Several JU users have blogged on culture lately, each with their own point to make.  The latest was Australian, who reveled in the fact that they literally have their token black and asian and are thus a great culture.  Dont get me wrong, I admire and respect the Australian culture as being one of the best in the world today.  But it is not the best.

That being said, if we are going to micro-slice every nationality into its own subculture (with some degree of justification), then Australia still falls a very poor second (if that) to the US.  For in reality, while both countries were originally settled by the English and both countries paracticed Genocide on the Natives of the land from the time of the settlement until the 19th century (America) or 20th century (Australia), what happened in the dash is the rest of the story.

For in Australia, non-english immigration is a new thing.  For once America booted the English out (Australia never did, they allowed you some autonomy), we had waves of immigrations from all over Europe, Asia and even Africa.  These waves of immigaration made it so that less than 25% of the US population can claim to even be 50% English by heritage.  I dare say the statistics in Australia is a lot higher.

But of all those 200 cultures that came in and created the US, almost all have bought into the predominant American Culture and blended in without losing their identity.

But they have shed some of the worst parts of their own culture in becoming Americans.  Those that practiced hate against another culture for the simple reason they were different may try to maintain that in the US, but by 3rd generation, it dies out.

So Australia can celebrate your very limited diversity, but with such an overwelming majority from one culture, you really have no conception of cultural diversity and how it affects every day life in your country.  This is not to say it is a bad thing, just a fact of life as you are probably more diverse than 95% of the nations on this planet.  Yet, by far the most diverse is the United States, and we have used that diversity to make us the strongest and most powerful.

With exceptions too few to enumerate, every person of every culture who has flocked to these shores is proud to be an American, and celebrates both their nation and their culture, in peace.

Australia is a very young country and has a lot of growing up to do.  I wish you well.  But in the arena of cultural diversity, you are yet a toddler to the US's adult. It would be well for you to study how the US dealt with it.  Its many mistakes, and its many successes.

For in the end, the mixing of eggs, flower, sugar and chocalate has not made a gooey inedible mess, but the greatest culture on the face of the planet.  A culture of Mankind, that is greater than the sum of its parts, and is a shining beacon for all humanity to follow.  Jealousy does not become the old powers of europe whose policies are just short of xenophobia when it comes to outsiders.  There is a sprinkling of other races, colors, creeds, but Europe is as lilly white today as a Klan meeting.

Africa is not so discriminatory, with some excpetions (Zimbabwe and Sudan come to mind).  Yet, they are third world, and so there is not a lot of in migration as they cannot support the native population.

South America is a great example of what to do when new immigrants mix with natives (not a perfect one, but the best one this planet has to offer).  And it is much more diverse than the old worlds and Africa due to the liberal (cultural, not political) acceptance of all people, including Europeans.

Asia is an anachronism.  So racially pure for the most part, and intollerant of infusion, that they make old Europe look liberal in its efforts to remain pure.  Yet they are changing, if ever so slowly.  Perhaps that is why they fell so far behind Europe, but that is for another blog.

Alone among the continents and nations, however, is North America.  Not due to a grand scheme, but due to luck more than anything.  America offered and still offers a chance to break out of feudal systems and layer of royalty the stiffle the old world.  So the best of the underclass left their homeland, and fought, toiled and made something they could not be back there.  They made themselves sucessful Americans.

But nothing is without pain, and the assimilation of the different cultures has not been easy or error free.  And that is why, not only Australia, but all countries should heed the errors made.  But the lesson is not to stop the assimilation of the cultures, but to facillitate it.  That does not mean subverting the old culture, but taking the best parts and celebrating it as part of the new Culture.

For American culture is just that.  Not English, not European, not any single or double culture or land.  it is the cake that came from the different ingredients.  And as such, closer to a culture of humankind than any other on earth.

And it is the best for that reason as well.  It is not perfect, but it is the best and getting better.

It ill behooves the other nations of the world to condemn what some of their own people have created.  It simply demonstrates their own pettiness and jealousy of that they have no understanding or comprehension of.

It is not the Ugly American that walks the earth.  It is a Proud American!  One who is European, African, Asian, and American.  Proud because they have done what no other country in the history of this planet has done, and in a shorter time.

And they will continue to do.  For while we are spat upon and reviled in the old staid countries, we are building the future with hope and promise for ANYONE, not some one born with a red mark on their forehead, or a silver spoon in their mouth.

And we are not selfish with this thing we created.  But then we are also not imperialistic with it either.  Other countries of the world may accept it, may adopt it, or not.  It is their choice.

But I would again suggest that at the very least they learn from it.  Hate is easy.  Everyone can hate that which they do not understand.  It is the intelligent person tho that attempts to learn from others mistakes as well as their own.

That is what America can do for you.  But we cannot make you learn.  You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink.

Hate us, or love us.  But if nothing else, learn from us.  We are not perfect, but we are the best on earth.  If you think that is arrogant, fine.  Learn from our mistakes and be better than us.  There can be more than one winner in this race.