I HAVE A PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA

[Martrae]

RICHARD D. LAMM
former Governor of Colorado

I HAVE A SECRET PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA. IF YOU BELIEVE, AS MANY DO, THAT AMERICA IS TOO SMUG, TOO WHITE BREAD, TOO SELF-SATISFIED, TOO RICH, LETS DESTROY AMERICA. IT IS NOT THAT HARD TO DO. HISTORY SHOWS THAT NATIONS ARE MORE FRAGILE THAN THEIR CITIZENS THINK. NO NATION IN HISTORY HAS SURVIVED THE RAVAGES OF TIME. ARNOLD TOYNBEE OBSERVED THAT ALL GREAT CIVILIZATIONS RISE AND THEY ALL FALL, AND THAT "AN AUTOPSY OF HISTORY WOULD SHOW THAT ALL GREAT NATIONS COMMIT SUICIDE." HERE IS MY PLAN:

I. WE MUST FIRST MAKE AMERICA A BILINGUAL-BICULTURAL COUNTRY. HISTORY SHOWS, IN MY OPINION, THAT NO NATION CAN SURVIVE THE TENSION, CONFLICT, AND ANTAGONISM OF TWO COMPETING LANGUAGES AND CULTURES. IT IS A BLESSING FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO BE BILINGUAL; IT IS A CURSE FOR A SOCIETY TO BE BILINGUAL. ONE SCHOLAR, SEYMOUR MARTIN LIPSET, PUT IT THIS WAY:

THE HISTORIES OF BILINGUAL AND BICULTURAL SOCIETIES THAT DO NOT ASSIMILATE ARE HISTORIES OF TURMOIL, TENSION, AND TRAGEDY. CANADA, BELGIUM, MALAYSIA, LEBANON-ALL FACE CRISES OF NATIONAL EXISTENCE IN WHICH MINORITIES PRESS FOR AUTONOMY, IF NOT INDEPENDENCE. PAKISTAN AND CYPRUS HAVE DIVIDED. NIGERIA SUPPRESSED AN ETHNIC REBELLION. FRANCE FACES DIFFICULTIES WITH ITS BASQUES, BRETONS, AND CORSICANS.

II. I WOULD THEN INVENT "MULTICULTURALISM" AND ENCOURAGE IMMIGRANTS TO MAINTAIN THEIR OWN CULTURE. I WOULD MAKE IT AN ARTICLE OF BELIEF THAT ALL CULTURES ARE EQUAL: THAT THERE ARE NO CULTURAL DIFFERENCES THAT ARE IMPORTANT. I WOULD DECLARE IT AN ARTICLE OF FAITH THAT THE BLACK AND HISPANIC DROPOUT RATE IS ONLY DUE TO PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION BY THE MAJORITY. EVERY OTHER EXPLANATION IS OUT-OF-BOUNDS.

III. WE CAN MAKE THE UNITED STATES A "HISPANIC QUEBEC" WITHOUT MUCH EFFORT. THE KEY IS TO CELEBRATE DIVERSITY RATHER THAN UNITY. AS BENJAMIN SCHWARZ SAID IN THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY RECENTLY:

...THE APPARENT SUCCESS OF OUR OWN MULTIETHNIC AND MULTICULTURAL EXPERIMENT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED NOT BY TOLERANCE BUT BY HEGEMONY. WITHOUT THE DOMINANCE THAT ONCE DICTATED ETHNOCENTRICALLY, AND WHAT IT MEANT TO BE AN AMERICAN, WE ARE LEFT WITH ONLY TOLERANCE AND PLURALISM TO HOLD US TOGETHER.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL IMMIGRANTS TO KEEP THEIR OWN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE. I WOULD REPLACE THE MELTING POT METAPHOR WITH A SALAD BOWL METAPHOR. IT IS IMPORTANT TO INSURE THAT WE HAVE VARIOUS CULTURAL SUB-GROUPS LIVING IN AMERICA REINFORCING THEIR DIFFERENCES RATHER THAN AMERICANS, EMPHASIZING THEIR SIMILARITIES.

