In every Western country the political division comes down to the Party of Multiculturalism versus the Party of Preservation. So two things from today. First the Government, our Party of Preservation, has introduced a new multicultural policy. Here is how the report begins:

Australia’s national identity will be redefined along fundamental principles of integration, citizenship and unity in a pointed shift away from welfare entitlement, in the first multicultural statement by a federal government to also recognise the impact of ­terrorism on the nation’s social fabric.

In a landmark departure from the 2011 statement delivered by then-Labor prime minister Julia Gillard, the Turnbull government has ­included for the first time a list of individual freedoms, including freedom of speech, as core Australian values. The statement, ­released to The Australian ahead of its launch today, is a rejection of multiculturalism as a vehicle for grievance and identity politics.

The government has dropped past emphasis on equitable access to welfare and services for new ­migrants, and instead promotes values of opportunity, self-reliance­ and aspiration.

For a better understanding of what’s at stake, there is this article asking Is Denmark On The Brink? which is found at Instapundit. It is an interview with someone watching the disintegration of Swedish society from the Danish side of the border and drawing some conclusions of her own. Read every word but here is the start:

E Tavares: In a sense Sweden is the canary in the coalmine of Europe’s demographic future, since they have been at the forefront of this transformation and openly embrace it. Being a close neighbor we would like to get your views on what is happening there, as well as in Denmark. How do the Danes look at Sweden, with hope or apprehension?

I Tranholm: With absolute horror!

The Swedish media, which is quite pro-government and its leftwing policies, does not always report the full extent of the problems in their society. So it is hard to have a very accurate picture of what is going on. But we in Denmark have a good sense. We are very aware of the murders, rapes, riots, violence and the hand grenades that go on there. This does not often make the news but we know it is going on. And we don’t want to go down the same route.

This is the result of decades of policies promoting multiculturalism in Sweden. And what is left is this hollow house. You know, in the Bible it is said that if a house is left swept, tidied and unoccupied it eventually it will be taken over by evil. And I fear that this is what is happening in Sweden. Far from being a multicultural paradise, the problems can no longer remain hidden.

ET: Indeed, even President Trump made some controversial comments about Sweden at a recent rally in the US, causing an international uproar, with many debates on whether he was right or wrong. Did this cause some discussion in Denmark as well?

IT: It wasn’t much of a discussion because we in Denmark know what is happening in Sweden. Malmo is very close so we only need to go there to see it with our own eyes.

There was a TV ad partially paid by the Swedish government recommending that all Swedes integrate into this new multicultural society they are creating. Think about that. Even old Swedes now need to adjust to this new reality, instead of immigrants adapting to Swedish society. They call it “Det nya landet”, which means the new country. Traditional Sweden is gone.

The title of the post at Instapundit is ‘EUROPE: Danes look at Sweden today “with absolute horror”’which you will understand without much trouble if you read the interview yourself. It is paired with another article, Gramscian damage, which you also need to read to build your fitness for the the ideological wars of the future (as well as being better able to understand the ideological wars of the past).

UPDATE: The 15 Top Comments in order from the top at The Australian.

Roderick
“What ‘multiculturalism’ boils down to is that you can praise any culture in the world except Western culture – and you cannot blame any culture in the world except Western culture.” Thomas Sowell

Serge
Fabulous, although we should stress assimilation not just integration, that’s what made the US’s melting pot so successful. When we arrived in 1951 from China my Russian parents stressed assimilation. We never moved near a Russian community but locked in with the locals. Initial references to us as reffos fell away with the years. Speaking the same language is most important because it leads into the same culture. We’re Australians first and foremost, any institutional mode to divide us should be resisted. That’s why I find it distressing that even in sport today we have indigenous rounds, multicultural rounds, they only serve to separate and are racist by definition. Assimilate, not divide.

David
meanwhile there remains two classes of citizens, minorities who bleed welfare and Government funding and us poor mugs who pay the highest tax rates in the world to fund it. Then we are vilified for doing so and denied a real voice on pretty much anything. Yes if your a new or relatively recent immigrant to Australia – it’s utopia, not so for those of us who are forced to smile through clenched teeth at how wonderful it is. Because, quite frankly some cultures are not that easy to live side by side with, which while not being PC is the straight up truth.

sandfly
Multiculturalism is for elitists, academics, dreamers and leaners …assimilation is for Australian lifters who know how to make things work.

