Immigration Or Segregation? My response to a controversial post.... and the TSU Question Of The Week - What does TSU mean to me...
This writing is in response to a controversial post made by a former Tribe Steem Up Member. I have decided not to mention him personally in this post because it doesn't really matter who said what, but rather the sentiment and logic that I wholeheartedly contest and challenge! The view that was taken in this post is quite common and one that is shared by an increasing number of people in Europe and around the world. I believe this viewpoint to be utterly flawed and demonstrates to me symptom of a greater problem. So i would like to take this opportunity to give my opinion and I’m sure the opinion of my other brothers and sisters who are a part of Tribe Steem Up. There are 8 pillars of Tribe Steem Up and I believe that the ideas and values I discuss today embody the spirit of these principals very well. Let me explain!
The post that was written was quite strongly worded, and was effectively centered around immigration and the mixing of cultures, in particular from Asia, Africa and countries with political or economic instability. The sentiment of this post put the blame of many problems in the world onto the immigrants, and also generalised everyone into categories of being a rapist, or a thief, purely based on their ethnicity! I don't like generalisations at the best of times, and taking them to the extremes of saying that an entire culture behaves one way or another is simply ludicrous and ignores the incredible talent and intelligence of people who come from afar with their own unique backgrounds. Many points were raised about how mixing cultures is doomed to failure because they clash in ways that are very inconvenient, and gave examples like the noise from Muslim Temples call to prayer, or that they lead to conflict etc.
I would like to answer SOME of the points made in this post, but also share with your a very different perspective that really tackles the real issue head on!
I would like to start by speaking about our ever increasing global population and climate change. Whilst our best scientists try to evaluate and predict the future of our climate, the truth is that no one knows for sure exactly what is going to happen to our climate in the next 20-100 years! Whatever the cause, there is a great possibility that our planet is going to see rains and floods as well as extreme temperature changes that make cause terrible destruction and displacement of millions if not billions of people. We do not know for sure, but this scenario is most defiantly on the cards! We live in a globally connected world, and we have now reached the point where borders and distance no longer matter in the way they used to. Our cultures are mixing both through the digital ecosystem as well as physically as people relocate around the world more than ever before. If there is an environmental disaster, we have to be ready to accept the consequences of that, and stand by our fellow brothers and sisters.. whoever they are and wherever they came from. It is our duty as human beings to have each others back in times of crisis. If Europe were to be wiped out by a freak storm, or nuclear power station meltdown we would surely do the same as immigrants do today. Escape a situation that is oppressive or dangerous and find a new home that you can live peacefully according to your own values and ideas.
Diversity is a great thing! Nature has learned to broaden her genetic diversity as far as possible through evolution and the creation of all animals, plants and life that we know of. Nature has learned that having as much genetic diversity as possible gives the best possible chance of survival of a species and of life because when there is a problem you are more likely to have something with a slight difference that allows them to endure or survive it. We know that inbreeding causes genetic weakness and often very serious health issues within a few generations. Mixing our genetic pool is a very good thing for us in terms of strengthening our Biological make-up and long term survival odds. That is just the Biological side of course. It is also true that mixing our cultures is extremely good for our overall knowledge and understanding of the world. There is nothing like bringing in a new perspective to a situation, and it can and often does give rise to better results because of the diversity in skills, knowledge and experience. It is worth noting that the CEO and leader of one of the Biggest companies in the world, Google, is Indian! The leader of Microsoft is also Indian! These people come from VERY different background than the average CEO does, and their position in these companies is testimony to what value they bring to the country they are now in.
So let it not be understated that there are too many people, yes some dubious characters, and some desperate and needy people .. but all need and deserve support, and let it be said that there are also highly intelligent and even wealthy people who are also immigrants in Europe and the west and have a LOT to share and give to the world. Many of them have lived and been in oppressed regimes or extreme poverty for their whole lives and have only dreamed of the opportunity to be able to speak freely and life a normal life without oppression and violence.
I would like to answer one point that was made in the post:
"The problem with multiple cultures is that differences lead to even more conflict in the nation! A nation that is divided is weak and easy to control, I really don't know why the elites are doing this, they have enough money and power.
"Can you imagine being a 2nd class citizen in your own country while migrants get more rights and help from society than you do?"
I have noticed a disturbing trend over the past few years, and this point touches on it. Whilst it may be true that nation that is divided is weak and easy to control you can easily argue the point in the other way. A subdued and passive society is even easier to control because they are just pacified and do as they are told. A divided nation speaks out, has demonstrations and riots and can become quite unruly very quickly. That is just a small point though. My main point here is that there is some illusion that the problem lies in us having differences and it is too hard to live with one another and too many conflicts due to our cultural differences. Let me ask you something.... If you are having a great month and are feeling really happy have you noticed how your perspective of everything changes? Have you noticed how things that may have annoyed you previously suddenly don't seem to touch you? Have you noticed how you want to give and share and help others when you yourself are doing well and feeling good? Have you noticed how deep down you can find great commonality and connection with people from any part of the world? Have you noticed how your mood effects your whole view of the world and perspective? Welcome to being human!
