Samantha writes
> Lee wrote
> > I agree that despite the annoyances with the unfamiliar, many
> > immigrants do appreciate the improvements in the new country
> > that they've chosen in contrast to the old country. It's
> > definitely not the case that there would be an *intention*
> > to create corruption or devalue the institutions of liberty.
> > What is of concern is that such eventualities stem from the
> > basic culture of a people. For example, what if the particular
> > kind of religiosity of a people have a great influence on the
> > patterns of government that develop? Libertarians systematically,
> > by the way, do not appreciate the hundreds of years that it took
> > (mostly) English speaking people to evolve democratic traditions
> > and the habits that support them.
> >
> I do not agree that people are determined by their "basic
> culture". I believe in individuality and the role of individual
> thinking much too much for that. Cultural determinism isn't
> much better than racial determinism in my book.
I agree that "determined" is too strong a word: you are perfectly
correct that individuals can have a tremendous effect (consider
Edison or Shockley). But entire *nations* indeed have cultural
characteristics that hinder or benefit their progress. Pointing
out that Mormons have some characteristics quite different from
Cubans need not detract from the ability of individuals to rise
above any such "determinism".
Lee
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