Hi Richard, I think maybe we're finally getting somewhere. Even though you didn't reply to me (or Avis) when I quoted her comment to the effect that you were equating "multiculturalism" with "identity politics", I believe the section of the article you've quoted below (btw, who's the author?) comes awfully close to confirming that suggestion. He/she seems to be talking about "multiculturalism" elevated to a position of supremacy in some sort of values hierarchy -- i.e. "identity politics" -- which would be a valid concern. But here's the thing. For most of us, "multiculturalism" really doesn't function as a fully articulated ideology that we adhere to the way some people adhere to say, Marxism, or perhaps the religion of their choice. It's simply that we accord value to cultures other than the dominant culture in our society. So in a nutshell, here's the problem with insisting on using that one very particular quasi-definition of "multiculturalism" as if there were no others. Suppose somebody insisted on equating "socialism" with "Nazism". That would be atrociously stupid, wouldn't it? And yet, this foolish person could rightly point out that Nazism is, of course, "National Socialism". I mean, what's the difference -- socialism is socialism, right? (At which point, we would all, presumably, concede the argument... ) While I put a very high value on what the author below calls "the Western enlightenment spirit", I don't think that seeing value in other cultures negates the enlightenment in any way -- hopefully, it *enlarges* that concept. In fact, I'd say denying that there is value in other cultures -- as the author seems to suggest -- is itself a negation of the "enlightenment spirit". Hopefully, that's not what he/she was saying -- there's always a fine line between universal values and cultural supremacy. Be that as it may, I'm glad to know that you endorse the Western enlightenment! :) Craig To: "NP" <NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> From: "Richard" <rsierra7@xxxxxxxxx> Date sent: Thu, 13 Apr 2006 19:03:36 -0700 Subject: [NewPacifica] Re: /R's Vision Send reply to: NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Quoting link: Multiculturalism has deviated from the Western enlightenment spirit by setting up essentialist identities instead of holding up a universalist philosophy of liberation that appeals to all people. <snip> Multiculturalism is censorious of speech and anti-intellectual; it covers up for the economic failings of liberalism and offers a false promise of security exploitable for fascist purposes; it diverts attention from class to culture and fits comfortably into the bourgeois framework; and it values mediocrity over achievement and makes class struggle more difficult by setting up essentialist identity categories. These criticisms apply, of course, to the actual, realized form of multiculturalism in the United States.... http://www.counterpunch.org/shivani1019.html New Pacifica Working Group http://www.egroups.com/group/NewPacifica 'Save Our Stations!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NewPacifica/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: NewPacifica-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/