Build a wall too big and you will limit and isolate yourself!
Let me tell you I have noticed this very clearly, and herein lies the answer. People complain about 'them taking our jobs', and yet it's our government who fail us, not the population. It is our Governments who rape our society and leave the door open to immigrants to work and live like slaves for peanuts.. jobs that no nationalised people even want to do. It is our Governments who sap every drop of energy and money from the people, until they are desperate and miserable. They are fed a constant barrage of lies and deceit, ruin everything, and leave us to blame one another for our predicament. Let the scapegoat not be the Asians, the Arabs, the Jews, or the Muslims! Let the force of blame for the problems we have in this world lie squarely on the shoulders of those who have the power.
Have you ever watched Big Brother? I used to watch it, and I learned quite a few things whilst doing so! Here's how it goes! You put a bunch of people in a house together from a very diverse range of cultures and background and mix them up in a melting pot, trigger them, mess with them, and generally replicate what happens in the real world but in a small and intense way! As time goes on individuals are removed from the house one by one, until there is only one left. It is usually the person who is most different or unusual that is removed, until we end up with a much smaller group of like minded people. Here's the thing! As we remove the novelty, the individuality, the variety, things get progressively more boring! Spontaneity goes out the window, everyone has the same ideas, thoughts, and things start to get monotonous and boring. There is no one to stimulate the group any longer, and no one to blame for all the problems. As we remove people one by one, things get progressively worse, until at its extreme you are left with one person who is very lonely and bored. That result IS the result of this way of this way of thinking. It may be an extreme example, but I believe it demonstrates the path in which things will take if you follow this path of segregation and homogenisation. Just where do you draw the line, or end the cleansing? It may start with removing one culture but it will continue and permeate every aspect of a cultures behaviour and thoughts. At its extreme it will continue until everyone looks the same, sounds the same, and thinks the same predictable.. what a disaster!
Have you ever noticed how people seem strange when they are strangers? Have you ever noticed how humans are fearful of the unknown? Have you ever gotten to know and made friends with someone who was very different, and you would have never thought you had so much in common with? If you have travelled you will know that we are deep down all the same, but with different backgrounds, values and behaviours. When we are in fear we become disconnected, sceptical, and even paranoid of one another. Those people who have come to the West from afar will no doubt have lived through more fear and suffering that we can ever really understand. When they arrived they knew not exactly how they would be greeted, they only knew that they would be allowed in, hopefully ... if they survived the journey!
We are at the very start of this great shift and movement of people around the planet, and long may it live. I am SURe that if we WERE able to get over our preconceptions of one another and actually make the effort to get to know one another, that great changes will happen. I trust and believe we will get there, especially over a few generations and our cultures adapt. I have personally lived in many places where that happens and it is always very beautiful to see. India is one example of that, especially where i live now in the South of India. Kodaikanal is a beautiful mix of Muslims, Tamils, Europeans, Christians and Jews in a very small town. The temples play their call to prayer every day, and half the shops close for an hour or two when that happens. It all just works very peacefully and beautifully here, because the culture is rich enough to handle it. The tentacles of an oppressive system do not reach here as it does the big cities, where most of the problems lie.. because people live simple lives based on their own values and beliefs, they have a strong family unit and a real sense of community and belonging. When we have these things, we will not be so threatened by others. When WE have a strong enough identity, and are free from oppression ourselves, only then can we see others for who they really are!
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Conflict is an opportunity for growth and self improvement. Even this conflict with a man who has such different opinions to me is an opportunity for us all to take a step back and think about our values and our ideals. It is an opportunity to crystallise our own thoughts, and to learn and integrate new ideas from others. It brings us the opportunity to proclaim our truth and reassert our values and why we hold them as sacred. Tribe Steem Up is a very diverse group of 200 people from all over the world. Although there are many differences between us, we are also united by our pillars and moral values. These traits are what can illuminate and guide us through murky waters so that we can find our real truth and learn to accept and celebrate our diversity!
We are like children thrashing around on our planet and learning step by step how to evoLve. In evolutionary terms we are still like babies, pooping in our own pants, and grabbing at anything that comes our way, without even understanding the consequences. I would say humanity is about 2 years old in the grand scheme of things ... and they don't call it the terrible two's for nothing! Although the changes may seem slow to us, they are happening and very quickly! We don't have to look back far at ALL to see things like REAL public segregation and slavery happening in the USA, apartheid in Africa, Nazi Communism in Germany, any many more besides! If we can take a step back and see things from a broader timeline we can actually see that we are making great strides toward unity and wholeness. The path may be long, and require great perseverance, patience, and none violent communication, but we are on that path. It may be hard to see when we look at the media, and those in power.. but let us not forget that power is always with the people, and the people are changing! The number of people who are waking up and starting to see the system for what it is, is rising. Our efforts to protecting the environment and all life on this planet are stepping up, and whilst you may not see it on the TV, more and more people are starting to care, and do something about it! We are reaching a turning point on many fronts and issues, and sit on the precipice of a cultural and technological revolution that will sweep through our entire planet over the next 25-50 years.
