A Frightening Analysis

We all know Dick Lamm as the former Governor of Colorado.  In that
context his thoughts are particularly poignant.  Last week there was an
immigration-overpopulation conference in Washington, DC, filled to
capacity by many of American's finest minds and leaders.  A brilliant
college professor named Victor Hansen Davis talked about his latest book,
"Mexifornia," explaining how immigration - both legal and illegal - was
destroying the entire state of California.  He said it would march across
the country until it destroyed all vestiges of The American Dream.

Moments later, former Colorado Governor Richard D.  Lamm stood up and
gave a stunning speech on how to destroy America.  The audience sat
spellbound as he described eight methods for the destruction of the
United States.  He said, "If you believe that America is too smug, too
self-satisfied, too rich, then let's destroy America.  It is not that
hard to do.  No nation in history has survived the ravages of time. 
Arnold Toynbee observed that all great civilizations rise and fall and
that 'An autopsy of history would show that all great nations commit
suicide.'"

"Here is how they do it," Lamm said: First to destroy America, "Turn
America into a bilingual or multi-lingual and bicultural country. 
History shows that no nation can survive the tension, conflict, and
antagonism of two or more competing languages and cultures.  It is a
blessing for an individual to be bilingual; however, it is a curse for a
society to be bilingual.  The historical scholar Seymour Lipset put it
this way: 'The histories of bilingual and bi-cultural societies that do
not assimilate are histories of turmoil, tension, and tragedy.  Canada,
Belgium, Malaysia, Lebanon all face crises of national existence in which
minorities press for autonomy, if not independence.  Pakistan and Cyprus
have divided.  Nigeria suppressed an ethnic rebellion.  France faces
difficulties with Basques, Bretons, and Corsicans."

Lamm went on: Second, to destroy America, "Invent 'multiculturalism' and
encourage immigrants to maintain their culture.  I would make it an
article of belief that all cultures are equal.  That there are no
cultural differences.  I would make it an article of faith that the Black
and Hispanic dropout rates are due to prejudice and discrimination by the
majority.

Every other explanation is out of bounds.

Third, "We could make the United States a 'Hispanic Quebec' without much
effort.  The key is to celebrate diversity rather than unity.  As
Benjamin Schwarz said in the Atlantic Monthly recently: 'The apparent
success of our own multiethnic and multicultural experiment might have
been achieved!  Not by tolerance but by hegemony.  Without the dominance
that once dictated ethnocentrically and what it meant to be an American,
we are left with only tolerance and pluralism to hold us together.'"

Lamm said, "I would encourage all immigrants to keep their own language
and culture.  I would replace the melting pot metaphor with the salad
bowl metaphor.  It is important to ensure that we have various cultural
subgroups living in America reinforcing their differences rather than as
Americans, emphasizing their similarities."

"Fourth, I would make our fastest growing demographic group the least
educated.  I would add a second underclass, unassimilated, undereducated,
and antagonistic to our population.  I would have this second underclass
have a 50% dropout rate from high school."

"My fifth point for destroying America would be to get big foundations
and business to give these efforts lots of money.  I would invest in
ethnic identity, and I would establish the cult of 'Victimology.' I would
get all minorities to think their lack of success was the fault of the
majority.  I would start a grievance industry blaming all minority
failure on the majority population."

"My sixth plan for America's downfall would include dual citizenship and
promote divided loyalties.  I would celebrate diversity over unity.  I
would stress differences rather than similarities.  Diverse people
worldwide are mostly engaged in hating each other - that is, when they
are not killing each other.  A diverse, peaceful, or stable society is
against most historical precedent.  People undervalue the unity!  Unity
is what it takes to keep a nation together.  Look at the ancient Greeks. 
The Greeks believed that they belonged to the same race; they possessed a
common language and literature; and they worshiped the same gods.  All
Greece took part in the Olympic Games.

A common enemy Persia threatened their liberty.  Yet all these bonds were
not strong enough to over come two factors: local patriotism and
geographical conditions that nurtured political divisions.  Greece fell.

