Did Clooney Just Say Multi-Culturalism Doesn't Work?
It's one thing for my favorite political podcaster, the National Review's John Derbyshire, to assert, as he is often wont to do, that multi-culturalism doesn't work. But George Clooney?
Yet that was the point the actor seemed to make, appearing on Morning Joe today to discuss the recent referendum in which the people of southern Sudan voted overwhelmingly to secede from the north.
View video after the jump.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Explain to our viewers what's going to happen here. The civil war between the North and the South: it's been religious, it's been ethnic; two million killed. They're going to actually try to divide the country in half, aren't they?
GEORGE CLOONEY: They're basically going to try to put it back the way it was. You know, as a lot of us who have colonized over the years have learned, you know, it doesn't necessarily work when you just draw something and say, OK, let's make a nice country out of these two groups who actually got along OK for a long period of time, but didn't particularly love each other and now suddenly they're one country.
They're basically going back. It's less religious. People like to call it a Christian and Muslim fight. It's more in some ways racial. But it's also very much about territories. You know, the South, the Dinkas, are farmers, and the North are nomads. And so basically they fought a war ending in 2005. Killed about 2.5 million people in that war. And there was an agreement that said five years from this date, when they agreed, if things aren't working out for you guys as one country, then you have the right to vote for your independence, which they decided to do overwhelmingly.
To be sure, the situation in Sudan is much more dire than elsewhere, but Clooney's words can be seen to have broader applicability. From the old Yugoslavia to Belgium, from Canada to Europe's problems with integrating Muslims, multiculturalism seems to struggle wherever it's tried. Perhaps the United States has been and can be an exception, but only if people come here with the desire to assimilate, and the country adopts policies encouraging this.
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Comments
If he did, he probably didn't
Submitted by Chris Norman on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 9:54am.
If he did, he probably didn't intend to, doesn't know what he meant, or is just confused. Liberals have a hard time balancing an appearance of common sense with the nonsense of their liberalism. It's even harder for a celebrity like Clooney, who never appears as very bright,, because their liberalism is based on being cool and fitting in with the rest of the Hollywood crowd.
Multiculturalism as a policy has failed in Canada and Europe
Submitted by Duff on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 12:38pm.
I live in Canada and witness it's massive failure firsthand daily. It has brought political correctness to an unprecedented level and led to the CHRC, Canadian Human Rights Commision. It is a panel that rules by decree, outside the judicial system and unnaccountable to anyone. Look up Mark Steyn's run-in with it, it's an eye opener. He simply quoted an extremist imam and was tried for inciting hatred. They backed down immediately when he came in with a bunch of high powered lawyers. He asked them to reinstate the charges and go through with the trial. They wouldn't, because they only pick on people who don't have the means to fight back.
The following is a comment to a story about Canada losing it's own culture:
The history of North America is that as immgrants came, they migrated to their own communities. They came here and became Canadians first (the melting pot) but kept their ties to the community for support.
Then came Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (a former communist) and multiculturalism. He knew the easiest way to control people was to divide them. He then gave each smaller group what they wanted and created smaller power blocs that were easier to control. Pitting them against each other if need be.
Divide and conquer. A shameless/divisive power grab cloaked in a noble sounding goal.
If you want CANADA to become CANADA again, get rid of multiculturalism. It has hopelessly failed in Europe, creating a cesspool of hate, it's failing here.
Chris, have a look at the
Submitted by Mark Finkelstein on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 9:53am.
Chris, have a look at the video and see what you think. I'm sure you're right that if someone said: "so, George, you think multiculturalism doesn't work," he would be horrified. But that seemed to be the import of what he was saying.
Mark, I'm sure he stumbled
Submitted by Chris Norman on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 10:08am.
Mark,
I'm sure he stumbled across the truth and, if it was pointed out to him as such, would be horrified. He'd quickly try to "clarify" his remarks. I'd guess that for celebrities like him, it's far more important to be PC than to be intelligent and thoughtful.
By the way, I'm so glad that Mr. Clooney has decided not to limit his talents to acting, so he can offer the world his expert analysis of African politics.
And we care about what Joe and George say because?...
Submitted by Red Jeep on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 9:59am.
That show was unwatchable this morning.
I don't know how you watch these EGOs strut.
I listen to the show noise for about 5 minutes, then it was off to FOX. I couldn't even listen to the video clip all the way through.
Well, if George Clooney says
Submitted by motherbelt on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 10:03am.
Well, if George Clooney says it doesn't work, we must all pay attention!!
So now we take advice from
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 10:33am.
A MALE BIMBO?!
Why we limit things
Submitted by KC Mulville on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 10:34am.
Clooney's right. In Sudan, it certainly doesn't work.
Despite the hype, the United States really isn't multi-cultural. We absorbed people from all over the world, from much different cultures. That only worked because once we all came here, we agreed to live by common rules.
In turn, that only worked because those rules were few.
That's why the liberal canard that "conservatives are against government" is so revealing. It reveals a misunderstanding of how America works. America has a core set of requirements to be American, but we keep the requirements few. We don't require the same religion. We don't require the same music, history, art, or most of the things that make up "high" culture. But for those things that are required, we insist on them.
When my grandparents came here from Eastern Europe
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 11:10am.
They did not demand we speak their languages and change the school system to include their languages as well.
My grand parents came here and were grateful to be here and worked their butts off to make their lives better and be an asset not a boat anchor to this country. They worked to learn the language and assimilate into this country. They left their ghettos as soon as they could because they wanted to be part of this country, not APART from this country.
Once we had "PRESS TWO FOR ENGLISH" on the voice menu systems, it should have been clear that we were placed on a toboggan run down a sewer by these stinking libs and so here we are: "PRESS TWO FOR ENGLISH"
George Clooney who?
Submitted by NVRAT on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 11:08am.
Scaroborough, since when is George Clooney an expert in intrernational affairs? sounds like more babble from the bull pen. But again you know all about bull pen babble don`t cha joe-joe. You and Helen should get married you would make a good couple.
so that explains...
Submitted by Hoosier Conservative on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 1:51pm.
why George Clooney is so quick to defend Israel's resistance against a Palestinian state...er... nevermind...
Georgie
Submitted by ArchieBunker on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 1:54pm.
I wonder what color are the people who live in Georges neighborhood?
He spends most of his time on
Submitted by Hunter12 on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 2:37pm.
He spends most of his time on Lake Como in Northern Italy, if that helps answer you're question. Can't say I blame him. When he's not there, he lives on a hill outside LA.
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." - Sir Winston Churchill
Multiculturalism only works
Submitted by johnsonl on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 2:04pm.
Multiculturalism only works when citizens put their country first. Americans understand that our country has to come first because we are nothing without our country. That's the strength of America. If muslims want to assimilate, they will have to put America before Allah. Millions of Americans have answered our country's call for service. Many have died in her defense. A true American defends our country against all enemies, foreign or domestic.