The rise of dictators

[Stoked]

There definitely is a tendency towards it. And towards a new form of conservatism. And it is defined by the new form of communication which is internet and social media. People are so nauseous of all the diversity that hit their understanding of life and values, they grow defensive and as a natural reaction stick to people like Donald Trump who satisfies their most ignorant and unquestioning mindsets against a hard to digest look of diversity.

How much is justified if people feel that those coming in are rejecting the culture of those taking them in and supplanting it with their own?

Really just looking for opinions instead of staking that stance for myself.

[MENTION=2142]addictionary[/MENTION]

What I mean by this is how much resentment towards immigrants is justified if they are brought in and reject local customs, laws and society. The immigrants certainly deserve to honor and be a part of their heritage. But there is also the feelings of the locals over what they see as a rejection of their ways despite letting these people in.

Where is that line and what is justified and what isn't?

I wasn't taking a stance myself as much as I was seeing what others felt. How much accommodation and acceptance should each side show towards the other to get along peacefully and integrate?

 

[JazzGal]

[MENTION=2142]addictionary[/MENTION]

What I mean by this is how much resentment towards immigrants is justified if they are brought in and reject local customs, laws and society. The immigrants certainly deserve to honor and be a part of their heritage. But there is also the feelings of the locals over what they see as a rejection of their ways despite letting these people in.

Where is that line and what is justified and what isn't?

I wasn't taking a stance myself as much as I was seeing what others felt. How much accommodation and acceptance should each side show towards the other to get along peacefully and integrate?

That's a good question, and one that is really hard to answer. I can see both sides. Meeting in the middle by both sides would be ideal, but not too likely.

 

[LogGrad98]

[MENTION=2142]addictionary[/MENTION]

What I mean by this is how much resentment towards immigrants is justified if they are brought in and reject local customs, laws and society. The immigrants certainly deserve to honor and be a part of their heritage. But there is also the feelings of the locals over what they see as a rejection of their ways despite letting these people in.

Where is that line and what is justified and what isn't?

I wasn't taking a stance myself as much as I was seeing what others felt. How much accommodation and acceptance should each side show towards the other to get along peacefully and integrate?

That's a good question, and one that is really hard to answer. I can see both sides. Meeting in the middle by both sides would be ideal, but not too likely.

Meeting in the middle is what nearly always happens historically. Well not necessarily in the middle but few of our current cultures are the same cultures in these regions for centuries. It evolves and takes on different aspects depending on who lives there, who moves in, new social norms, etc. German culture is not the same as it was during the Kaiser years, Mexican culture is definitely not the same as Aztec or Mayan culture. It changes when people migrate. Normally, unless it is entirely through conquest (as in the case of South America for example) the current culture has a heavier weight when new people move in, but groups of people moving around generate changes in culture. In fact I think it is more unnatural, and detrimental, to try to keep every distinct culture as its own little bubble within the larger culture of a given society, just as it is a mistake to try to keep the current majority culture in a given region "pure" by forcibly excluding all facets of a migrant culture.

That is what made America, it used to be a "melting pot" because each new group that came in added to the overall culture and became part of it. Even while forming pockets of culture in some regions (think Amish maybe, or Italians in New York, etc.), still by and large their cultures influenced American culture as they assimilated to the larger society, which included learning English (the dominant language). This happened organically. It wasn't forced really one way or the other. I think now though we are sliding more toward a "my food can never touch" scenario as opposed to a "melting pot", where any failure to recognize each individual cultural element is vilified, or rather any attitude that maybe people coming into a new region or society should actually make at least an attempt to learn and fit into that culture, including the dominant language, is vilified.

 

[addictionary]

[MENTION=2142]addictionary[/MENTION]

What I mean by this is how much resentment towards immigrants is justified if they are brought in and reject local customs, laws and society. The immigrants certainly deserve to honor and be a part of their heritage. But there is also the feelings of the locals over what they see as a rejection of their ways despite letting these people in.

Where is that line and what is justified and what isn't?

I wasn't taking a stance myself as much as I was seeing what others felt. How much accommodation and acceptance should each side show towards the other to get along peacefully and integrate?

Thank you for this. You and Log has a very valid point there. I think the melting pot is still what defines your country. It doesn't matter how much ethocentric resistance emerges against the winds of change and immigration, America still can be seen as a melting pot for cultures. This is why I see America farther to despotism compared to other countries. As harsh as America's us against the world mentality exists in their foreign policies, you can see the tendency towards cherishing the diversity on some parts of the society too. It is at a level that balances the other side. That is why you don't go full despot but don't go full wuss too. I know that things are not what used to be to you guys too, but it's the way things are in most of the world right now. Internet entered our lives, hence the social media, and the format of communication is changing our entire view of how the world works, how different we are from each other. But I still stand behind my feeling that there is a strong tendency towards a lazy and ignorant form of conservatism. Neo-Dictators will keep merging from it. Because fascism sucks its power from society's fear of losing what they have in hand, and the "other" as a common enemy. Their view of governing is you need a common enemy to stay together, bind, work and die for their existence and power.