Representative Allen West wrapped up CPAC with a fiery speech that brought the crowd to its feet. Too bad the Republican’s right wing policies, particularly his criticism of multiculturalism, could bring America to its knees.
The Florida Republican’s keynote speech, built around a “new dawn in America,” had all the of the ideological hallmarks his conservative colleagues expected, including declarations that the deficit will destroy us, ruminations on the importance of religion and attacks on “liberal” media and institutions, including the EPA.
And then there was his assertion that multiculturalism must be stopped.
“I believe we should celebrate the diversity of the melting pot called America,” said West, after declaring our national language is in peril, a veiled critique of illegal immigration. “But we must never allow multiculturalism to grow on steroids and define itself as making American culture subservient. And, yes, there is a definitive American culture.” I’m not entirely sure that’s true.
The Congressman claims to respect the melting pot, but how can that be? One can’t respect the melting pot while also criticizing multiculturalism, because they are one and the same. Even if you don’t foster multiculturalism, it will always pump through America’s veins, because this nation was built on its ability to host myriad cultures.
West and his right-wing allies pride themselves on “traditional values and culture.” The thing about tradition, however, is that it’s it’s rooted in the past. To the right, American culture shouldn’t evolve. It should hark back to a bygone era, one in which the nuclear family reigned supreme and our nation’s culture was defined by those in power, not the man on the street. But such an America no longer exists.
That tradition has been swept away, becoming more Americana, an antiquated, borderline campy pop culture, than an actual representation of the nation today. There can be no one American culture, but rather a culture created by Americans of all shapes, sizes, religions and races.
To celebrate a singular national culture restricts access to those who don’t fit the conservative mold, thereby creating an “us versus them” mentality that threatens to erode the unity our forefathers of every color and creed fought so hard to establish.
If West wants to see a “new dawn” in America, he would use his pulpit and power to encourage diversity, rather than closing the doors to progress.
February 14, 2011 at 5:33 pm, Swetty4020 said:
West is SPOT ON with his words. America is a obviously multicultural. What he says is that American culture cannot be subservient. Those coming here need to arrive 1) LEGALLY-willing to go thru the paces to become an American citizen. 2) They need to become American in every way. Learn English, learn our history, learn about what makes this country exceptional. 3) Bring your culture here, be proud of it, as we all are. But, there is only 1 flag, that is the flag of the United States of America.
“In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man’s becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American…There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but is something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile…We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language…and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people”.
~ Theodore Roosevelt 1907
February 15, 2011 at 4:02 am, Alsowins said:
Diversityand the other terms Belonsky uses, must be defined, or his harangue is meaningless. We need to be unified, and unity stems from shared values and principles. We may be racially diverse, gender diverse, age diverse, etc., but we must share a worldview and the methodologies for attaing its goals. When we do not agree on basic principles and values,(and we do not), division, ie, denomination, is the name of the game and we find ourselves fighting ourselves, while our enemies creep up on us.It may be okay for a football team to be ethnically diverse; but there mustbe no diversity as to which play we will run next’ or how we will run it. Bolansky deliberately fails to define his terms because he knows his argument cannot stand the syllogistic test. He writes ambiguously, looking for some weasel room. Thats what weasels do.
February 15, 2011 at 4:02 am, Alsowins said:
Diversityand the other terms Belonsky uses, must be defined, or his harangue is meaningless. We need to be unified, and unity stems from shared values and principles. We may be racially diverse, gender diverse, age diverse, etc., but we must share a worldview and the methodologies for attaing its goals. When we do not agree on basic principles and values,(and we do not), division, ie, denomination, is the name of the game and we find ourselves fighting ourselves, while our enemies creep up on us.It may be okay for a football team to be ethnically diverse; but there mustbe no diversity as to which play we will run next’ or how we will run it. Bolansky deliberately fails to define his terms because he knows his argument cannot stand the syllogistic test. He writes ambiguously, looking for some weasel room. Thats what weasels do.
February 15, 2011 at 6:40 am, Bobmullay said:
Rep. Allen West,
Thank you for speaking for us Americans.
We need real leaders like you.
Bob Mullay
bobmullay@att.net
Californian Conservative
February 15, 2011 at 7:54 am, Maty Aksenton said:
Cultures are ultimately defined by values, and diversity can manifest itself as an expression of the same values in many forms. If multiculturalism means co-existence of values that are mutually exclusive, then there is no way such multicultural society can stand. Cultures are not equal. Cultures that celebrate freedom are not equal to cultures that celebrate subjugation and enslavement. Cultures that celebrate theft are not equal to cultures that celebrate property rights. Cultural relativism is a fallacy. Of course no culture can ever be monolithic, but if there is a healthy cultural diversity to be maintained that will not lead to strife and balkanization, there needs to be a certain shared set of values. The values that made America great are the values of freedom. Cultures that reject freedom cannt co-exist with cultures that celebrate it.
February 16, 2011 at 4:33 am, big al said:
Hi Andrew, if you do not understand this ["... And, yes, there is a definitive American culture.” I’m not entirely sure that’s true.] … then you are not fit to be an American. Please move to the Middle East !!!!