Samantha writes
> Lee Corbin wrote:
> > Everything hinges on the rate of cultural uptake. My own ancestors came
> > from a variety of European countries most of which had no clue concerning
> > traditions of liberty. Sometimes I suspect that the decline in the
> > respect for those traditions may have been the fault of a number of
> > nineteenth century immigrants who tried, but who just didn't "get it".
> > Then when opportunities to socialize a great many things in the 20th
> > century arose, they and their descendents embraced these "naturally
> > appealing" programs.
>
> I have known too many people from other countries who deeply
> appreciated freedom compared to the conditions back home. Many
> of them appreciated much, much more than we who were born into
> it because they really understand the difference first hand!
> So the counter-position may be true, the decline in appreciation
> of liberty and of a liberal republic is from those born to it
> forgetting what they have and not enough influx of people who
> understand very well what a treasure it is.
What I have in mind is a process much more surrupticious than that.
Sure, people from dramatically oppresive regimes may indeed value
the freedom they find elsewhere more than the natives. But it's
quite possible that they bring with them cultural baggage that
subtly undermines the very freedoms they relish. I have known
some folks from Eastern Europe who came to the U.S. emphatically
to escape Communism. Yet these same people are appalled at what
other people are permitted to "get away with" here, seeing no
link between (admittedly) somewhat unrelated aspects of life.
Lee
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Fri Oct 12 2001 - 14:40:20 MDT