Multiculturalism Within the Borders of Germany

This is one of my essays which is a vast landscape and needs to be thoughtful.

For over two-thousand years, Germany has been affected by multiculturalism. When the Romans came, they inflicted change and character to the culture.  When Jewish traders came, they inflicted change and character to the culture.  When various groups from Spain, Czech, France, Greece, and Turkey came....they inflicted change and character to the culture.  When WW II ended, the US, France, the UK, and Soviet Union....inflicted change and character to the culture.  When Elvis came, he inflicted change and character to the culture.  When the Beatles came....well, yeah....you know the story.

For anyone who thinks this is a pure society, well....no.  It's never been a purely Germanic society.

When one walks around a major urban area like Mainz or Wiesbaden, and you tend to notice various restaurants which aren't typical schnitzel or bratwurst houses.  You've got various American franchise operations, Turkish kebab shops, Greek, Italian, Asian, etc.

Are certain groups trying to reshape or drag Germans along to an outside culture?  Out of the eight-two million...I'd take a guess that a quarter-million of that group are trying in various ways to bring a challenge to the German system.  Getting Sharia-Law to be discussed....to drag a German into a discussion allowing a 'guest' to have his two wives....to suggest some unfairness on religious concepts, well....it's not really having much success.

Part of the issue is that unlike past generations who were forced into a massive scale of acceptance on German lifestyles...because of the internet, you can retain a good part of your old country.  I can sit in my home and view the Wall Street Journal daily....watch CNN or some Nashville local network....and still be fairly attached to a country beyond Germany.

Another part of the issue is that some German intellectuals hyped up multiculturalism.  They spoke to the values of a society who were multi-culti.  That gentle push by the German intellectuals reached a point around five years ago where people did an examination of the behavior, and found that it's more or less a failure.  The intellectuals were wrong.  Even Merkel now admits that.

I've sat and observed Chinese who've come through Germany and Europe.  In some ways, they are a great outsider to observe Germany, and comment.  Most stand in amazement when looking at scenery, landscape, and gardens.  They stand for an eternity and look over architecture and design. I was watching a French journalist interview a Chinese guy admiring Paris, and the Chinese guy's chief comment was about the clean air, and how wonderful it was to breathe such air. In some ways, you need a bit of multiculturalism around to help you realize how good you got it.

Ghettos in German society?  There were ghettos existing long before 2013, and there will continue to be such ghettos.

Will too much multiculturalism destroy or hinder Germany?  I suspect when you reach a stage where Germans go beyond whining, and do some pretty harsh political action.....we will drift off into an extreme political consequence era, and resolve some issues.  It's not an action that will be preferred but it tends to correct a few things and give the impression of better days ahead.