> Cultural stability and assimilation rate are real processes, that can be influenced by various policies. [...] Yet immigration and assimilation create cultural friction with the then-dominant national culture, so that needs to be managed.
You're getting it backwards: What creates a lot more cultural friction is lack of assimilation. And Sweden officially abandoned assimilation as a goal under Olof Palme in the 1970s. That, and the fact that it was taboo to criticize this lack for many decades, is what has put Sweden where it is now.
Sure, public debate there looks ugly now, mainly because so many on the left still live in the past and basically accuse anyone to the right of Palme of being Genghis Khan's and Hitler's secret love child. But still, the actual government finally having officially abandoned at least some of the previously-mandatory virtue signalling is one of the few promising signs that Sweden may still have some way forward.
> Ultimately, I'd like to see more honest communication around "We're encouraging immigration to drive our economy" and "Here are the things that immigrants are having to deal with, as they adjust to living in our country, and what you can do to help them."
Unfortunately I'm still doubtful that they'll have the balls to tell it all thew way like it is, to wit: "The one thing that immigrants have to deal with in order to live in our country and not destroy it, is to assimilate; to become Swedish."
> It sucks when someone is outcompeted by immigrant labor, but that should probably prompt some self reflection -- how can someone new to a country substitute into their job?
And all the virtue signallers (which I can't quite tell whether you are one of) should probably reflect: Couldn't be because they're "competing" while living on social benefits and working on the black market, paying no taxes or social security fees, could it?
You're getting it backwards: What creates a lot more cultural friction is lack of assimilation. And Sweden officially abandoned assimilation as a goal under Olof Palme in the 1970s. That, and the fact that it was taboo to criticize this lack for many decades, is what has put Sweden where it is now.
Sure, public debate there looks ugly now, mainly because so many on the left still live in the past and basically accuse anyone to the right of Palme of being Genghis Khan's and Hitler's secret love child. But still, the actual government finally having officially abandoned at least some of the previously-mandatory virtue signalling is one of the few promising signs that Sweden may still have some way forward.
> Ultimately, I'd like to see more honest communication around "We're encouraging immigration to drive our economy" and "Here are the things that immigrants are having to deal with, as they adjust to living in our country, and what you can do to help them."
Unfortunately I'm still doubtful that they'll have the balls to tell it all thew way like it is, to wit: "The one thing that immigrants have to deal with in order to live in our country and not destroy it, is to assimilate; to become Swedish."
> It sucks when someone is outcompeted by immigrant labor, but that should probably prompt some self reflection -- how can someone new to a country substitute into their job?
And all the virtue signallers (which I can't quite tell whether you are one of) should probably reflect: Couldn't be because they're "competing" while living on social benefits and working on the black market, paying no taxes or social security fees, could it?