"E.  Pluribus Unum" - From many, one.  In that historical reality, if we
put the emphasis on the 'pluribus' instead of the 'Unum,' we can
balkanize America as surely as Kosovo."

"Next to last, I would place all subjects off limits ~ make it taboo to
talk about anything against the cult of 'diversity.' I would find a word
similar to 'heretic' in the 16th century - that stopped discussion and
paralyzed thinking.  Words like 'racist' or 'x!  xenophobes' halt
discussion and debate."

"Having made America a bilingual/bicultural country, having established
multi-culturism, having the large foundations fund the doctrine of
'Victimology,' I would next make it impossible to enforce our immigration
laws.  I would develop a mantra: That because immigration has been good
for America, it must always be good.  I would make every individual
immigrant symmetric and ignore the cumulative impact of millions of
them."

In the last minute of his speech, Governor Lamm wiped his brow.  Profound
silence followed.  Finally he said, "Lastly, I would censor Victor Hanson
Davis's book Mexifornia.

His book is dangerous.  It exposes the plan to destroy America.  If you
feel America deserves to be destroyed, don't read that book."

There was no applause.

A chilling fear quietly rose like an ominous cloud above every attendee
at the conference.  Every American in that room knew that everything Lamm
enumerated was proceeding methodically, quietly, darkly, yet pervasively
across the United States today.

Every discussion is being suppressed.  Over 100 languages are ripping the
foundation of our educational system and national cohesiveness.  Barbaric
cultures that practice female genital mutilation are growing as we
celebrate 'diversity.' American jobs are vanishing into the Third World
as corporations create a Third World in America - take note of California
and other states - to date, ten million illegal aliens and growing fast. 
It is reminiscent of George Orwell's book "1984." In that story, three
slogans are engraved in the Ministry of Truth building: "War is peace,"
"Freedom is slavery," and "Ignorance is strength."

Governor Lamm walked back to his seat.  It dawned on everyone at the
conference that our nation and the future of this great democracy are
deeply in trouble and worsening fast.  If we don't get this immigration
monster stopped within three years, it will rage like a California
wildfire and destroy everything in its path, especially The American
Dream. 

Origins:  Richard D.  Lamm was a Democrat who served as governor of
Colorado for twelve years from 1975 to 1987.  Of the above-quoted third
person account regarding his speech on the perils of multiculturalism, he
told us in mid-June 2005:

 

Yes, it is a speech I gave a year and a half ago in Washington D.C.  It
was a 5 minute speech, and I am amazed and gratified it has received so
much coverage.

He also passed along to us the following "revised version" of his speech:

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I HAVE A PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA RICHARD D.  LAMM I HAVE A SECRET PLAN TO
DESTROY AMERICA.  IF YOU BELIEVE, AS MANY DO, THAT AMERICA IS TOO SMUG,
TOO WHITE BREAD, TOO SELF-SATISFIED, TOO RICH, LETS DESTROY AMERICA.  IT
IS NOT THAT HARD TO DO.  HISTORY SHOWS THAT NATIONS ARE MORE FRAGILE THAN
THEIR CITIZENS THINK.  NO NATION IN HISTORY HAS SURVIVED THE RAVAGES OF
TIME.  ARNOLD TOYNBEE OBSERVED THAT ALL GREAT CIVILIZATIONS RISE AND THEY
ALL FALL, AND THAT "AN AUTOPSY OF HISTORY WOULD SHOW THAT ALL GREAT
NATIONS COMMIT SUICIDE." HERE IS MY PLAN:

I.  WE MUST FIRST MAKE AMERICA A BILINGUAL-BICULTURAL COUNTRY.  HISTORY
SHOWS, IN MY OPINION, THAT NO NATION CAN SURVIVE THE TENSION, CONFLICT,
AND ANTAGONISM OF TWO COMPETING LANGUAGES AND CULTURES.  IT IS A BLESSING
FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO BE BILINGUAL; IT IS A CURSE FOR A SOCIETY TO BE
BILINGUAL.  ONE SCHOLAR, SEYMOUR MARTIN LIPSET, PUT IT THIS WAY:

