I agree with you in almost 100% entirety. But it makes it far more toxic when we don't point out that the whole "battle of civilizations" narrative is an incredibly flawed and is more of a threat to the best aspects of open societies than some brown, grumpy, backwards people moving in.Pointedstick wrote: It has nothing to do with "western civilization" vs "middle eastern civilization" (what passes for it, at least). It's the simple, human, enduring fact that people generally don't like people who are unlike them--the greater the difference, the greater the distaste. This is why you got along great with your Iranian Econ professors. They are, for the most part, cut from the same cloth as you. Intelligent, intellectual, thoughtful, interested in money, probably a bit nerdy. I have an African colleague who's from Benin. He's an engineer. I'm an engineer. We are two peas in a pod and get along great. How much cultural similarity does this guy have with someone who grew up in a little village in Benin? Practically nothing. He prefers the company of his colleagues who hail from all over the globe but are all nerdy male engineers, and so do I!
It doesn't have anything to do with race or even nationality. It's simply difference. People like those who are similar to them in mindset and culture. White liberals who worship at the alter of multiculturalism implicitly understand this when they like the company of professional, college-educated blacks but would never in a million years live in the poor section of town where all the ghetto whites and blacks are. Skin color is irrelevant; personal culture is all that matters.
We can still agree that "different people don't get along so let's have a limited immigration policy" without engaging in hyperbole which when combined with Americans (or anyone's) tendency to lash out against other tribes is going to leave our civil liberties and skepticism of a police/Nat'l-security state in the dust bin of history.
I know you're not doing much of that, so we're sorta talking past each other, but I think this is an important aspect of this debate to highlight.
