Steyn: Africans can assimilate as easily as Englishmen

Russell W. writes:

I just heard Steyn on the Hewitt radio show talking about Oriana Fallaci’s death. In the context of talking about her hostility to Islam and her embrace of the title “Christian Atheist,” he mentioned Buchanan’s 1991 rhetorical question as to whether it would be easier for America to assimilate a million Englishmen or a million Zulus. Steyn said he disagreed with Buchanan on that point then and still does.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It left my mouth agape. It was surreal.

But I realized I really have no right to be shocked: Steyn’s comment follows inexorably from the assumptions of pro-immigration folks who believe that America is an idea, and that all peoples of the world are equally well-disposed to embrace that idea. I had just never heard someone comment specifically on the Buchanan statement like that. If anything, I assumed they would simply avoid the point (which was the genius of Buchanan’s question—it forced the kind of simple, clarity-producing juxtaposition that destroys people’s PC-imbibed pieties).

LA replies:

Steyn is another establishment conservative in need of a First Thoughts conference!

Posted by Lawrence Auster at December 07, 2006 04:49 PM | Send