Great and timely article, Tom. Pity about the typo, though :)

Now let the free-for-all begin...

Where is the typo and I'll fix it up. Thanks
Susan

>>there should be no full stop here, rather a coma..."

I thought it was deliberate, actually...

Here Susan: "But I think there should be no full stop here, rather a coma "

Cheers :)

Multiculturalism is a joke. It is a presumption that all things will remain the same and the “cultural identity” of people from diverse backgrounds will remain fixed and constant.

The reality is, whilst multiculturalism might pretend to be an immobile object, the unrelenting natural force of assimilation will eventually erode it to nothing.

Through progressive generations and generational intermixing / intermarriage, the resultant “Australian culture” will attribute some “differential” qualities to those of other nations but successive generations will tend toward more and more characteristics which we all hold in common.

A community of people can go one of two ways, either embracing assimilation or, to some extent, denying it.

The “anti-assimilation” community has a few classic examples, South Africa, Nazi Germany, the Southern States of USA.

As a denial of or obstacle to “assimilation”, “multiculturalism” shares some other “less-than-equitable” characteristics.

Characteristics commonly associated with racial purity, segregation and apartheid.
Community Divisions, based on intolerance demonstrate the dangers of “multiculturalism”.

Certain fundamentalist Muslim and “Exclusive” Christian sects being typical examples.
Inequitable governmental support for specific groups of people, based on their racial or religious or cultural origin, another.

Assimilation policies tend toward emphasizing and exemplifying the common characteristics expected from all Australians. A basic understanding of the language of Australia being a typical one. Which is essentially important for basic communication across ethnic or cultural lines and indispensable for understanding the laws we are commonly obliged to respect.

Re “Instability is caused not through a diversity of cultures and religions coming together, but when our relationships are governed by racial prejudice and religious intolerance.”

“Assimilation” will do far more to erode prejudice and intolerance than maintaining differences through “multiculturalism” ever will.

Multiculturalism is dead. Assimilation is what will now take place, as happened in the 19th Century. Australia was at its most multicultural just after the gold rushes, but by the nineteen-thirties (about 70 years later) it had been boiled down to a monoculture.

With this century likely to see the demise of secular humanism, and to be scarred by several religious wars that could cause as much damage as those of the seventeenth century, nations will only prosper and survive with a strong sense of national identity.