THE HISTORIES OF BILINGUAL AND BICULTURAL SOCIETIES THAT DO NOT
ASSIMILATE ARE HISTORIES OF TURMOIL, TENSION, AND TRAGEDY.  CANADA,
BELGIUM, MALAYSIA, LEBANON-ALL FACE CRISES OF NATIONAL EXISTENCE IN WHICH
MINORITIES PRESS FOR AUTONOMY, IF NOT INDEPENDENCE.  PAKISTAN AND CYPRUS
HAVE DIVIDED.

NIGERIA SUPPRESSED AN ETHNIC REBELLION.  FRANCE FACES DIFFICULTIES WITH
ITS BASQUES, BRETONS, AND CORSICANS.

II.  I WOULD THEN INVENT "MULTICULTURALISM" AND ENCOURAGE IMMIGRANTS TO
MAINTAIN THEIR OWN CULTURE.  I WOULD MAKE IT AN ARTICLE OF BELIEF THAT
ALL CULTURES ARE EQUAL: THAT THERE ARE NO CULTURAL DIFFERENCES THAT ARE
IMPORTANT.  I WOULD DECLARE IT AN ARTICLE OF FAITH THAT THE BLACK AND
HISPANIC DROPOUT RATE IS ONLY DUE TO PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION BY THE
MAJORITY.  EVERY OTHER EXPLANATION IS OUT-OF-BOUNDS.

III.  WE CAN MAKE THE UNITED STATES A "HISPANIC QUEBEC" WITHOUT MUCH
EFFORT.  THE KEY IS TO CELEBRATE DIVERSITY RATHER THAN UNITY.  AS
BENJAMIN SCHWARZ SAID IN THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY RECENTLY:

...THE APPARENT SUCCESS OF OUR OWN MULTIETHNIC AND MULTICULTURAL
EXPERIMENT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED NOT BY TOLERANCE BUT BY HEGEMONY.

WITHOUT THE DOMINANCE THAT ONCE DICTATED ETHNOCENTRICALLY, AND WHAT IT
MEANT TO BE AN AMERICAN, WE ARE LEFT WITH ONLY TOLERANCE AND PLURALISM TO
HOLD US TOGETHER.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL IMMIGRANTS TO KEEP THEIR OWN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE. 
I WOULD REPLACE THE MELTING POT METAPHOR WITH A SALAD BOWL METAPHOR.  IT
IS IMPORTANT TO INSURE THAT WE HAVE VARIOUS CULTURAL SUB-GROUPS LIVING IN
AMERICA REINFORCING THEIR DIFFERENCES RATHER THAN AMERICANS, EMPHASIZING
THEIR SIMILARITIES.

IV.  HAVING DONE ALL THIS, I WOULD MAKE OUR FASTEST GROWING DEMOGRAPHIC
GROUP THE LEAST EDUCATED - I WOULD ADD A SECOND UNDERCLASS,
UNASSIMILATED, UNDEREDUCATED, AND ANTAGONISTIC TO OUR POPULATION.  I
WOULD HAVE THIS SECOND UNDERCLASS HAVE A 50% DROP OUT RATE FROM SCHOOL.

V.  I WOULD THEN GET THE BIG FOUNDATIONS AND BIG BUSINESS TO GIVE THESE
EFFORTS LOTS OF MONEY.  I WOULD INVEST IN ETHNIC IDENTITY, AND I WOULD
ESTABLISH THE CULT OF VICTIMOLOGY.  I WOULD GET ALL MINORITIES TO THINK
THEIR LACK OF SUCCESS WAS ALL THE FAULT OF THE MAJORITY - I WOULD START A
GRIEVANCE INDUSTRY BLAMING ALL MINORITY FAILURE ON THE MAJORITY
POPULATION.

