take note of California and other states - to date, ten million illegal Aliens and growing fast.

 arent builders of USA illegal aliens to  this land?

Yeah.. How exactly does he support his "plan for destruction" which is really nothing more than the viewpoint of an intolerant anglo-saxon protestant individual on what's happening in the United States?

He talks about Toynbee, but Toynbee's central thesis was that every country/civilization encounters challenges and it is whether those challenges are met or not that determines if it rises or falls. The fall is not always inevitable once a challenge is presented, in other words.

He gives absolutely no explanation whatsoever connecting the 2nd to 5th points to the "downfall of America". He simply says "invent multiculturalism" for example and then doesn't actually go on to express how the apparition of multiculturalism actually undermines society.

As for the author of the speech, Dick Lamm, read the following article to see what kind of person he is:

http://www.cato.org/dailys/7-28-96.html - http://www.cato.org/dailys/7-28-96.html

The whole thing is a rant with a racist slant against immigration in the United States, with minimal argumentation and an alarmist overtone.

Welcome to human dynamics!!.. The founding fathers were aliens. So is Mr Victor Hansen Davis.  Hansen (son of Han) is a germanic name form, i wonder what he is doing on the wrong continent.

American form of english evolved from british.

Hispanic from spanish, so what is the big deal, you can still keep your attachment to your european linguistic roots.

PLus wasn't it columbus who discovered america.(if you believe).

When our Grandparents came over from Europe, they were hated by alot of Americans already here, saying that they would be the downfall of the country. They lived in towns and on streets primarly of their nationality or ethnicity. They all wanted to be American and wanted to live the American dream.

The immigrants of today do the same, but I don't know if they are working into our own culture. Maybe in a generation or two, but it really seems like they aren't trying to be apart of society. And Hugoestr, what I've said has nothing to do with race, I wish the whole race thing would just disappear. Morgan Freeman wants to get rid of Black History month because he feels it's a reminder of race and seperation and not unity.

What I'd like to see is everyone in unity in this country, everyone tends to seperate themselves as if in oil and water. The image of race has to disappear, and alot of cultures seperate the idea of sepperation. I mean even in some rap music it makes fun of white people, and while I understand the idea of freedom of speach, groups like the KKK are dangerous to this country as a whole. I think it's all a paradox... We can put a limit to help unite but it will contradict what we are.

This whole thing is overblown.  Victor Davis Hansen has become a best selling writer since 9-11, and needs to keep that train on track.  Controversy keeps you selling and speaking for a fee.  I don't know what Lamm's recent agenda is and I don't care.

In the mid XIX cent. the influx of Catholic Irish was going to turn us into a colony of Rome.  In the 1920s, Italian immigration would be the cause of "organized crime" taking over the country.  Now we are all going to wear sombreros and eat spicier food.  Hogwash.

New immigrant communities have always retained their languages for a time, and have moved into English in later generations.  I do agree with statutes that many states have passed that the "official" language be English....and I expect it will be.  It is here.

Without those foreign-language speaking, job-snatching, and unpatriotic immigrants from Russia, India, China, and many other countries, the Silicon Valley as it is wouldn't even exist today especially in light of the deplorable and laughable way that science is being taught in American elementary and high schools (apparently there's a debate going on in the U.S. whether they should rename dinosaurs "Jesus' horses"  ).

By the way, the most economically-vibrant places of the U.S. are all cosmopolitan centers where people of all colors, nationalities, ethnicities, religions, and languages live and work together, not socially and economically backward rural Alabama or Georgia where some Bible-thumping racist morons are still lamenting the abolition of slavery and dreaming of an all-White America.

Yes, Canadian unity may be "threatened" by Quebec separatism, but very few here (probably with, again, the exception of some Bible-thumping racist morons living in Alberta) oppose our government's "multiculturalist policy". Canada NEEDS immigrants. Without them, cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal will be dead. I dare say the same applies to all of America's metropolitan centres, America's economic engine.

The "arguments" in Lamm's speech are so ludricous that it seems not even worth paying attention to at first glance. Yet the alarming thing is, I bet quite a lot of Americans actually believe in what he said and take it quite seriously. I think THAT actually poses the greatest threat to the "American civilization", not the trashy "insight" that comes out from Lamm's mouth.

I agree, we have had proportionally more first generation immigrants in our past than we have today, and for a time they separated themselves as well.  For all that can be said about American culture, it is highly assimilative, and it will absorb all these new immigrants just as it has in the past. 

I would like to point out though, that the idea of multiculturalism is dangerous and works against assimilation, however it seems to be mostly a liberal buzzword and the large impersonal forces of economic necessity will ensure that communities will assimilate if they want to prosper.

Immigration by people who are not solely from Europe is not a problem and if we handle it properly it is a blessing.  Closing off our borders will do tremendous harm to this country.

