No way - unless you/somebody want/s us to stay wikings 😸

MM

This is going to fundamentally change your societies in ways you will not enjoy. To put it another way, this will accomplish with immigration, encouraged and enabled by your own governments, what the Moors and Ottoman Turks failed to accomplish with violence. No advanced society survives prosperity, they all commit suicide.

World has allways been a subject of change. I would say that it is a bit arrogant to say that our time and culture is thr one and best and should not change anymore. In other words "stop the history" it means. If we cant accsept chance and adapt, sure we are doomed and soon gone.

Change will always meet resistance, wether its for the better or for the worse. As human beings we are naturally drawn to stability and what we know, on the whole. We're animals and we want to be in a 'safe environment' to keep ourselves alive and not get eaten by dinosaurs or killed by another tribe. Our psyche is deep rooted and times have changed faster than our brains can handle it, from an evolutionary perspective.

Do I think mass-migration is a bad thing? Not at all, as long as the people who come to live in your country contribute to it, respect its laws and become decent members of that country's society. That's not too much to ask is it?

As for culture and tradition, I think that's a great thing and should be celebrated and held on to in every single country. That's one of the reasons I love to travel - to see different cultures, heritage, history and traditions. If the world became one faceless mish-mash of cultures wherever you went that would be the saddest thing to see.  

The Romans had so much success because they assimilated. They were accepted, even embraced - because they immediately adopted the lifestyle of where they were. They wore the clothes, ate the food, settled, married - and became accepted citizens of where they lived.  Yes, the world has moved on from that - but the basics remain.  I cringe when I see British ex-pats in Spain not speaking a word of Spanish, being dismissive of locals, forming little communities, avoiding Spanish taxes wherever they can and generally making absolutely no effort whatsoever apart from with each other. Sad.

Anyway - there's my two pennies worth. I'm sure I'm wrong on some things, right on others - and I'm open to others views. That's what a discussion os all about!

Lee

WOW, perfect post there Lee. Totally agree with you in everyday. Open minded and positive :) I have friends from over 30 countries and it's fantastic - each brings their own qualities and values and style.

I can't disagree with the general sentiments expressed above, but the sudden rate of change and numbers involved are potentially going to overwhelm us.

Apparently one german village of 110 souls has been told to accommodate 750 migrants (reduced from an initial instruction to take 1000).

Graham

My first contact to refugees in my life: Just from the beginning with silesian neighbours after their arrival in 1945/46 in West Germany. My first contact to immigrants was with people from Italy and Greece in the Kindergarden.

The issue of refugees becomes a little bit more visible than during the last decades. Nobody can deny that there is a bad mixture of poor government, war crimes, suppression, fanaticism, greed in quite a few countries discouraging people to stay home and starve calmly, be victims and survivors of any crime (no breach of the 10 commandnents of older times or of human rights of modern times ist ommitted). They prefer to change place and look for more acceptable places to live.

My opinion: Despite quite a few problems about assimilation (Who to whom in which way?), inculturation (which culture?), religious beliefs the world in Europe will be better if everybody learns more than one lesson on solidarity, subsidiarity and personality.

Sometimes feeling like Father McKenzie whose sermon doesn't find an audience like all the lonely people in Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles ...

vikinger wrote:

Apparently one german village of 110 souls has been told to accommodate 750 migrants (reduced from an initial instruction to take 1000).

Graham

You make it sound like the 750 migrants are moving into the houses of the 110 souls.

Never heard of that - and it certainly is not so!

We have a great challenge nowadays - I am sure, that we will can deal with it, if we choose to.

I see much worse 'problems' elsewhere in the world.

The post from Lee sums up very good, what is going on.

We may very well benefit from these changes, if we do things decently.

Let's face the challenge - there is no chance to escape it, anyway.

And after all most of these problems are 'homemade' - even if maybe from a previous generation.

MM

Lets for a little while, forget about the what we see on surface, life styles etc and look a bit further.

The fact that number of refugees has never been this high since WW2 and the world is experiencing highest number of armed conflicts should tell us something that I believe is very important. 

I believe that most people would agree that world is changing and if there are individuals, groups or parties who believe that building walls or barbed wires across their borders or even throwing out foreigners would keep them and their lifestyle unchanged, then I'm afraid that they will be disappointed.  

I believe that Germany and Sweden are doing the right thing. Their strength doesn't come from unity of culture and beliefs but form their diversity and open mindedness and remember that WW2 was not won by a single nation.