Sunday, May 6, 2007

The Wrong Way to Greet a Sarkozy Victory

Marty Peretz seems to think Nicolas Sarkozy is quite the political juggernaut, anticipating “significant change” on “at least three” major fronts. The first two – predictions of nation-saving economic revival and an “exhilarating” strengthening of the Euro-American alliance – are strained enough on the night of the election, but the last is downright nauseating:

The third will be the initial experiment among the western powers in dethroning the cult of multiculturalism. Majorities have a right--even an obligation--to preserve their own ethics, norms, cultures and histories. They have a right to define the qualifications for membership in and even admission to their societies. This will be the struggle of the 21st century. And not just in France.

I never grow tired of saying this, which is good because evidently I’m going to be saying it well into the 21st century: Tradition is not its own justification. Majorities and minorities alike have a right to “preserve” their identities in the realm of free dialogue. An election, or anything having to do with state power, should be completely beside the point. The realm is what the state imposes on the society, the realm is the only legitimate sacred cow, the realm is what deserves our collective protection.

This is so exasperatingly basic. I suggest we get everyone to agree on this before we fight our next battle against radical Muslims who believe that “majorities have a right--even an obligation--to preserve their own ethics, norms, cultures and histories” with state power and violence.

UPDATE: Matthew Yglesias points out that Peretz is likely to be disappointed if he's looking for a European culture warrior in Sarkozy.

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