-I am all for immigration, it has made the country great. But I am also for protecting the laws, and therefore see a great danger in ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION from anywhere. Mexico does tend to be our problem with illegal immigration, as the figure is actually closer to 80%.

I apologize for that comment. It's unfair and unnecessary.

I am not even sure if "multiculturalism" is the official policy of the United States. It IS that of countries like Canada and Australia, but as far as I know, the United States favors the "melting pot" approach to assimilate immigrants. Which approach is better is really open to debate. Just look at the recent ethnic riots in Australia. Even in Canada, even though we haven't witnessed riots of a similar scale, it doesn't mean ethnic tension does not exist. Overall, though, I think the multiculturalist approach has been working relatively well here. There will always be hyphenated-Canadians as we are a country of immigrants. But that's not necessarily a bad thing as long as people always identify themselves as Canadian first, which I think is mostly the case even among first-generation immigrants with all their difficulty in adjusting to the culture and language(s) here.

As far as I'm aware, the only country with a serious illegal immigration problem is the US. Other countries don't have one because illegal immigrants are - for the most part - simply sent back where they came from.  So questions like whether illegal immigrants should have driving licences or whether their children should attend school simply don't arise.

The reason that the US has the unique problem is that it seems to be only in the US that illegal immigrants can get jobs, and that is because quite large segments of the economy depend on their cheap (and unorganised) labour.

Problems with legal immigrants, where there are any, are a different matter, and probably much the same anywhere.

Illegal immigration is actually quite a good thing fro America.  How much labor, money and whatnot comes to us from illegal immigration? ALot.  Its not like this land is ours by right any more than it is theris.  Not only was California a former part of Mexico but this is all native American land if you want to look at it by birthright.

WIth an ageing population and a phony service economy incapable of producing anything, plus a government that makes too many requirements for employeers hiring citizens, the only way to circumvent this beauracracy is to bring in lots of illegals.  Their costs are well advertized but very rarely are their benefits.

As mentioned before, immigration is good, but illegal immigration is a disaster in the USA. The fact is we were born in the country, have our roots sewn in the country, and for those of us who were not born here, we go through the process of legalities. I can not believe that you feel that illegal immigration is a good thing!  I understand about the workers, but do you see a danger in five-eight million people scattered through the country that we have absolutely no record of? I understand they are looking for a better life, and that is fine, but they need to go through the procedures.

its not agood vs bad thing, its a coast vs benefit ratio.  As long as our system remains are bizarre as it is it NEEDS those illegals.  Yes it would be better to have them all naturalized properly but first iits the governmetn system that needs to change, not the state of immigration.  The problem, like all things, comes from government first, and those to fix it we need to fix the root policies causing it.

Well, illegal immigration is the number one concern of many Americans. I can tell you that the Reps. and Dems. alike are concerned about this one.... We will find a way to handle the situation. Maybe a guest workers program.........Something practical yet effective.......... not like the guest workers programs that have been suggested!

Here is an interesting thought: we wont know for another 50 years whether this man was right or wrong.

However, lets consider what he says...There are extremist Mexicans in the southern US who advocate a return to Mexico. I have a big problem with people who come here but wont assimilate into our culture.

In the French section of Canada immigrants are forcibly assimilated and I think it should be down here.

Illegal immigration should be stopped. America looses 100,000 jobs each year to Mexico through NAFTA.

In Europe they will be destroyed demographically by Middle Easterners within 50 years. That�s just promising. All because Liberals don�t want to say "Hey stay out we want to keep this country the way it has been for 1000 years."

Rome is a unique example...They turned loose their superior culture on their conquered subjects, we don�t do that and the Roman Emperors gave orders to their subjects.

I believe this man actually. What will happen when America is %50 Hispanic? I am against that and I think we should start locking up our borders and sending these people back. I'm sick of these people coming here and not wanting to assimilate into Americas culture.

1 language, 1 People, 1 Culture.

"When in Rome, do as the Romans."

What the hell are you talking about???? Please don't talk about things that you know nothing about. I live in the so-called "French section of Canada" (I bet you didn't even know this "French section of Canada" is called Quebec) and I didn't know forced assimilation of immigrants are taking place here ... You make Quebec sound like some kind of fascist state. If you want to make your arguments sound more "credible", at least dream up a country that no one knows about instead of fabricating lies about places where real people live.

What the hell are you talking about???? Please don't talk about things that you know nothing about. I live in the so-called "French section of Canada" (I bet you didn't even know this "French section of Canada" is called Quebec) and I didn't know forced assimilation of immigrants are taking place here ... You make Quebec sound like some kind of fascist state. If you want to make your arguments sound more "credible", at least dream up a country that no one knows about instead of fabricating lies about places where real people live.

