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“In its great era of capitalism, the United States was the freest country on earth — and the best refutation of racist theories. Men of all races came here, some from obscure, culturally undistinguished countries, and accomplished feats of productive ability which would have remained stillborn in their control-ridden native lands. Men of racial groups that had been slaughtering one another for centuries, learned to live together in harmony and peaceful cooperation. America had been called 'the melting pot,' with good reason. But few people realised that America did not melt men into the grey conformity of a collective: she united them by means of protecting their right to individuality.”
— Ayn Rand, from her essay “Racism,” collected in The Anti-Industrial Revolution
Monday, 4 May 2020
"America had been called 'the melting pot,' with good reason. But America did not melt men into the grey conformity of a collective: she united them by means of protecting their right to individuality.”
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The greatest aspect of America was cultural appropriation. Americans once thought nothing of having lunch at a Jewish deli, supper at a Chinese buffet, sipping Turkish coffee while munching apple pie (Scandinavian in origin) and hamburgers (disputed origin, but the name is German). When Europeans took Sunday off the Chinese saw opportunities and started restaurants and dry cleaning businesses.
America's strength is that it offered people options. We took whatever was best in the cultures of the world--by our own individual judgement--and made it our own.
Now the would-be tyrants want us to consider our greatest strength a sin. They want us to "stay in our lane", meaning: ignore any idea not presented by someone with our same skin color and plumbing arrangement.
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