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Britain's new Conservative Prime Minister, David Cameron, joined in what is becoming an increasing right-wing chorus in Europe proclaiming the failure of multiculturalism, coming shortly on the heels of German chancellor Angela Merkel's similar proclamation in October.

This, of course, pleases the cultural warriors at Fox News, especially John Bolton, who was on Greta Van Susteren's show last night proclaiming how right Cameron is.

For the sake of argument, let us concede at least that multiculturalism has developed some important flaws over the years, some of which the conservatives have identified. What none of these critics have explained, however, is what system of racial ethics they would champion in lieu of multiculturalism.

If multiculturalism is dead, what do they propose we replace it with?

Remember: As I've explained many times, multiculturalism -- a concept first proposed by the father of modern anthropology, Franz Boas -- was specifically a direct reaction against white supremacism, and eventually overthrew it as the dominant American worldview. Most American critics are coy about what they would replace it with -- though of course, there are some Nativists who are not: they want to resurrect the white-supremacist ethos that was dominant in America for much of the first half of the 20th century and before.

Nonetheless, it was a concept tailored for America -- in part because of the national "melting pot" that has been our history, and in part because Boas saw it as a specifically democratic ethos. This may go a long way in explaining why the Europeans are continuing to struggle with it.

Consider, for instance, Cameron's chief rationale invoking what he calls "state multiculturalism":

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Breaking news: Britain releases Julian Assange on bail:

Britain's high court today granted bail to Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder who is wanted in Sweden for questioning over allegations of rape.

Mr Justice Duncan Ouseley agreed with a decision by City of Westminister magistrates court earlier in the week to release Assange on strict conditions: £200,000 cash deposit, with a further £40,000 guaranteed in two sureties of £20,000, and strict conditions on his movement.

Assange stood in a dark grey suit in the dock as Ouseley began hearing an appeal by British prosecutors acting on behalf of Sweden.

There was an early sign that the day would go in Assange's favour when Ouseley said: "The history of the way it [the case] has been dealt with by the Swedish prosecutors would give Mr Assange some basis that he might be acquitted following a trial."

Mark Stephens, one of Assange's lawyers, said he expected Assange to be released later today, or tomorrow in a worst case scenario.

It will be more like in-home custody:

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will move from a prison cell in Wandsworth to a country retreat in Norfolk when he is released from custody.

Ellingham Hall is a 10-bedroomed property set on 600 acres of land near Bungay on the Norfolk-Suffolk border.

The estate is owned by Vaughan Smith, a Wikileaks supporter who served in the British Army before founding London's Frontline journalists' club.

Mr Assange must stay there as part of his bail conditions, granted on Thursday by Mr Justice Ouseley at the Royal Courts of Justice.

He must also wear an electronic tag, report to police every day and observe a curfew.

Meanwhile, journalists are finally beginning to speak out:

One of the most prominent journalism schools in the United States is asking President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder not to prosecute WikiLeaks because it would set a "bad precedent for reporters."

"We all believe that in publishing diplomatic cables WikiLeaks is engaging in journalistic activity protected by the First Amendment," according to a letter signed by 19 Columbia Journalism School professors.

Holder is an alum of both the undergrad program and Columbia Law School.

"As a historical matter, government overreaction to publication of leaked material in the press has always been more damaging to American democracy than the leaks themselves," the letter says. READ THE LETTER

The letter argues that prosecuting WikiLeaks would result in "chilling" investigative journalism everywhere, and that legal action against the organization would "greatly damage American standing in free-press debates worldwide and would dishearten those journalists looking to this nation for inspiration."

Enough Already Blogenlust

Avedon and Digby are involved in an interesting discussion about the "freakish confidence" recently exhibited by Republicans. The question, first raised by Avedon, is why are they so confident about something that could very easily bite them in the ass at the voting booth? As Digby wrote, "It really does make you have to at least consider the possibility that they know they will not lose elections."

I recently had a conversation with Far East about this very same topic. What crossed my mind in that conversation was how much the Left's relationship with the Right mirrors an abusive relationship. The posturing, policies, and false bravado, in conjunction with the electoral success of this Administration and its political Party is having an adverse effect on the emotional mindset of the Left. Like the abused in an abusive relationship, the Left's first reaction is to buy into the false power and intelligence of the Right, which causes us to cower and freak out about what might come next. The best example of this is the talk about past rigged elections, and the prospects of future rigged elections.

My own opinion is that the Right loves our worries and conspiracies about vote rigging because it reinforces our perception of their dominance and our self-awareness of our feebleness.  Whether we know it or not, talking about rigged elections or wondering whether the Republicans are too confident because they know they're going to win only reinforces our problems and does nothing to rectify the lack of our Party's political power. 

