There are many opinions about the benefits or otherwise of multiculturalism.  Some people feel one way and will quote one study, others will feel a different way and quote another study, and the cycle goes on ad-nauseam.

But what if there was just one all encompassing indicator that measured the impact of multiculturalism?  What if there was an indicator that reflected all the findings of all the studies that have ever been carried out, that also included factors not previously measured?

I believe there is such an indicator; but before I explain further let me give a brief background on technical analysis - how it applies to shares and how I feel it can also be applied to multiculturalism.

Can technical analysis be applied to multiculturaliam? Photo by psd.

Technical analysis – when applied to shares – says that anything that can possibly affect the price of a share – fundamentally, politically, psychologically, or otherwise, is reflected in the price of the share.

By studying the price, and believing that prices move in trends and that history repeats itself, technical analysts attempt to predict future prices, and thus make money with this knowledge.  Their overriding belief, however, is that profits, balance sheets, management experience etc. is irrelevant because the share price has all this information factored into it by an informed market.

How can this be applied to multiculturalism?

I believe that just as the share price is said to contain all the information known about a company; so there is also an indicator that contains all the information that is known about the benefits or otherwise of multiculturalism.  This indicator cuts through all the debates and arguments and goes to the heart of whether or not multiculturalism benefits communities.

I believe that measuring whether people are moving out of their homes in ethnically diverse areas and choosing to live in areas that are less ethnically diverse can be used as an indicator of whether or not multiculturalism is beneficial.

And of course, this is exactly what is occuring in Australia.

The people that have already fled immigrant suburbs have gathered all the information that affects them, weighed up all the pros and cons and come to the conclusion that the ‘joys of multiculturalism’ are not for them.

The fact that some studies may say that multiculturalism is beneficial becomes just as irrelevant as a having a good management team in a company whose share price keeps falling.  In both situations people have decide to sell and get out.

No amount of announcements by the company stating how good the management team is quite makes up for the fact that the share price keeps falling; just as no amount of studies showing how wonderful multiculturalism is quite makes up for the fact that people are voting with their feet and leaving multicultural areas.

‘White flight’ is occurring in Australia just as it occurs in the Unites States and other developed countries.  People are voting with their feet and leaving ethnically diverse areas for more stable areas.

If this relocation of people was caused by any other factor, such as an airport being built in a built-up area, there would be a public outcry and government action to prevent it.  Unfortunately, the government decides to do nothing.  And everyone loses as our communities become more divided.

So the next time someone asks you whether you think multiculturalism is a good thing, tell them you’ve been studying the technical charts, people have voted with their feet, and if you think the global economic crisis is bad, wait until you see how the Australian community has to pay for multiculturalism.