The second part of the Will Durant quote about the ancient Persian empire reads as follows:
"Nor is it natural that nations diverse in language, religion, morals and traditions should long remain united; there is nothing organic in such a union, and compulsion must repeatedly be applied to maintain the artificial bond. In its two hundred years of empire Persia did nothing to lessen this heterogeneity, these centrifugal forces; she was content to rule a mob of nations, and never thought of making them into a state." (Our Oriental Heritage, 382)
Can you say “multiculturalism”?
Heterogeneous societies are not necessarily doomed to disintegration. America has been a “melting pot” almost from the beginning of its history. But what has made the “melting pot” successful in this country is that the people who came here wanted to be Americans. And the immigration was controlled and regulated so America could effectively assimilate the newcomers. People came with the full intent of learning the language, customs, and culture of the United States. Yes, for awhile, they might maintain the “old country’s” ways. But they always eventually became Americans, taught their children to be Americans, and thought of themselves as Americans. And they didn’t try to destroy their new home.
Fracturing a people as Leftists do is disastrous. There must be something that binds people together, creates an organic whole, makes them one. Some kind of homogeneity is necessary to prevent centrifugal forces from spinning a nation into oblivion. Our Founders recognized this. “To render the people of this country as homogeneous as possible must tend as much as any other circumstance to the permanence of their union and posterity” (Alexander Hamilton). Thomas Jefferson agreed: “It is for the happiness of those united in society to harmonize as much as possible in matters which they must of necessity transact together.” It is very difficult for people to “transact together” if they don’t even speak the same language.
And the more diverse they become in language, religion, culture, etc., the more difficult it will be for them to live together in unity. As we see in history, even people of the same “racial” stock often strain to exist together peaceably, and frequently don’t. European history is full of white Irishmen fighting white Englishmen fighting white Frenchmen fighting white Germans fighting white Italians…and it is the same everywhere. Africa to this day is full of tribal dissension and warfare. The American Indian fought tribally as a way of life. The slightest difference in a peoples can produce division; when differences are magnified, troubles multiply. That’s indisputable history.
This is not an argument, of course, for America to be totally “white.” It is an argument for a common ground for all our peoples to live together harmoniously. It is an argument that, no, diversity is not our strength if it divides us.
Leftists are determined to expand this negative sort of “diversity.” By doing their best to portray white America as the greedy, thieving, racist oppressor of the rest of humanity, there becomes no motivation for any non-American immigrating to this country to assimilate at least some (not all) of his values or mores for the greater good of the whole. America has indeed borrowed and learned from many cultures. But that amalgamated culture is what unites us. By constantly degrading that culture as “white supremacy” (which it is not), Leftism is splintering and dividing America in ways that are driving people apart rather than bringing them together. As long as we can remember we are all Americans, then we might have enough glue to remain united. But if we force people to “press one for English,” we are creating and encouraging a diversity that will rend us asunder. Remember Persia.
Again, this is no argument for “white supremacy,” nor that American culture is superior to others (though I seriously doubt Ben and Jerry’s owners would want to sleep in a teepee in North Dakota in the middle of the winter). But if people aren’t willing to assimilate, to become part of the integrated whole—and if they are not educated to do so—then...Persia.
The same happened to the Roman empire. Rome ruled a motley of peoples, and eventually failed to make Romans out of most of them. Thus, when the barbarians attacked, the non-Romans weren’t going to die for Rome; why should they? As long as they were compelled to remain within the empire, or saw some benefit for doing so, they acquiesced in being a part of it. But when the compulsion or the benefits disappeared, they saw no reason to continue being loyal to a system that was not theirs. And they didn’t. Heterogeneity—diversity—did much to destroy the Roman empire.
It is absolutely no coincidence that the longest running continuous states/empires in history—Egypt (B.C.), China, Japan—were among the most homogeneous. They kept their “oneness” intact, even through dynastic changes.
We should never degrade another person’s culture. But neither can we let them destroy our country in their pursuit of their own. When honoring your heritage or culture supersedes assimilating into the country where you intend to live, then you don’t belong in your new home. There are many, many men who gave their lives to protect the values, traditions, and beliefs that modern Leftists are doing their utmost to destroy. Countless men died to give Barack Obama the opportunity to go around the world and denigrate the very system that gives him the right to do it. What a crass hypocrite.
Leftism fails because it deliberately destroys the foundations upon which a society is built—and replaces it with nothing unified and whole. It is deliberate, for heterogeneity can only be maintained by totalitarian force, the very thing the Left craves. Biden and Democrats are willingly dividing America for the sole purpose of enhancing their own power and control. That’s Leftism.
Lots more good stuff about Leftists on my substack mklewis929.substack.com? You don’t want to miss my podcasts or articles on Leftism, our Founding Fathers, and true freedom, along with Biblical studies. Follow me on Twitter: @thailandmkl. Read my western novels, Whitewater , River Bend, Return to River Bend, and Allie’s Dilemma all available on Amazon.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member