VI.  I WOULD ESTABLISH DUAL CITIZENSHIP AND PROMOTE DIVIDED LOYALTIES.  I
WOULD "CELEBRATE DIVERSITY." "DIVERSITY" IS A WONDERFULLY SEDUCTIVE
WORD.  IT STRESSES DIFFERENCES RATHER THAN COMMONALITIES.  DIVERSE PEOPLE
WORLDWIDE ARE MOSTLY ENGAGED IN HATING EACH OTHER-THAT IS, WHEN THEY ARE
NOT KILLING EACH OTHER.  A DIVERSE," PEACEFUL, OR STABLE SOCIETY IS
AGAINST MOST HISTORICAL PRECEDENT.  PEOPLE UNDERVALUE THE UNITY IT TAKES
TO KEEP A NATION TOGETHER, AND WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS MYOPIA. 
LOOK AT THE ANCIENT GREEKS.  DORF'S WORLD HISTORY TELLS US: THE GREEKS
BELIEVED THAT THEY BELONGED TO THE SAME RACE; THEY POSSESSED A COMMON
LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE; AND THEY WORSHIPED THE SAME GODS.  ALL GREECE
TOOK PART IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN HONOR OF ZEUS AND ALL GREEKS VENERATED
THE SHRINE OF APOLLO AT DELPHI.  A COMMON ENEMY PERSIA THREATENED THEIR
LIBERTY.  YET, ALL OF THESE BONDS TOGETHER WERE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO
OVERCOME TWO FACTORS .  .  .  (LOCAL PATRIOTISM AND GEOGRAPHICAL
CONDITIONS THAT NURTURED POLITICAL DIVISIONS .  .  .)

IF WE CAN PUT THE EMPHASIS ON THE "PLURIBUS," INSTEAD OF THE "UNUM," WE
CAN BALKANIZE AMERICA AS SURELY AS KOSOVO.

VII.  THEN I WOULD PLACE ALL THESE SUBJECTS OFF LIMITS - MAKE IT TABOO TO
TALK ABOUT.  I WOULD FIND A WORD SIMILAR TO "HERETIC" IN THE 16TH CENTURY
- THAT STOPPED DISCUSSION AND PARALYZED THINKING.  WORDS LIKE "RACIST",
"XENOPHOBE" THAT HALTS ARGUMENT AND CONVERSATION.

HAVING MADE AMERICA A BILINGUAL-BICULTURAL COUNTRY, HAVING ESTABLISHED
MULTICULTURALISM, HAVING THE LARGE FOUNDATIONS FUND THE DOCTRINE OF
"VICTIMOLOGY", I WOULD NEXT MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ENFORCE OUR IMMIGRATION
LAWS.  I WOULD DEVELOP A MANTRA - "THAT BECAUSE IMMIGRATION HAS BEEN GOOD
FOR AMERICA, IT MUST ALWAYS BE GOOD." I WOULD MAKE EVERY INDIVIDUAL
IMMIGRANT SYMPATRIC AND IGNORE THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT.

VIII.  LASTLY, I WOULD CENSOR VICTOR HANSON DAVIS'S BOOK MEXIFORNIA -
THIS BOOK IS DANGEROUS - IT EXPOSES MY PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA.  SO
PLEASE, PLEASE - IF YOU FEEL THAT AMERICA DESERVES TO BE DESTROYED -
PLEASE, PLEASE - DON'T BUY THIS BOOK!  THIS GUY IS ON TO MY PLAN. "THE
SMART WAY TO KEEP PEOPLE PASSIVE AND OBEDIENT IS TO STRICTLY LIMIT THE
SPECTRUM OF ACCEPTABLE OPINION, BUT ALLOW VERY LIVELY DEBATE WITHIN THAT
SPECTRUM." - NOAM CHOMSKY, AMERICAN LINGUIST AND US MEDIA AND FOREIGN
POLICY CRITIC.

Both Governor Lamm and the writer of the e-mail misidentify the author of
the book Mexifornia, whose correct name is Victor Davis Hanson.