[quote]

Aren�t people required to learn French in Quebec?

Immigrants only have access to French speaking schools. Perhaps it isn�t forces assimilation but still, its a good thing.

The same should happen here. People should be forcibly assimilated if they don�t do so voluntarily.

I will say this, if a culture is changed its called adaptation, its how the strongest of species survive.  If one were to never change one would become complacent and weak.  Thats not good.  Poeple shoudnt be forced to assimilate either, but if they dont assimiate they shouldnt except anything at all from society.  By how things work naturally not assimilating will completely handicap someone as it is so they really arent very threatening.

No they should be forced to assimilate. I'm not talking about forcibly telling them to, but I think when we have drivers ed books in Vietnamese there is a problem.

Hell, my voter registration form came in the other and some of it is in CHINESE. WHAT THE HELLA RE WE DOING?

I see no reason why this should in Chinese. If important documents were entirely in English..in other words, if these people were forced to learn English out of necessity then things would work out OK. And furthermore, their culture would contribute to the American culture over all as they integrate. As a new group of people integrate our culture changes, but it is a universal change. What we see in the west of the US is very disturbing.

All because people want to be liberal and say "no we cant do that, its racist."

The people who say this are dangerous.

What if 2 culture groups develop in this country and it divides us?

What do you mean people are "required" to learn French in Quebec? No one is required to do anything here except being a good citizen. If you don't want an education, you don't have to get one. 

As for our schools here, of course it's French-speaking. What's your point? In France, schools are taught in French. In Spain, schools are taught in Spanish. In Brazil, schools are taught in Portuguese. So in Quebec, schools are taught in French. Do you need me to give more examples? English is being taught in school here too, of course. There are various sorts of language immersion programmes (for English and French).

There are also some English schools for the English minority here (which, interestingly, violates your so-called "forced assimilation" assertion because to make "forced assimilation" a success, English language schools shouldn't even exist here). In addition, there are schools run by various ethnic communities e.g. Armenian schools, Greek schools, Jewish schools, etc., some of them are subsidized by the government.

So I am sorry, Quebec does not really fit into your fascist model of forced assimilation. No one is forced to assimilate here. People learn the language just because they know it's the best thing for them to do, and you know what, most don't even have to be forced to do so. By the way, we have thriving ethnic communities here - Chinatown, Greek town, Little Italy, etc., and no one seems to have any problem with having multiple identities. I repeat, Canada is a country founded on immigration, and as long as Canada exists, hyphenated-Canadians will always eixst. But that doesn't mean these hyphenated-Canadians have no loyalty to Canada.

I believe that if a government is good to its people and if the government itself is good, its people will naturally be good and loyal to the government. No corecion to integrate is ever needed.

Hugoestr

-My ideal workers program would go something like this:

-First, I understand that the illegal immigrants already living in the States would not want to expose themselves for fear of punishment or deportation. For this, it must be considered that these people should be allowed to stay here and work for a select period of time. Now, there needs to be regulations on this idea. I feel that it should be a system based on different aspects of their time in this country. Most importantly, they must respect the laws of the country. Those convicted of a felony while here should be deported immediately and indefinately. If they are looking for a better life for themselves and/or their family back at home, breaking laws should not be in their best interest. Next, they should be rated by their employers. The employers should evaluate their job performance, and those which are productive and good employees should be rewarded. Finally, it would be crucial to set a time table for the workers. I would suggest a window of four to seven years which the guest worker may stay and work. After their time has expired, they should be eligible to apply for citizenship (if they wish to become citizens), and those which have been law-abiding citizens and diligent workers should be made top candidates for citizenship.

-This is just a simple outline, as I know it is much more difficult than it appears on paper. With some tweaking though, I feel that we could establish a guest workers program beneficial for both the United States and Mexico.

Hugoestr

-sounds fine to me.....

Mixcoatl

-how does the US treat illegals badly?

This country is didvided, it has always been divided for all its history and it will continue to do so.  If this country was one homogenous mass it wouldnt be as innovative, and it would be much more boring.  Overall I have to say I agree that if you come here you should speak English and thus the governmetn documents like liscences should in fact be in English only.  But you seem to advocating a kind of culture police , the anti-yet still just as dangerous version of the PC police.  I do understand what you are saying though.  English on all offical documents, thats perfectly fine, but what people talk in their homes, to each other on th eplayground, thats their damn business and no one should tell them how to live their personal life.  I remeber hearing how some kid in middle school was punished for speaking Spanish not in class, but in the hallway to friends.  Thats his business and what language he speaks when out of the classroom, or out of the drivers liscence office, and it should be illegal to regulate it.  If on the other hand he spoke Spanish in class to the teacher, it would be entirely different.