyone, whereas nationalists are by definition more concerned with their own than the others. They do not relate as strongly to humanity as a unified whole but see humanity as divided by borders and or races. This means that the nationalist mind-set is much more likely to result in conflict in defence of his land or people. The multiculturalist however is much more likely to favour world peace borne out of an understanding and empathy of other cultures and peoples.

Now say everyone in the world became e fervent nationalist and anti-multiculturalist. This would result in a highly fragmented and hostile world. One that is very familiar. For it has been this way throughout history and still largely is. Yet if every living person embraced multiculturalism, if everyone genuinely embraces the whole of humanity without arbitrary national and cultural divisions, then you have peace.

So there you have two very good reasons why multiculturalism is a much better world-view than narrow nationalism.