Serious now? That is not the reality I observe. How about your ethnic cleansing past and present?
You're not paying attention.
Europeans (well, their descendants, anyway) wiped out the native population. Ever since more and more of the world has come here to make a home. We have some of the most cosmopolitan places on the planet.
My little town on the prairie has two Korean restaurants. Deer Lodge, MT (population ~2K) has a kick-ass Thai restaurant.
The world eats American food, at least when it's in a hurry. Of the top 20 franchised restaurants in the world 17 (and the top 14) are American. But where does their food come from?
5 of the top 20 serve pizza. #3 on the list (Starbucks) serves Italian-style coffee. Top of the list (Subway) serves a sandwich originally known as an "Italian" sandwich. 4 serve hamburgers, named for the town in Germany where they were invented. All of these were considered exotic imports when they first arrived; now they are identified all over the world as American. As are the people who brought them here.
Yeah, we still have bigots here. But you know what they eat during halftime at the Superbowl, between complaints about Mexicans invading and stealing their jobs? Guacamole and tortilla chips. Nachos.
Food isn't a perfect analog for assimilation but it's a pretty damned good one.
How about language, shared cultural experiences, social capital, crime, violence? All these criteria are far more meaningful that just food. Recall the initial assertion: "2. True diversity of population and assimilation of culture perhaps the best in the world "
The population is diverse and the assimilation process is remarkable but it falls far short, witness the ethnic/racial group-dominated neighbourhoods.
You are still screwin' American natives over. Are they assimilating? In some cases, yes. In others, not as much. BTW, does 'assimilation' imply 'happiness'?
Check out the de Boldt decision on Washington state Pacific salmon runs. Half went to the tribes, the other half went to the 'public', primarily recreational fishermen. That happened in 1974. That was a legal taking. Theft. And kinda stoopid from the perspective of the entitled settlers, immigrants and their descendants. Stoopid in that the fisheries are all open access.
Are you assimilating Black Americans one-dead Black American male at a time? Would you argue that the no-go zones in American cities for most whites and other outsiders signal successful 'assimilation'? How did successful assimilation contribute to creating the most violent country among the rich, developed countries?
Besides, is assimilation really a desirable characteristic of nation-building? A common language or languages is important. Economic and political integration is very important. 'Assimilation'? If you do indeed love cultural variety, would you not want your communities to retain as much of their unique character as possible?
Why would a self-professed Libertarian want to impose his culture on others?
Serious now? That is not the reality I observe. How about your ethnic cleansing past and present?
You're not paying attention.
Europeans (well, their descendants, anyway) wiped out the native population. Ever since more and more of the world has come here to make a home. We have some of the most cosmopolitan places on the planet.
My little town on the prairie has two Korean restaurants. Deer Lodge, MT (population ~2K) has a kick-ass Thai restaurant.
The world eats American food, at least when it's in a hurry. Of the top 20 franchised restaurants in the world 17 (and the top 14) are American. But where does their food come from?
5 of the top 20 serve pizza. #3 on the list (Starbucks) serves Italian-style coffee. Top of the list (Subway) serves a sandwich originally known as an "Italian" sandwich. 4 serve hamburgers, named for the town in Germany where they were invented. All of these were considered exotic imports when they first arrived; now they are identified all over the world as American. As are the people who brought them here.
Yeah, we still have bigots here. But you know what they eat during halftime at the Superbowl, between complaints about Mexicans invading and stealing their jobs? Guacamole and tortilla chips. Nachos.
Food isn't a perfect analog for assimilation but it's a pretty damned good one.
2. True diversity of population and assimilation of culture perhaps the best in the world
.......
Serious now? That is not the reality I observe. How about your ethnic cleansing past and present?
Yer kidding, right ? . Minorities (as defined by the Census Bureau as all those beside non-Hispanic, non-multiracial whites) constituted 37.2% of the population in 2012 and over 50% of children under age one, and are projected to constitute the majority by 2044.
And while I am aware of what happened to the Native Americans, just who are we in the business of cleansing from where as an ethnicity presently ?
Almost all of the major brands have gum in them now (guar,xanthanum, wrigley's), it really messes up the feel. Haggen Dazs five is still 'pure' though. Beyers sold out about 4 years ago.
Check out Graeter's if you can find it. Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Krogers.
Iced Coffee Amazing choice of food ..and this small story.
It is the evening of July 4th at the Reflecting Pond in D.C. We are at the top of the pond steps in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Hundreds of thousand of people speaking in hundreds of different languages. The first blast of fireworks goes up in the air and a million people say the exact same thing - OHHHHHHHHHH! I still get goosebumps remembering.