IV. HAVING DONE ALL THIS, I WOULD MAKE OUR FASTEST GROWING DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP THE LEAST EDUCATED - I WOULD ADD A SECOND UNDERCLASS, UNASSIMILATED, UNDEREDUCATED, AND ANTAGONISTIC TO OUR POPULATION. I WOULD HAVE THIS SECOND UNDERCLASS HAVE A 50% DROP OUT RATE FROM SCHOOL.

V. I WOULD THEN GET THE BIG FOUNDATIONS AND BIG BUSINESS TO GIVE THESE EFFORTS LOTS OF MONEY. I WOULD INVEST IN ETHNIC IDENTITY, AND I WOULD ESTABLISH THE CULT OF VICTIMOLOGY. I WOULD GET ALL MINORITIES TO THINK THEIR LACK OF SUCCESS WAS ALL THE FAULT OF THE MAJORITY - I WOULD START A GRIEVANCE INDUSTRY BLAMING ALL MINORITY FAILURE ON THE MAJORITY POPULATION.

VI. I WOULD ESTABLISH DUAL CITIZENSHIP AND PROMOTE DIVIDED LOYALTIES. I WOULD "CELEBRATE DIVERSITY." "DIVERSITY" IS A WONDERFULLY SEDUCTIVE WORD. IT STRESSES DIFFERENCES RATHER THAN COMMONALITIES. DIVERSE PEOPLE WORLDWIDE ARE MOSTLY ENGAGED IN HATING EACH OTHER-THAT IS, WHEN THEY ARE NOT KILLING EACH OTHER. A DIVERSE," PEACEFUL, OR STABLE SOCIETY IS AGAINST MOST HISTORICAL PRECEDENT. PEOPLE UNDERVALUE THE UNITY IT TAKES TO KEEP A NATION TOGETHER, AND WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS MYOPIA. LOOK AT THE ANCIENT GREEKS. DORF'S WORLD HISTORY TELLS US:

THE GREEKS BELIEVED THAT THEY BELONGED TO THE SAME RACE; THEY POSSESSED A COMMON LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE; AND THEY WORSHIPED THE SAME GODS. ALL GREECE TOOK PART IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN HONOR OF ZEUS AND ALL GREEKS VENERATED THE SHRINE OF APOLLO AT DELPHI. A COMMON ENEMY PERSIA THREATENED THEIR LIBERTY. YET, ALL OF THESE BONDS TOGETHER WERE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO OVERCOME TWO FACTORS . . . (LOCAL PATRIOTISM AND GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS THAT NURTURED POLITICAL DIVISIONS . . .)

IF WE CAN PUT THE EMPHASIS ON THE "PLURIBUS," INSTEAD OF THE "UNUM," WE CAN BALKANIZE AMERICA AS SURELY AS KOSOVO.

VII. THEN I WOULD PLACE ALL THESE SUBJECTS OFF LIMITS - MAKE IT TABOO TO TALK ABOUT. I WOULD FIND A WORD SIMILAR TO "HERETIC" IN THE 16TH CENTURY - THAT STOPPED DISCUSSION AND PARALYZED THINKING. WORDS LIKE "RACIST", "XENOPHOBE" THAT HALTS ARGUMENT AND CONVERSATION.

HAVING MADE AMERICA A BILINGUAL-BICULTURAL COUNTRY, HAVING ESTABLISHED MULTICULTURALISM, HAVING THE LARGE FOUNDATIONS FUND THE DOCTRINE OF "VICTIMOLOGY", I WOULD NEXT MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ENFORCE OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS. I WOULD DEVELOP A MANTRA - "THAT BECAUSE IMMIGRATION HAS BEEN GOOD FOR AMERICA, IT MUST ALWAYS BE GOOD." I WOULD MAKE EVERY INDIVIDUAL IMMIGRANT SYMPATRIC AND IGNORE THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT.

VIII. LASTLY, I WOULD CENSOR VICTOR HANSON DAVIS'S BOOK MEXIFORNIA — THIS BOOK IS DANGEROUS — IT EXPOSES MY PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA. SO PLEASE, PLEASE — IF YOU FEEL THAT AMERICA DESERVES TO BE DESTROYED — PLEASE, PLEASE — DON'T BUY THIS BOOK! THIS GUY IS ON TO MY PLAN.