Conservatives have been waging a political psy-op war against us for a generation, and until we realize that our reactions are reinforcing their strategy, nothing will change.  Now I don't have a lot of answers for how to break this cycle, but a good start would be to cease all discussion about how the Republicans control our destiny, and start talking and thinking about how we can establish a political identity that is not a reaction to the Republican Party.

                   Lawyers, Guns and Money

I'm not the sort that reads Powerline with any regularity, but this caught my attention:

It's great to see someone standing up for colonialism, especially British colonialism. I agree wholeheartedly with this observation, for example:

Had Britain had the courage to face down Gandhi and his rabble a few years longer, the tragedy that was the partititon of India might have been avoided.

My own opinion is that the Right loves our worries and conspiracies about vote rigging because it reinforces our perception of their dominance and our self-awareness of our feebleness. Whether we know it or not, talking about rigged elections or wondering whether the Republicans are too confident because they know they're going to win only reinforces our problems and does nothing to rectify the lack of our Party's political power.

Conservatives have been waging a political psy-op war against us for a generation, and until we realize that our reactions are reinforcing their strategy, nothing will change. Now I don't have a lot of answers for how to break this cycle, but a good start would be to cease all discussion about how the Republicans control our destiny, and start talking and thinking about how we can establish a political identity that is not a reaction to the Republican Party.

Lawyers, Guns and Money

I'm not the sort that reads Powerline with any regularity, but this caught my attention:

It's great to see someone standing up for colonialism, especially British colonialism. I agree wholeheartedly with this observation, for example:

Had Britain had the courage to face down Gandhi and his rabble a few years longer, the tragedy that was the partititon of India might have been avoided.

I don't know what to say.

I'm hardly a reflexive defender of Gandhi, or of the pacifist approach to politics. However, to suggest that "Gandhi and his rabble" were responsible for the horrors of partition, when in fact both the policy of partition and the Muslim-Hindu tensions that created the need for partition are direct consequences of British imperial policy, really goes beyond the pale.

Hmm. Let me restate that, because Assrocket likes to go beyond the pale. . Read on

WTF?         The Immoral Minority

And do absolutely nothing concerning these stories.

I don't know what to say.

I'm hardly a reflexive defender of Gandhi, or of the pacifist approach to politics. However, to suggest that "Gandhi and his rabble" were responsible for the horrors of partition, when in fact both the policy of partition and the Muslim-Hindu tensions that created the need for partition are direct consequences of British imperial policy, really goes beyond the pale.

Hmm. Let me restate that, because Assrocket likes to go beyond the pale. . Read on

Democracy Now, via Street Prophets, h/t Rain:

...the peace sign turns fifty years old today. Over the past five decades the peace sign has become one of the world’s enduring icons. The original peace sign was developed in 1958 by a British textile designer and conscientious objector named Gerald Holtom. He created the symbol by combining the semaphore letters N and D, for nuclear disarmament. On Feb. 21, 1958 the symbol was accepted by the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War. The symbol soon began to be used in anti-nuclear protests across Britain and then spread across the globe.

Hi, This is Bob Morris from Politics in the Zeros guest blogging this week. My blog covers antiwar, global warming, peak oil, and the political intersections thereof. All the causes are linked, it seems to me. If we stop spending billions on wars, then we can spend it here to create clean, renewable energy. Send tips and links to bob at polizeros dot com.

The CEO of a Houston investment bank says Peak Oil is real and happening now.

Michigan doctor Catherine Wilkerson goes on trial tomorrow for felony assault for attempting to give medical aid to a protester rendered unconscious by police at a protest. Defend Wilkerson.

Kevin Rudd, the just-elected new leader of Australia, says global warming will be a main priority. Are you listening, US presidential candidates?

Britain has denied asylum to Uzbek dissident Jahongir Sidikov and plans to send him back where he will face torture. Former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray is trying to mobilize support for Sidikov before it's too late.

Psst, there's a Liberal Conspiracy in Britain now.

Send tips this week to bob (DOT) morris (AT) gmail (DOT) com. (Hint: it does not have to be from your own blog. If you see something great, pass it on...)

(Guest blogged by Nonny Mouse)

The travel and tourist industry is one of the United States' biggest money-makers, generating $103 billion in tax revenue every year. Without this tax revenue, every American household would pay nearly $1,000 more in taxes every a year. But while the travel business is flourishing internationally, tourism to America has been on a steep decline, dropping 36 percent between 1992 and 2005, with a loss of $43 billion in 2005 alone. The nation's international tourism balance of trade declined more than 70 percent over the past 10 years - from $26.3 billion in 1996 to $7.4 billion in 2005.

People are simply choosing to go elsewhere. But as a follow-on to Logan Murphy’s excellent post on the increasing invasion of privacy by the soon-to-be approved Passenger Name Record for passengers entering international airports, allow me to present a personal view into why tourists are deciding not to spend their money visiting the States.