Patrick
Multiculturalism usually means a community with no Anglo-Celtics; something like a community that is mostly Lebanese with a few Sudanese, Afghans, Indians, or Samoans. Such will represent a very diverse community but its main source of income is welfare, that’s multiculturalism.

Rick
If the government doesn’t dump 18C, it will make a complete mockery of this move.

Gordon
“Prac­tices and behaviours that undermine our values have no place in Australia.” This should read: “Religions and behaviours that undermine our values have no place in Australia.”

Dannielle
Excellent first step however I think that adding that women are equal to men and men are not allowed to seek to control adult women should also be a clearly annunciated value. I just hope that our Government has the good sense to look at the Hong Kong and Singapore immigration models which allow working visas and an up to 7 years before residency before you can apply for citizenship. The citizenship is vigorous, with the applicant needing to PROVE that they have been employed, paid taxes, formed links to the existing community and have no criminal record AND most importantly no know associations with criminals. They get the best and brightest immigrants who are committed to integration and contributing because they demand it. We, on the other hand are importing expensive elderly people, family reunion ie “I just happened to have family here” but I have nothing in particular to offer and an ever growing welfare list. Our immigration in recent years has been run more like a charity than an expanding sovereign nation and the numbers are overwhelming to the existing population, infrastructure and services.

Judith
Another Gillard bomb that has caused destructive damage requiring remediation action. Fancy defining our country as one based on welfare to all but not cohesion and a common lau gauge and set of values.

John
Without repeal of 18C all the talk in the world is meaningless.

Darren
Don’t care about multi-whatever you call it. I care about free speech and I care about integration. That is acceptance of certain set of standards/values that are non-negotiable. IF you don’t like it go shop for another country. There are plenty around.

wayne
It seems so long ago that a public servant decided that Australia need to change so that those who came as immigrants didn’t have too. The new ‘multicultural ‘ Australia has since that time required the traditional Australian taxpayer to bend over and bare their a**e to be shafted. Apart from telling immigrants that they didn’t have learn English or adapt to the simple Australian life, Governments have flooded State and Federal Legislation with laws that actually attack the average Australian. With the laws came quangos and bodies such as then AHRC, which set out to enshrine the rights of immigrants over Australians. Those bodies, and the laws they persued are still in existence today. They are even oppose free speech! So in return, we are meant to celebrate that the Government is finally seeing the destruction that policies such as multiculturalism is causing. They are saying they see it and its many problems, plus other problems that have festered in Australians for over a decade. One thing hasn’t changed though! It’s the law! It doesn’t matter how much Turnbull talks about this because until he removes the legislation, including 18C, and shuts down, actually closes the various quangos and Commissions such as the AHRC, nothing has or will actually change. I’m won’t hold my breath for Turnbull to actually do something, other than talk of course.

Dave Wane
In Australia, or in fact every country on the planet, people will discriminate every day for any number of reasons, regardless of whether there is a law against the many forms of discrimination. Should not a person be free to discriminate without being fearful of breaking the law? It begs the question: Do we need anti-discrimination laws? We certainly do not need an AHRC. As for citizenship requirements: It is our country and we should set the highest possible standards for gaining citizenship, including a reasonable standard of English and a strong understanding and appreciation of western civilisation.

Bryan
A step in the right direction but meantime we continue importing huge numbers of ” refugees” who will never adopt our way of life and whose progeny make us less and less safe. Every time I go through security at my small country airport, where there used to be no security, I curse this blind adherence to multiculturalism and political correctness.

Merv
Nothing has,or will change, the welfare, and services will still be the priority attracting migrants, and are a given. Until rules are applied to make welfare an earned entity it will be open slather !

Donald T
Multiculturalism is true evil and destroys society and social cohesion. We are beginning to see the effects of this in Europe and it will only get worse. This statement released by the government, is in itself, a response to the failings of multiculturalism.

Lex
I think a great deal was lost when the term “assimilation” became non-PC. If new arrivals are not prepared to make a written commitment to assimilate and integrate into our way of life, they should be invited to leave again. They need to leave their former “culture” behind and become Australians first and foremost. They must learn to speak English and adopt Australian values, practices and dress – the less they look and act different, the more they will be accepted by the mainstream population – that’s just a simple fact of human nature.