How does the syringe fit in with the other symbols?
Merkel recently said that multiculturalism has failed utterly in Germany. Yeah, I can see how shooting up might get in the way. :-|
She also said ”We should not be a country either which gives the impression to the outside world that those who don’t speak German immediately or who were not raised speaking German are not welcome here. That would do great damage to our country.”
She isn’t against it, just that the current model hasn’t worked and that integration needs to.
Radfish said, ”Sometimes heroin is the opiate of the masses.
:) Indeed, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
^ @Church: I dunno,I was in Berlin in March this year and I was struck by how friendly, compared to other large German cities we’ve travelled through, the Berliners were!
Their transport system worked fine and we travelled their u-bahn till late at night and I didn’t think it more dirty or unsafe, probably cleaner than London. Then again, we were there for just about a week. Tourists, what do we know.
@lowBass:
I’ve been reading about how Austria has dealt with immigration and it isn’t pretty. I wonder if Germany’s attempts to “integrate” their Gastarbeiters were similar, in which case I wouldn’t be surprised why some immigrants have not (and would not want to be?) integrated. Austrians really make them jump through hoops. Those who do naturalise, have to be commended. My wife’s cousin in Berlin is married to a German with a mother who was naturalised German and is of Turkish origin. We briefly touched on the subject; but since he said he was German first and foremost, i didn’t press it any further.
It would seem that Sarrazin has indeed stirred things with his book even though Merkel condemned Sarrazin’s ideas. My liberal lefty Austrian in-laws have said a few things last week which raised my eyebrows (and prompted my research into Austria’s immigration debate).
Why is it that some managed to integrate fine whereas some are struggling.
Chatting with my best mate here in the UK yesterday, whose father is from Barbados and is highly critical of the lack of integration shown by more recent migrants to the UK, I do realise there is more than meets the eye and I should listen some more.
I don’t quite agree with the charge that immigrants are “refusing” to learn the host nation’s language. Possibly true among an angry and marginalised disaffected youth of migrants, those who suffer through what their parents experience. They could learn but do not. That is a real concern. Why are they not? Some were even born in the host nation. Usually the 2nd generation integrate and later assimilate quite easily. Certainly my experience.
My frustration with felllow Portuguese in this country (and back in South Africa) who do not learn English has been tempered more recently by what they tell me when I urge them to take up English classes like the Poles I have seen in the area I live.
More likely they are low-income earners, unskilled, of very poor backgrounds who have have had very little or no education in their country of origin. They do not possess the simple “skills” of learning, not unlike the most poor in the native populations of the host nation.
Have you come across well educated, very skilled successful immigrants who do not speak English? I doubt it.
At any rate, I’m willing to back down on my stance. My fellow migrants do have more choices but they’re not taking them. Why not.
OmqR-IV.0 over 13 years ago
How does the syringe fit in with the other symbols?
Merkel recently said that multiculturalism has failed utterly in Germany. Yeah, I can see how shooting up might get in the way. :-|
She also said ”We should not be a country either which gives the impression to the outside world that those who don’t speak German immediately or who were not raised speaking German are not welcome here. That would do great damage to our country.”
She isn’t against it, just that the current model hasn’t worked and that integration needs to.
OmqR-IV.0 over 13 years ago
Radfish said, ”Sometimes heroin is the opiate of the masses. :) Indeed, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
^ @Church: I dunno,I was in Berlin in March this year and I was struck by how friendly, compared to other large German cities we’ve travelled through, the Berliners were! Their transport system worked fine and we travelled their u-bahn till late at night and I didn’t think it more dirty or unsafe, probably cleaner than London. Then again, we were there for just about a week. Tourists, what do we know.
@lowBass: I’ve been reading about how Austria has dealt with immigration and it isn’t pretty. I wonder if Germany’s attempts to “integrate” their Gastarbeiters were similar, in which case I wouldn’t be surprised why some immigrants have not (and would not want to be?) integrated. Austrians really make them jump through hoops. Those who do naturalise, have to be commended. My wife’s cousin in Berlin is married to a German with a mother who was naturalised German and is of Turkish origin. We briefly touched on the subject; but since he said he was German first and foremost, i didn’t press it any further. It would seem that Sarrazin has indeed stirred things with his book even though Merkel condemned Sarrazin’s ideas. My liberal lefty Austrian in-laws have said a few things last week which raised my eyebrows (and prompted my research into Austria’s immigration debate). Why is it that some managed to integrate fine whereas some are struggling. Chatting with my best mate here in the UK yesterday, whose father is from Barbados and is highly critical of the lack of integration shown by more recent migrants to the UK, I do realise there is more than meets the eye and I should listen some more.
I don’t quite agree with the charge that immigrants are “refusing” to learn the host nation’s language. Possibly true among an angry and marginalised disaffected youth of migrants, those who suffer through what their parents experience. They could learn but do not. That is a real concern. Why are they not? Some were even born in the host nation. Usually the 2nd generation integrate and later assimilate quite easily. Certainly my experience. My frustration with felllow Portuguese in this country (and back in South Africa) who do not learn English has been tempered more recently by what they tell me when I urge them to take up English classes like the Poles I have seen in the area I live. More likely they are low-income earners, unskilled, of very poor backgrounds who have have had very little or no education in their country of origin. They do not possess the simple “skills” of learning, not unlike the most poor in the native populations of the host nation. Have you come across well educated, very skilled successful immigrants who do not speak English? I doubt it.
At any rate, I’m willing to back down on my stance. My fellow migrants do have more choices but they’re not taking them. Why not.