It seems that whenever a country faces a great crisis, its people sort of collapse in on each other as they analyze the problem.
See, it’s really hard to take the blame for something. Whether we’re five or fifty, we find is easier to say, “It’s not my fault,” than to say, “That was my mistake,” or, “How can I make it right?” and, especially, “I’m sorry.”
Taking blame takes a bit of real courage and a lot of knee-buckling humility—and these qualities are especially hard to find in political and social jargon and media reports and official declarations of state.
It is much easier to say, “This is what has happened to us,” than to say, “I am complicit in this mistake or hardship or screw-up.” It is much easier to speak passively, name and blame omitted (by whom?), than stand to in as the subject with a verb and declare how “I” am involved.
But passivity is also much less satisfying. When people get sick of wandering around the by whom? question, someone must be found to take the blame. But who?
In the case of countries and crises, the “true” nationals and “real” citizens band together to look for scapegoats—someone who is other but also within. Someone to carry the guilt. Someone to exile.
What exactly am I talking about here?
I’m talking about Sarkozy shipping off Roma in the midst of his own increasing unpopularity, France’s financial reforms, and street riots.
I’m talking about the big fence on the U.S.’ southern border and those big green vans that prowl the streets, ready to gobble up anyone who looks Hispanic.
I’m talking about German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who declared today that we are kidding ourselves about multicultural societies—that, in Germany, “the approach [to build] a multicultural [society] and to live side-by-side and to enjoy each other...has failed, utterly failed.”
I’m talking about all the recent scapegoating around the world because of a poor economy and increasing unemployment.
Chancellor Merkel’s comments follow a wave of recent anti-immigration feelings in Germany and political pressure from conservative parties (including her own) to require immigrants to “do more” to assimilate into German society. The immigrants, especially Turks, are to blame for all this extra pressure on the welfare state—oh, and for crime.
Multiculturalism has failed, Merkel? Next to this article, the BBC wants “[My] Say: Does multiculturalism work?’
Here is what I would like to say: rewrite your question.
Not does multiculturalism work?, but how will we make multiculturalism work? There is no does it work option anymore; there is the fact of all of us living in multicultural societies around the world, and, therefore, the question of how we will make it work.
How are we doing? Very poorly. The debate about who was here first and last and who deserves a state’s money is irrelevant. It is not multiculturalism that has failed, Chancellor Merkel, but we who have failed multiculturalism.
How will we begin to right our mistake? The first is to admit it. And after that? After that will take much more hard work and creativity than we have put in so far. After that must be rid of nationalistic sentiments and stuffy, obsolete legislation. After that will require multicultural decision-making and multicultural reporting—a transparent, many-voiced discussion. After that will demand much of all of us.
After that must begin now. And—just in case it is unclear as to who must begin—it is we who must begin.
To read about Chancellor Merkel on multiculturalism in Germany follow this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11559451
