Comments for Remnants of culture at http://www.adamsmith.org , comment 1 to 3 out of 3 comments http://www.adamsmith.org Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:37:04 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/politics/remnants-of-culture-200805081345/#comment-191 Arthur, I apologise. My emotions got the better of me and I concentrated solely on immigration. To answer your question: I suggest we all agree that atomisation of society is the basic objective of a socialist government - it allows them to create a vital role for the state. Multiculturalism is a fully compatible ideology (as it requires the state to mediate between cultures and religions) and it is especially seductive and difficult to argue against in the early stages Once these two concepts are well entrenched mass immigration can commence, which then interacts strongly with them to provide ever more justification for the idea of a large and intrusive state. This makes immigration on the scale that is now happening in the UK attractive to a certain type of government. Especially if some of them can in some way be made clients of the state. Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? It doesn't matter, they are now all part of a fully operational positive feedback loop and it is very difficult to break it by tackling the symptoms alone. This argument implies no value judgement on immigration per se but it suggests that multiculturalism needs careful handling. However, as I indicated, immigration is only one issue in this new society we live in. P D James has made an excellent point. - John of Enfield Thu, 08 May 2008 16:38:34 +0100 http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/politics/remnants-of-culture-200805081345/#comment-189 Well said. Most people reading these pages agree with you that as the state gains in influence the individual and by extension society diminishes, but can you explain whether you think it is simply the ideology of multiculturalism or immigration itslef that contributes to the atomisation of society. Many would think that to concentrate on the ideology alone misses the point. - Arthur Thu, 08 May 2008 09:45:09 +0100 http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/politics/remnants-of-culture-200805081345/#comment-188 "Newspeak" is designed to remove from the populace the very power to even think for themselves. Orwell's nightmare has appropriately arrived with "Newlabour". So this article is a very timely reminder of what this government in particular is trying to do to us. I can't help feeling that untrammelled immigration is being used as another tool to break down society - it meets all the objectives set out by the author. I have often wondered why it has become such a shibboleth for government when, at the rate it is being carried out, it is so upsetting to the incumbent population. Why risk power in a democracy with such an unpopular policy? Why is the reaction to even mild criticism so vicious? Why have we threatened people with prosecution for suspected thought crimes (e.g Christianity)? I was also amazed to hear John Battle the other day insisting that government must get even closer to its clients so that it could fully understand their needs and help them to improve (all my words). - John of Enfield Thu, 08 May 2008 08:02:13 +0100