I moved from Great Britain to New Zealand last week, requiring a flight of 26 hours crammed into a big metal tube with about four hundred other brave souls, the vast majority of us packed into the Economy Class part of a 747, with the usual narrow seats, no leg rests, and poor overheated air ventilation that inevitably leads to sharing every virus on board with everyone else. I dropped at least half my on-board meals down my cleavage trying to eat with elbows pressed together, my ankles swelled to the size (and shape) of a small elephant’s, my calves were a mass of cramps, my eyes throbbed from trying to watch too many movies on a tiny screen eight inches from my nose, my back ached from trying to sleep at twisted, unnatural angles, and my throat tickled with what I knew would end up being a full blown head cold. No, long-haul flights are not fun. People take them because it’s about the only way to get where they really, really want to go. And I really, really wanted to go to New Zealand.

At least there was a chance for a small break once we’d landed in Los Angeles to change flight crews, restock the food galleys and drinks trolleys and refuel the plane, a chance to stretch our legs in the transit lounge and take a breath of fresh air. So you would think…

And you would be so wrong.

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British Prime Minister Tony Blair will convert to Roman Catholicism as soon as he steps down from his role as head of the British Government next week. Mr. Blair, who has had many in England scratching their heads over his deeply committed relationship to the foreign policy of American president George W. Bush, will discuss his conversion with none other than Pope Benedict XVI when he visits him in Rome. Rumors have circulated for months that Blair would leave the Church of England, but now it is all but official.

Andrew Grice, the political editor of The Independent is reporting that Blair has waited until leaving office to avoid possible legal issues:

Although Britain has never had a Catholic prime minister, the church has said there would be no constitutional bar to Mr Blair joining while he was still in office. But some lawyers believe the 1829 Emancipation Act, which granted civil rights to Roman Catholics, may still prevent a Catholic from becoming Prime Minister. It says that no Catholic adviser to the monarch can hold civil or military office.

According to sources close to him, Blair is seeking a role as U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East and may be named that by President Bush before the end of the latter's term of office ends.

Apparently, Blair met with Pope Benedict on Saturday as his last official act of office and was given a "frank" dressing down by the anti-war Germanic Pope. The Vatican said there had been a 'frank exchange of views.' If Tony Blair was looking towards the Pontiff and the Catholic Church for the absolution of his sins regarding the Iraq War, he was not to find it in Vatican City. Blair, trying to put some spiritual distance between himself and his policies, had no such luck. Not unlike Michael Corleone in Godfather III, Blair 'keeps trying to get out and they keep pulling him back in.'Vatican sources said the Pope was unmoved in his view that Blair had been wrong over Iraq. Ouch! Don't worry, there's still time and a few religions left. Can anyone say "circumcision?"

Interesting career choice, Tony. Credibility might not be there, though.

Tony Blair is preparing a mission to build bridges between the major world religions when he leaves office, and plans to act as an ambassador for multi-faith dialogue in Britain and abroad.

Friends of the Prime Minister have told The Independent on Sunday that he is planning to set up a Blair Foundation soon after leaving No 10, and one of its main aims will be to promote communication between Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

But the plan has been greeted with incredulity among MPs who say he has done more to create divisions between Islam and the West than any Prime Minister in living memory.

Seeing the Forest: Did you really believe the Right Wing Smear Machine would stand by and watch Al Gore being honored for his life's work?

Danger Room: The Pentagon is claiming -- again -- the the Iranian government supplied those deadly "explosively formed penetrators," but it's looking more and more like those "superbombs" are home-made.

Radar Online: Scathing bio exposes Rummy's rage, incompetence, shrimpiness

Dissident Voice: After doing such a bang up job with their advice and predictions about the outcome of the war on Iraq, would it surprise you to learn that America's neoconservatives are still in business?

Lawyers, Guns and Money: Ah, yes, nothing would enhance our freedom like the ability of state legislatures to violate people's fundamental rights—just ask George Wallace!

HOLY CRAP: "Secondary virginity" is available not only to the carnally impaired but to politicians who may have parked their shoes under the wrong ideological bed...Expecting the Bush administration to defend religious liberty is a little like asking Col. Sanders to babysit your pet chicken...Promoting an ideology that’s superstitious, magical and primitive...Hearing voices has long thought to be the preserve of a select group of abnormal people...A funny, chilling, serious, even-handed look at G-Dub's religion...Did you know that the battle to abolish of slavery in 18th century Britain is just like the Religious Right's battle to redeem the media and save our culture?...Thus spake D. James Kennedy: "To put it simply, no Darwin, no Hitler. Hitler tried to speed up evolution, to help it along, and millions suffered and died in unspeakable ways because of it."