Diversity and the death of culture
Before I write anything else and get shot down I need to say that I am quite conflicted over the notion of “nationality“. The “migrant crisis” raises questions around what we mean by nationality and whether we should even have passports to control who lives where. Should I be able to just go to another country, no questions asked and live there?
I’ll leave you to mull that one over, along with, being as though we do have passports and nationality, does any “nation” have an obligation to house, feed and look after the health of just anyone from anywhere? Not to mention the thorny issues around work, tax, national insurance etc etc
Meanwhile ……..
We hear a lot about how great it is to have a diverse culture. And on the face of it one feels one should agree. BUT, diversity means difference and some differences are simply not compatible. As an obvious example one simply cannot have Sharia sitting alongside sexual promiscuity as if they are compatible.
Fifty years ago and more the vast majority of Londoners were born there, lived their whole lives there and died there. Watching footage of V E day celebrations for instance there is hardly a non-white face to be seen.
The video below suggests how London has lost its culture and identity due to what could be called super-diversity. It asks what is or was a “Londoner” and proposes that 50 years ago people migrating to Britain came in such relatively small numbers that they adapted to the culture, whereas in more recent years both the numbers and nature of diversity have risen. Birds of a feather flock together as the saying goes and quite naturally we have seen the growth of what can generously be called communities or less generously ghettos.
As a Christian I would suggest that the Windrush generation came here with essentially “British” and certainly Christian values as their core culture and although they faced racism, were not that different in fundamental beliefs and to a great extent assimilated. The migrants that followed on the whole were Muslim and Hindu. They assimilated much less due to their own strong cultures and religious identities. More recently we have seen Polish and other Europeans coming here. They again shared a more similar “christian” culture and blended in more easily.
London however has especially attracted a vast diversity of people, all understandably proud of their heritage, but this has led to a loss of a cohesive identity of the so-called Londoner.
The influence of Sadiq Khan is approached head on, especially in respect of recent (Summer 2023) statements and actions.
Quote, “London is still the most beautiful city in the world, provided it is at night and from a distance”!
The increase in immigration figures rather speak for themselves.
