Tony Blair on Muslim Integration

Interesting Opinion piece in the WSJ today by Tony Blair about Muslim integration in the UK. My favorite quote (emphasis mine):

However, some don't integrate. But when we talk about this in general terms, without precision, for fear of "stigmatizing" Muslims, we alienate public opinion and isolate the majority of Muslims who are integrating and want to be as much part of our society as any other group. Then, because we won't identify the problem as it is, a subterranean debate takes the place of an open one, and that debate lumps all Muslims together. So in the interest of "defending" the Muslim community, we actually segregate it by refusing to have an honest debate about what is happening. 


I think the former PM has articulated well a point that causes alot of issues in the US as well: We are so concerned about avoiding culturally sensitive topics that we end up skipping thoughtful discussion altogether and indirectly contributing to xenophobia. I think this is particularly true regarding the Mexican immigrants in the southwest. The lack of authentic consideration results in diametrically opposed groups with guns drawn across lines in the sand, completely unwilling to negotiate. 


Of course, another factor is the sound-byte era where we boil any sort of discussion to either pro- or anti- hot-button issue or a candidate as a referendum on their opponent. The result, in my opinion, are these radical, thoughtless swings in political ideology: Bush sucks, so we elect anti-Bush (=Obama for those of you playing at home). Obama isn't doing enough to save the economy (I have issues with that statement, but that's for another discussion), so we elect a wave of anti-Obama Tea Party candidates, some of whom have terrifyingly little intelligent thought. At some point we have to stop jerking the steering wheel from one side to the other anytime we stray from our chosen lane of travel.


One interesting side effect of being across the pond is that I tend to be even further removed from the political discourse than I was previously. My sound-byte on the subject: We (the U.S.) look stupid.