We can not today imagine what a smart planet could look like, a planet no longer based on money or centralisation of power. We can not imagine it yet, but that is what automation, AI, and technology will bring. Free unlimited energy is just around the corner, and computers are poised and almost ready to take over most jobs that today are performed by reluctant employees (slaves) in order to pay taxes and sustain a meaningless life and existence. The changes that will happen will usher in a new age of creativity and freedom. We will mix more than ever before, as transport becomes ever cheaper, faster, and accessible .. our motivations for our actions will be based on what we want to do rather than having to survive to pay the bills and buy food. So that my brothers and sisters is my vision of the future, and why I believe building walls around ourselves is just a relic of an old patriarchal way of thinking, based on fear and ownership, and serves no other purpose than to scape-goat our real problems onto a minority with no power or responsibility for the state of our countries and economies! That is why I am here on Steemit, heralding the potential of a bright new, decentralised future, in a world where we all share and give and get what we need, free from oppression, free from censorship, and ready to take over the reins from an old paradigm that is no longer fit to serve anyone except a very very very few who currently sit on a peak so high we don't even know who they are!
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well done @eco-alex for writing this, for being such a strong and empowered voice, I was really shocked to read that article and I was really struggling with what to even say in response to it. It upsets me to read such things that are working towards dividing us all even further, I stand with you in finding ways to unite and remind one another that
much love and respect my friend xxx
thank you! that needed to come out!!! I can appreciate people who have never seen or lived somewhere that integration happens and works ... but i know in my heart of hearts that it is the only way forward for an evolved intelligent race! well get there sooner or later ;-)
This world is a strange place. Everything can never be summed up in few lines. Immigrants and refugees have their own problems and so the people of the host country have their own. There are many reasons of this situations but the over population is the most strong one. Now, we are more than seven billions. Every person needs lots of space besides food, clothing, water and shelter. We cannot live like animals who can survive if they are given food and water. So, for this large number of people you need more space. To provide food, shelter and other amenities, we have to cut the more space, which is becoming a vicious cycle.
Wars, conflicts, political and social problems, economic crises etc are forcing people to take shelter in comparatively thinly populated but economically strong countries. Western countries are natural attraction on account of these traits.
But the problems of the citizens of these countries are equally big. When immigrants and refugees enter a country it generates problems of low and order. These people need to be fed. They need water, shelter and proper space to live. These arrangements put a heavy burden on the governments. So, the citizens of the host countries also have to bear their taxes being used for someone else instead of themselves. It makes them angry and frustrated.
When a person comes from different background where social values are mostly based on primitive thought, it creates a lot of problem. He tries to save himself from the influence of the alien culture and in this course he tends to see everything in the view of his cultural identity. He becomes more devoted towards his culture and religious beliefs. It also makes him more fundamentalists and some people begin to follow their culture and religion more vigorously and become loud in their outlook. This thing disturbs the behavior of the hosts.
In India I have seen that people have changed a lot. Few decades ago there were not many differences in the dresses and get-ups of the Hindus and Muslims. But from some years people are associating themselves with their religions more aggressively. When Muslims began to visit Saudi Arabia quite frequently for haj and came back here, their outlook began to change. Now, you can see many young Muslims with beards and cleaned moustaches, short pyjamas and skull caps. Their women’s ‘burka’ is becoming more opaque and thick. Also, Hindus have changed a lot. They have begun visiting temples regularly and they are applying ‘tilak’-a red dot over forehead, wearing religious symbols etc a lot. Now, differences between both communities are becoming unfathomable gaps. Why this is happening? Instead of becoming more liberal people are becoming more fundamental.
Before beginning of Islamic revolution Iran was as modern as other western countries. Afghanistan was also progressive but after Soviet invasion, this country changed a lot. This all happened because it was filled in the minds of the Muslims youngsters that true Islam doesn’t favor western things. They fought against Russian invasion in the name of religion, not in the name of democracy or independence. Now, they have rekindled the vision of pan-Islamic world in which every nook and corner of the world will be ruled by one Khalifa and Shariya laws will be applied in place of modern laws. ISIS, Boko Haram and other Islamic groups are working in this direction. You can reject their theory of Wahabism but they are constantly working on this direction.
