Abstract Modern Idealism in a Spirit of Compromise?

From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Wed, 2007-09-19 07:49

A quote from a reader of the Economist blog, 17 September 2007

There's a reason for Belgium to exist. An abstract one, but personally I like it. It is to prove that multinational states can work. That people can rise above their historical and ethnic and linguistic differences, and work instead towards modern social and economic goals, together and in a spirit of compromise. Idealistic, yes. Utopian, no.

 

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cover of A Throne in Brussels A Throne in Brussels
Author: Paul Belien
ASIN: 184540033X

The warning contained in this book is simple: hold fast to your
national identity, you nations of Europe, or else dissolve, like Belgium,
in a sea of corruption and despair. (Roger Scruton)

Unnatural Ideals

Submitted by Sagredo on Wed, 2007-09-19 22:52.

The first thing one reads about in a book on ecology is about 'niches'. A coral reef is a paradigmatic example. Vast multitudes of different species live harmoniously in and on the reef with a niche for each. The basic niche in a coral reef is, the literal physical niche--the little cubby-holes--which cover the surface of the coral. Each specie can arrange its space--its living environment--to suit its needs, without interference from its neighbors.

When organisms occupy the same ecological niche, they compete, and generally one is killed or driven off by the other. The best example is Man vis-a-vis the various carnivores who have had to compete with Him for prey, or herbivores who compete for farm space.

Nature tells us, therefore, that we should not expect competitive, much less very different, social organisms, cultures, to co-exist without boundaries between them: physical niches for each to occupy--in other words, different nations. Multi-culturalism, in this analysis, (especially as applied to Islam/West were there is definitely comptetition from the Islamic viewpoint, it being written into the religion itself!)) is fundamentally unnatural. When an unnatural idea is made into an Ideal, as has been the case for multi-culturalism, it is a recipe of death and disaster.

@Sagredo

Submitted by atheling on Thu, 2007-09-20 03:06.

I think you have a very valid point.

Unfortunately, liberalism (in the postmodern sense), with its political correctness and multiculturalism, fails to take human nature and nature itself into consideration when it comes to its foolish idealistic theories.

If you mean what you say...

Submitted by MarkE on Wed, 2007-09-19 15:09.

The reason for Belgium to exist is to prove that multinational states can work.

 

Belgium does not seem to be working all that well at present so, if anything, it is proving that multinational states cannot work.  I have no problem with that.

Bruxism,Bruxelles and the gnashing of my teeth

Submitted by Atlanticist911 on Wed, 2007-09-19 10:55.

As a child,I liked to believe in the Tooth-Fairy,but I knew it didn't really exist.And even if it did,I knew that in order to benefit from its apparent largesse,I'd need to surrender my teeth,one tooth at a time,until one day I'd wake up to find myself toothless...