"THE SMART WAY TO KEEP PEOPLE PASSIVE AND OBEDIENT IS TO STRICTLY LIMIT THE SPECTRUM OF ACCEPTABLE OPINION, BUT ALLOW VERY LIVELY DEBATE WITHIN THAT SPECTRUM." — NOAM CHOMSKY, AMERICAN LINGUIST AND US MEDIA AND FOREIGN POLICY CRITIC.

[Zanchief]

I assume this guy writes all in caps because he is insane?

[Tikker]

I know Canada and Belgium are countries that just pop into mind when I think of tension and conflict filled countries that are falling apart

[Kramer]

that's intruiging, i appreciate the read.

i like naom chomsky too, we have a Pacifica radio station in Houston 90.1, that gives him air time. the station is a bizarre liberal/progressive voice in a city that rails against that voice.

[Gargamellow]

Damn..I thought you were starting a cult, Marty.

[Dylan]

That was good for a laugh.

Is this guy for serious?

[Lueyen]

I know Canada and Belgium are countries that just pop into mind when I think of tension and conflict filled countries that are falling apart

I'm not sure of the specifics in Belgium, although there are problems at least to a degree similar to what France saw last year with riots in many European countries. I assume the reference to Canada was made with Quebec in mind, however Lamm seems to be ignorant of the fact that Canada is more of a poster child for multiculturalism then it is an argument against it, as it is widely considered one of the most successful nations in implementing the ideals.

While this article seems to go to an extreme with the issue, I fear it pales in comparison to the sentiment you will start to see if immigration does not include integration. Frankly the article it's self is somewhat of a self fulfilling prophecy, in that facilitating a situation where people are encouraged to place an inordinate importance on cultural background, or worse encouraged to "celebrate" their differences over celebrating a commonality is a petri dish that is very conducive to bigotry, and rest assured there will be those that take advantage of it.

[Tikker]

While this article seems to go to an extreme with the issue, I fear it pales in comparison to the sentiment you will start to see if immigration does not include integration. Frankly the article it's self is somewhat of a self fulfilling prophecy, in that facilitating a situation where people are encouraged to place an inordinate importance on cultural background, or worse encouraged to "celebrate" their differences over celebrating a commonality is a petri dish that is very conducive to bigotry, and rest assured there will be those that take advantage of it.

most of the big festivals in this part of the world are multicultural fairs

every nationality sets up a pavillion and shows cultural dancing, folk arts, food, etc etc

multiculturalism isn't something to be afraid of

don't get me wrong, it sucks if a group brings it's issues with them, but it hasn't been a big problem here

[Lueyen]

While this article seems to go to an extreme with the issue, I fear it pales in comparison to the sentiment you will start to see if immigration does not include integration. Frankly the article it's self is somewhat of a self fulfilling prophecy, in that facilitating a situation where people are encouraged to place an inordinate importance on cultural background, or worse encouraged to "celebrate" their differences over celebrating a commonality is a petri dish that is very conducive to bigotry, and rest assured there will be those that take advantage of it.

most of the big festivals in this part of the world are multicultural fairs

every nationality sets up a pavillion and shows cultural dancing, folk arts, food, etc etc

multiculturalism isn't something to be afraid of

don't get me wrong, it sucks if a group brings it's issues with them, but it hasn't been a big problem here

That sort of thing should be encouraged even outside of fairs, and that isn't where I see a problem manifesting.

It is when incoming groups of people have not interest in integrating into society but expect it to change for them, worse still when this mindset is a result not of lack of motivation to become part of existing society, but going beyond that, to topple it such as the goals of groups like MECha and the Laraza movement. If you aren't familiar with these groups, the basic goal is to reclaim the area known as Aztlan, a fictional homeland of the Aztecs which encompasses much of the western US. Most would consider this preposterous and view it as fringe however these groups were key in organizing the so called immigration protests the last couple of years. Even if the majority of the people involved do not subscribe to these radical ideas and goals, these groups do have a significant impact on encouraging people to resist becoming part of existing society. To a large extent these goals and mindsets are being furthered under the flag of multiculturalism. In the end the extremists in this area won't accomplish their goals, but what they will do is further friction when it comes to absorbing culture, and there will be equally radical extreme reactions that occur on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Thats basically how I saw the posted article, it is reactionary and a bit extreme in its predictions, but due to cultural tensions ideas like this or even more extreme will gain support.