When ISIS brutally killed and tortured Yedizi people, no one came to help them. UNO behaved liked an impotent organization. It did nothing to stop mass genocide of Yedizis and raping of their women and little children.
Even other religious groups like Hindus and Christians have their own agenda. Hindus are becoming aggressive day by day in India. Christian, especially Roman Catholic want every person on this earth to adopt Christianity. No one is innocent. However, I have seen that people of every religious faith can co-exist in a single place but Islam is different. Islam is not only a religion but also a political and social system. It has its own ideology which don’t let its follower to be true democratic. So, any religious fundamentalists must not be allowed to spread hatred and fear.
So, in my view we need to consider this problem rationally. Emotional attitude can never solve this issue. I am not fully agreed what the person whom you mentioned expressed. We cannot disallow people to assimilate. We should also not confine ourselves to the air tight compartments. Cultural assimilation is very vital for the welfare of the humanity. It has been the factor of progress of humanity and will always be. I think a religion free world is a solution. We should not allow any religion to impose restriction on humanity. Any restriction or law should be rational and should bring justice for all, otherwise it should be rejected. Also, we should encourage people of poor countries to adopt family planning. Families should be small and number of persons should not be burden on this earth. In this way these types of problems can be solved.
I love this @eco-alex and was so chuffed that you responded in the way you did to the post in question. I felt so upset by it that I couldn't really comment. Thanks for speaking out. I don't see a problem with multiculturalism, but with governments who disenfranchise people and cause them to fear for their very being so that they lash out and blame others, and it all ends up this foul soup. I hate generalisations as you say, and I found the blog in question also had many generalisations about woman that were equally alarming with a lot of vitriol. As many have said here, we are one, and we share the same fears and concerns and loves, and we do need to see past all of the crap to help each other survive, if not thrive. Thanks for this post. xx
thank you! i am one to speak my mind when i see something that needs some light shed on it.. the generalisations on that post were probably the hardest to read.. ugh! <3 x
Thank you for this lovely post about such an important topic.
No good can come from simply blaming "immigrants" or an entire race of people for their problems.
We are ALL human. We are all one. We are all made from the same SOURCE, from the same energy. And I think we need to begin seeing each other as our true brothers and sisters - no matter their appearance, or where they come from. We are all spiritual beings living a human existence. I think if we constantly blame others for our misfortune, we are allowing ourselves to be weak and helpless. We ALL have the power to make big, positive change in our own lives, and to shape and create our own realities. But one of the first steps to this is taking responsibility, and owning your own power and your own ability.
Those who continue to play the blame game are going to be left to a life of misery, always finding something to complain about and someone to blame for it.
Life is about being joyful. Life is about loving. Acceptance, and tolerance. I look forward to the days when immigrants and people of different cultures will no longer be used as a scapegoat for the problems of a nation.
All beings deserve love. All beings deserve peace.
Thanks for the post Alex.
Thank you for speaking boldly and clearly in the face of racism and discrimination. As an immigrant 3rd culture kid who is the child of x2 refugee immigrant parents, sadly I have been at the personal receiving end of this in Australia often. I see those reactions 99.99% rooted simply in fear and lack. What I love so much living in multi-racial Chiang Mai is the underpinning of Buddhist tolerance and acceptance. To see injustice and do nothing makes one complicit. Thank you for standing and speaking. In the great timeless void we all ultimately exist in, I am sure your voice was heard and applauded by those who have lived with, and died because of, these opinions. My Jewish relatives among them. Proud to know you, young man. x
I think there are several reasons people have these type of negative responses to immigrants and different cultures.
The first is that there just seems to be some naturally occurring diversity in thought/personality. Most of these people who are anti immigration are fearful, they cover their fear with anger but underneath they are desparate for a world that is static and unchanging, where the life-raft of monotony can be grasped. They are threatened by change of all kinds and hark back to 'the good old days' even though they may not be that old.
Secondly I see that immigration is very good for a nation, and in fact most economists and governments (quietly) agree. I lived and worked in London for a long time, we have a lot of highly skilled, talented, innovative and entrepreneurial immigrants who add massive value to the economy. These people could basically live and work anywhere, attracting them is critical to national success. Compare that experience to someone in a small town, where work is already hard to come by, seeing immigrants come and get houses and benefits. The issue is that the benefits of immigration are not shared by everyone in society, some people get the positive outcomes, some do not. This is the fault of government, they need to help people in need, and they need to tell people the truth.
Very Nicely said mate! Now go zap them spaceships!
Yeah I don't want any o dem aliens in my space!
Ha ha, irony :)
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I would be mostly interested to know why the guy who wrote the article you´re referring to is a former TSU member.
Was he kicked out because the wisdom of Captain Picard was not available yet? 😘
well.. i dont know him well, but most people seem to like him.. but some of his views are not in alignment with TSU.. clearly.. and he openly admits that.. so for that reason he left the tribe